West U City Council did not end up hearing from small city representatives on METRO’s board of directors about recent controversies at METRO, during its Monday night meeting.
Council skipped the first agenda item regarding matters related to METRO, because small city representatives Burt Ballafant and Jim Stewart were unable to attend. They were asked to attend a council meeting on Sept. 16.
Council is seeking answers from METRO following recent findings by the Federal Transit Administration that the Houston area’s transportation agency violated federal procurement law and “Buy American” requirements. To read more about it, click here.
Mayor Bob Kelly attended a METRO Mayors meeting on Sept. 14 and said the mayors wanted to know how the new METRO administration felt about the general mobility fund.
West U, one of 14 cities that belong to METRO, contributes around $1 million in sales tax to METRO and receives $259,000 from METRO’s general mobility fund every year.
METRO President and CEO George Greanias told the mayors that the administration was on board to extend the mobility fund past 2014, the year the agreement ends, Kelly said.
“We all are very relieved,” Kelly said. “We should be very encouraged that the mobility will go forward.”
The mobility fund issue would have to be voted on again in 2014, he said.
“Why would we fight METRO on us getting some portion of the mobility fund?” Kelly said.
Councilmember George Boehme said he thinks the problem is bigger than the mobility fund.
One of the questions he would like METRO to answer is how the small city board appointments are made.
When Houston Mayor Annise Parker took office she replaced all the METRO board members, Boehme said.
“Should we shuffle the deck and give METRO a fresh start like Annise Parker did?” he said.
Kelly said METRO representatives will eventually report to council. A date has not yet been scheduled.
Mayor Bob Kelly says
The Metro Cities Mayors are very please with the work of the Metro Cities’ Board Members. Backgroung: There are 9 Metro Board Members. 5 are appointed by the Mayor of Houston, 2 by Harris County Commissioners Court, and 2 by the Metro Cities’ Mayors. The Mayor of Houston does not need approval of anyone to appoint her 5 Board Members. She can replace them for a good reason, a bad reason, or for no reason at all. Harris County did not replace its 2 Board Members. There are 14 cities in the Metro Cities group, one of which is West U, and it would take a majority vote (8 Mayors from this group) to replace the 2 Metro Cities’ Board Members. It was evident from the Sept Metro Cities group meeting on Sept 14th that at all of the Metro Cities Mayors were happy with the Metro Cities Board Members. Also, to be clear, the 1% sales tax that goes to Metro from sales in West U is completley under the control of Metro, and was “given” to them by the Texas legislature. It is not “contributed” to Metro by West U, as the seller sends the sales tax to the State and the State sends it to Metro.
Metro, by agreement with the Metro Cities, sends 1/4th of that 1% sales tax to the Metro Cities to spend on transportation issues in their cities. I’m not sure where Council Boehme is going with all this, but perhaps he will make it clear in the near future. West U can’t withdraw from Metro by State law, West U has no control over the 1% Metro sales tax by State law, and West U can’t replace the 2 Metro board members without 7 other Metro Mayors voting to so and presently all are please with the Metro Cities board members.
Mayor Bob Kelly says
First, the Metro Cities Mayors do not believe that our 2 Board members supported any alleged wrong doing by the prior Metro administration. Our Board members listen to the Metro Cities Mayors and have represented the Metro Cities very well. Keep in mind that the Metro Cities Board Members have only 2 votes of the total 9, with the majority of the votes, 5,coming from Board Members appointed by the Houston Mayor…with the effect being that Houston can control the Board. Perhaps that the dissatifaction you express with Metro under the prior Metro administration was also felt by Houston Mayor Parker and she possibly believed former Mayor Bill White’s 5 appointments to the Metro Board were not using their possible controlling votes wisely. Perhaps this is why she replaced Mayor Bill White’s 5 appointed Metro Board Members. Second, keep in mind that I have only 1 of the needed 8 Metro Cities Mayors votes needed to replace either or both of the Metro Cities Board Members. I can tell you that will not happen as currently all the Metro Cities Mayors are happy with our 2 board members.