Overview:
The DART Board of Directors has faced delays in their meeting due to the debate over a proposed legislative bill that would restructure the board's voting power. The bill, which would give each member city a representative on the board, has been met with opposition from Dallas, who would retain three votes. The board has also faced delays in the Silver Line project, with the bridge over US 75 in Richardson now expected to take an extra year to complete.
The DART Board of Directors did not meet this week after last Tuesday’s meeting where the board announced an increase in the budget for the new Silver Line project. New aesthetic changes to the Silver Line bridge over US 75 in Richardson and an increased allowance for railway flagging have the project’s budget increasing by several million dollars.
A stalemate still persists in the board’s vote on the “Approval of a Resolution for Legislative Priorities on Governance for the 89th Session of the Texas Legislature” presented by Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Jeamy Molina. The DART board could not reach a decision over the specific language and voting power suggested in the bill’s new formatting of a more equitable, representative board for DART member cities.
Related: DART Board Discusses Silver Line, Proposed Legislation, and Budget Concerns
Reaching a consensus over Regional Transportation Council (RTC)-mandated funding and governance regulation between DART and its member cities is also still a prime issue for the DART board. Molina broke down what Austin lawmakers are now asking DART to prioritize on behalf of their constituents.
Board Member Voting Concerns Spark Debate
Molina explained that Senate Bill 2118 asks the current DART board to restructure its representatives, calling for one appointee from each DART member city. Dallas will still have democratic dominance, as it retains three votes as the flagship city of DART. Members will serve staggered 2-year terms, undoubtedly to prevent a deluge of more intense debates over the abuse of term limits in Dallas’ municipal bodies. The new board will be headed by a presiding officer that is selected via rotation of member representatives in an order predetermined by the board.
Randall Bryant, one of the eight DART representatives for Dallas, discerned that this board has seen this proposed legislature before, having discussed the bill in a previous board meeting on March 21, but the board was unable to make a decisive stance regarding their response to the bill at the time. Section 3 of the bill is the area of highest contention for the board.
Section 3 states:
This section refers to the new allocation of votes and weighted votes for members of the newly proposed board. Some DART board members are opposed to the weighting of votes from the principal city (Dallas). Bryant encouraged board members to seek a solution for amending the proposed legislature in this section during the discussion in Tuesday’s meeting.
“It’s critical for equity that their [DART member cities’] vote is distributed based on population, or maybe a blending of sales tax and population,” Dallas representative Michele Wong Krause explained. “It’s really hard for me to say that Glenn Heights has the same vote as Plano. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
For reference, Dallas’ population accounts for roughly 51% of the 13 DART member cities.
According to Brown, mediation talks about improved member city representation and possible amendments or lobbying towards SB 2118 are still underway. These mediation talks include DART board members; elected officials from member cities Richardson, Glenn Heights, and Dallas; and elected officials from member cities who have passed or considered legislation seeking changes to DART: Plano, Irving, Highland Park and Carrollton. The RTC, Brown explained in the meeting, had the intent for all parties to reach an agreement, rather than come to the conclusion no solution can be reached.
“We don’t have an agreement,” Brown explained. “This board should begin taking necessary steps to advance resolutions that we think support this agency, notwithstanding any agreements we can make through other individuals and cities […] regardless of if the bill passes or not.”
Mark Enoch, representing the cities of Garland, Glenn Heights and Rowlett opposes the proposed switch up in weighted votes, saying it disadvantages the suburbs.
“For 43 years we’ve let it work […] and now we’re going to change it to where the suburbs don’t have the same advantages.”
Molina highlighted that SB 2118 is actively in Senate Transportation committee review.
Silver Line Delayed Once More
Budget changes for the Silver Line project include an enhancement to the bridge that crosses over US 75 in Richardson. The bridge has been under construction since 2021.
The board of directors approved a contract with Archer Western Herzog 4.0, Joint Venture, (AWH) for a total increase of $14,090,218. Roughly $5.4 million will go towards railway flagging, while $8.6 million will be for the “redesign of arch bridge enhancements.”
Dallas representative Patrick Kennedy noted the contract update with AWH will also garner a 423-day extension, meaning the bridge over US 75 will take an extra year at least to complete.
Finding the Funds
Where is DART getting the money for all this?
Kennedy explained the bridge enhancement cost will be split between Richardson, DART, and federal funding. Richardson would be expected to put up “$1.47 million from unallocated Betterment funds,” while federal funding would cover about a third of the project.
With the addition of funding from the Tax Increment Fund (TIF), which is projected to over-perform, DART and Richardson may get some extra revenue.
“The assumption for the performance of the TIF is on a $28 million level right now,” Kennedy explained. “If it overperforms, then we’ll be able to share in that performance with the city of Richardson.”
The next Committee of the Whole and Board Meeting for DART’s board of directors is on Tuesday, April 29, where directors will have another opportunity to find a solution for supporting or opposing the new senate legislation threatening the restructure of their board.