RELEASE (Nov. 1, 2021) TCTU opposes ‘road and bridges’ scheme to give unelected county boards power to take private property for ‘economic development’
Though being peddled as a roads and bridges amendment, the Travis County Taxpayers Union has unveiled some serious problems with the scope of state Proposition 2.
The following statement may be attributed to Don Zimmerman of the Travis County Taxpayers Union:
“Under the trojan horse of preventing ‘urban blight’ and building roads and bridges, the contractor lobby groups behind Proposition 2 are pushing for a massive expansion of county government authority over land use. Several conservative groups have strongly come out against it, including the Republican Party of Texas. Some have filed suit over the questionable ballot language.
“As it stands, counties have no authority to zone land they way cities do. This amendment, if passed, would be a blank check for county governments to raise local debt in the name of ‘economic development.’ We all know what that actually means: big corporations gain special favors from county government while the little guy is punished for being in the way of ‘development.’ Even worse, if an area is classified as a Transportation Reinvestment Zone, an unelected board would have power to determine what happens to private property.
“The ability to take private property for economic development purpsoes is already overbroad due in part to 2005’s Kelo v. New London decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. Our Texas Legislature should be focussed on ways to rein in this power that unfairly favors large corporations and special interests rather than greatly expanding it.”
The TCTU opposes Proposition 2. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The Travis County Taxpayers Union was established in 2012 to represent the best interests of Travis County Taxpayers against special public and private interests demanding subsidies at the taxpayer’s expense.
—30—