Regional Transportation Council members on Thursday approved the signing of an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation, a key document in a lingering dispute with the North Central Texas Council of Governments executive board.
In a 41-4 vote, RTC members requested that executive board members sign a Metropolitan Planning Organization agreement to remain the body’s fiscal agent. Outgoing chair Rick Bailey, a Johnson County commissioner, immediately signed the agreement after the vote.
The issue stems from the recent firing of North Texas transportation director Michael Morris by Todd Little, council of governments executive director. The NCTCOG board claims Little had the authority to fire Morris, although two state district judges upheld the assertion that the RTC is the policy-making body for North Texas transportation funding decisions. Morris was later reinstated.
Rob Walters, an attorney for the transportation council, said the independent policy-making body is recognized as the Metropolitan Planning Organization for North Texas because it received federal government certification in 2025 as it has every four years since 1995.
Walters said the council regularly approves transportation funding decisions that go directly to implementing agencies without approvals by the council of governments executive board, which pays the organization’s bills.
In addition, the RTC “is the only entity in the region” that meets federal requirements on voting authority by transit entities, TxDOT representation, fair-share allocation of voting weights and membership from policy officials within the designated area, according to the RTC agenda.
In Texas, the NCTCOG executive board can’t be designated as both the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the fiscal agent at the same time, Walters said.
NCTCOG leadership contends in the April 6 lawsuit that the executive board is the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The executive board was accused of overreach in its duties as the council’s fiscal agent, according to the lawsuit by Denton County.
On Thursday, Denton County Judge Andy Eads pointed to an agenda item about a Plano-to-McKinney transit study that he claimed showed overreach. Although RTC members approved their support for the study in March, the executive board added a request stating that resolutions to support the study were needed by the cities of Fairview, Allen and McKinney.
“This council of governments board is at it again,” Eads said. “They are brazenly violating two district court orders. … This is exactly why Denton County sued.”
That agenda item — to determine if a passenger rail system is needed from Plano to McKinney — was approved with a sole opposition vote by Dallas City Council member Cara Mendelsohn, also an executive board member.
Trinity Metro funding
RTC members also clarified $40 million in funding for a TEXRail extension into Fort Worth’s Medical District/Near Southside area.
Although the funding request was approved in March, RTC members clarified that deferred or lesser-priority transportation projects would be delayed or canceled to release money to begin TEXRail construction.
Transportation staff are working to understand increased costs and identify revenues to cover the funding gap, Christie Gotti, a senior program manager, told the council.
The delayed projects include $12.9 million for a high-intensity bus project, $3.4 million in cost savings from the building of the Trinity Lakes Station in east Fort Worth, $2.8 million from a Trinity Railway Express double-track project and $250,000 from a preventive maintenance project. Officials said some projects would be rescheduled.
Staffers will provide the Federal Transit Administration with a letter confirming the approving funding and a timeline in which the TEXRail extension will be added to the federal Transportation Improvement Program.
New RTC officers
Cedar Hill Mayor Stephen Mason, appointed to the transportation council in May 2024, was elected Thursday to lead the 45-member entity as chair for the next year.
Denton City Council member Jill Jester, a member since August 2024, will serve as vice chair and Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez was elected secretary. He was named to the transportation council in January 2023.
The three will serve through June 2027.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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