By Shelley Kofler, KERA 90.1 News Director
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-599508.mp3
Arlington & Dallas TX – A moment in history - to be remembered for decades. That's how Executive Director Mike Eastland of the North Central Texas Council of Governments described the decision 39 elected officials on the transportation commission were about to make. They were clearly split over who win the State Highway 121 contract.
Mike Eastland, NCCOG Executive Director:
What I'm saying is this should not divide us. It must not divide us after this decision we must come back together for the sake of this transportation system.
Kofler: But for a few hours there was division. Eastland had to apologize to some angry officials for presenting an analysis by Price Waterhouse that recommended Cintra, without acknowledging Price Waterhouse had worked for Cintra.
The division continued as the North Texas Tollway Authority- produced numbers showing it would pay the state more for the right to build and manage the toll road. 3.2 billion instead of 2.8. Cintra disputed those numbers.
The Authority claimed further that because it's a public agency it would plow more than a billion from tolls into building additional North Texas freeways. It said Cintra a private company would send profits to shareholders.
Cintra agreed, it could make a hefty profit, some 763 million dollars. But Cintra warned that if the Authority sold bonds to build 121, it might be too strapped to finance other road projects in the area. It might be unable to repay bond holders
Wendy Davis, a Fort Worth Council member with a vote, emotionally embraced Cintra's argument.
Wendy Davis, Fort Worth City Council Member: I don't think it's going to keep money in the region. We need to keep the private companies at the table.
Kofler: Davis reminded that Cintra won the contract in February, and that state lawmakers forced a rebidding under rules that now give preference to the tollway authority if its proposal is competitive
Davis: The message to Cintra is that no matter what you do the process will not be fair.
Kofler: But commission members like Dallas Council Member Bill Blaydes said there were good reasons to support the home team.
Bill Blaydes, Dallas City Council Member:
I would far rather be dealing with someone here than across a great lake. So I am asking this body to step up and keep it at home.
Kofler: And the upfront money promised by the Tollway Authority won over Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley.
Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley: The Cintra bid would leave up front money on the table. It would also leave profit on the table.
Kofler: In fact the tollway authority convinced more than two-thirds of the commission. 27 voted to recommend the tollway authority. 10 voted against.
Jerry Hiebert, Executive Director for the North Texas Tollway Authority knows his agency still has one more hurdle to clear. On June 28 Texas Transportation Commissioners in Austin will review this recommendation, and make a final decision.
For KERA 90 .1 I'm Shelley Kofler
SKofler@kera.org