Introduction to the Issue
A recent bill, Senate Bill 2722, aimed to require Harris County to allocate 30% of its surplus toll road funds to the City of Houston. However, the bill failed to reach a vote by the full Texas House before the last day of the legislative session, effectively putting it on hold.
What the Bill Proposed
The proposed law would have restricted Harris County Commissioners Court’s authority over millions of surplus funds from the Harris County Toll Road Authority. The city would have received $80 million, which is 30% of the funds, to reimburse law enforcement and emergency services for their response to collisions on the county’s toll roads. The remaining 70% would have been distributed to the county’s four precincts based on the percentage of county roads within each precinct.
Opposition to the Bill
Harris County’s commissioners lobbied against the legislation. Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s spokesperson stated that he is open to negotiating with the city about the surplus funds, considering the city regularly dispatches emergency personnel to the county toll roads. Commissioner Tom Ramsey initially supported the bill but later opposed it after the Commissioners Court agreed on a new, more equitable split of mobility funds within the county.
Reaction from City Officials
Houston Mayor John Whitmire did not address the possibility of working with county leaders to obtain some of the surplus toll road funds. He mentioned that the potential for the city to receive some of those funds had not been considered when creating his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. Instead, he focused on the state’s $252 million in direct appropriations to the city and its support systems.
Details of the Bill’s Failure
The bill passed the Senate on April 29 and was voted out of a House committee on May 21. However, it was never put on the House’s calendar, meaning it never received a vote from the full house. This failure to pass is seen as an example of bipartisan unity on the county level, with Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones stating that mobility dollars are critical to addressing growth, improving public safety, and driving economic development.
Conclusion
The failure of Senate Bill 2722 to pass through the House means that the allocation of Harris County’s surplus toll road funds will not be restricted by the proposed law. While the city and county may still negotiate about the surplus funds, the bill’s failure maintains the county’s control over the funds. As Commissioner Lesley Briones said, the bipartisan unity against the bill ensures that mobility dollars will continue to be used for road building and repair, rather than being diverted to unrelated budget holes.
