Texas Voters Must Beware of Road Bond Proposals

What is happening in Hays County is or will be occurring as well in other Texas counties.

A major reason Hays County voters should NOT approve the upcoming bond proposal (a.k.a. Proposition 1) on May 12th is that special interests are drooling for voters to approve it. The proposal is for a $172 million construction bond package that will include the building of the loop that eventually would connect to toll roads. The road bond package is much more costly than the current total amount of the county's budget for roadways.

According to an article in the San Marcos Daily Record, the pending sale of 245 acres owned by Texas State University is also being delayed until after the May 12 election.

There is no way for voters to know the damage they may cause the Hays County community by voting for the road bond plan. There are too many privatizing hands in the mix who may profit from the road venture, and the public doesn't have all the information to make an intelligent decision. Proposition 1's support is little more than hype by pro-toll and pro-highway advocates without any substantiation for approving the bonds.

The article in the Record continues to note that "This segment of the loop, Farm-to-Market Road 110, includes widening 10.3 miles of Ranch Road 12 and six miles of Farm-to-Market Road 1626 as the package voters will consider at the ballot box." Voters must consider the ramifications of enlarging RR 12 to that magnitude, and how that will affect the Hill Country environment. The outcome could be devastating to the beauty and ecology of the scenic surroundings, and may overwhelm the smaller communities in the area.

Residents in Precinct 4, which includes Dripping Springs and Driftwood, have nothing to gain and everything to lose if the road bond proposal is approved. There are no roads that are affected in this area, and if approved, homeowners will see an increase in property taxes with no positive outcome for that additional tax expenditure.

Hays County residents would be wise to consider the volatile nature of the road bond proposal; a vote against Proposition 1 is the smart thing to do. There are other less expensive ways to make our Hill Country roads safer and more easily traveled on.

Voters in other Texas counties should be watching for similar special interest power plays.