Saturday, September 17, 2011
County continues drive for road improvement and safety funding
Media release Friday September 16, 2011
Laureen Chernow
Hays County Communications Specialist
laureen.chernow@co.hays.tx.us
Office: 512.393.2296
Visit the Hays County website: www.co.hays.tx.us
Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – The Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday heard from transportation projects consultant Michael Aulick of Aulick and Associates about the status of special CAMPO and TxDOT road project funding and gave a collective “thumbs up” to continue to push for 30 projects that would improve mobility and safety around the county.
Competition in the Central Texas region is fierce for the funding which totals nearly $224 million over a two-to-three-year period – 170 projects with a combined price tag of $835 million have been submitted.
On October 29 the Texas Transportation Committee will select projects from around Central Texas for $91.3 million available for FY 2012-13 and on October 10 CAMPO will approve projects for a total of $132.4 million. Most of the $224 million ($139 million in state funds) is available to local governments without requiring any matching funds, which makes this an especially attractive opportunity.
“Hays County is competing for the funds with other counties and cities,” Aulick said. “Dripping Springs, Kyle and San Marcos also submitted project funding applications. There are a lot of shovel-ready projects just waiting for funds to get started. The Commissioners Court feels that the County projects under consideration will benefit areas throughout the County, and is eager to get started as soon as money is available.”
During initial scoring of all projects submitted, CAMPO and TxDOT gave relatively high scores to three Hays County projects, including I-35 ramps and turnarounds between Buda and Kyle, median work on Hunter Road between Centerpoint and Posey roads and improvements to RR 12 in the Wimberley business district.
The public comment period for the projects under consideration closes at 5 p.m. September 30.
For detailed information about all the projects under consideration or to take the online survey, visit Call for Projects at www.campotexas.org. Your Hays County Commissioner’s Office is also available to answer any questions. For details about Hays County projects submitted for funding, go to Hays County Transportation Projects.
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6 comments:
Michael R. Aulick, former CAMPO Executive Director
More of the same swinging door for special interests to capture the public purse funded by taxpayers.
Thank you Commissioner "de facto county judge" Conley.
bottom line is profits, growth and cronyism have overtaken our constitution and democracy. we who want a good life for our children and our planet have been reduced to funders and enablers of the system.
I can not understand why any sane person would oppose trying to secure funds to improve the roads in Hays County. Since it would require no matching funds from our tax payers it is a no-brainer. Of course, the ne'er-do-wells such as O'Dell and his affiliated tribe of losers can't stand progress or growth in any form.
The County is doing the right thing in pursuing these funds.
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"I can not understand why any sane person would oppose trying to secure funds to improve the roads in Hays County."
Because those funds will be used to subsidize insider developers and add to our existing road maintenance deficit.
We don't maintain our current inventory of county roads and divert our road bond funds for federal and state highways. Our property taxes will be used to pay off the road bonds.
De Facto County Judge Conley continues taking over private roads and they will add to the growing list of unmaintained roads while developer friends get the new money.
Duh!
All this "free money" sounds very expensive. Bet on it.
I think its oddly humorous that Obama's jobs bill sounds a lot like normal county procedure here... spend more public funds building more ___________ (fill in the blank).
And they call themselves "conservatives"...
A public notice says that Hays County Commissioners Court will take up whether to assume upkeep for roads in the Mystic Creek subdivision at Henly.
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