Why did Harris County look at selling its toll roads last year?
As good public stewards, we’re constantly evaluating ways to make better use of taxpayer dollars. The purpose was to make sure that it was what we thought it was. You can’t say I don’t like something without knowing the facts. Now we know the facts. And from knowing the facts we were able to make an intelligent decision based on our situation. Chicago and Indiana decided to sell their toll roads. Why did Harris County reach the opposite conclusion? You’re right, these things have been done around the country, and continue to be the soup of the day. But it doesn’t work for everyone. I’m not saying that leasing or selling toll roads or other publicly run or held operations is a bad thing. I just think it depends on the situation one is in. Chicago had a situation where they had a bridge that was not doing too well–the bonds had gone into default for a time. So it might be a good thing for Chicago. Another thing to note is that the people who pay to ride on the Skyway are from Indiana. S
