Regional transportation leaders want to resolve a feud with the executive board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
To do so, the Regional Transportation Council voted Thursday to spend $50,000 for an external lawyer to review the council’s legal responsibilities and approved a letter urging improved communication with the 17-member executive board.
The issue emerged in December when members of the transportation council — an independent policy group of the council of governments made up of 45 elected and appointed officials — were surprised and upset over a succession plan for 35-year transportation director Micheal Morris.
Some believed Morris, 70, was being ousted from his longtime job at a time when regional transportation efforts are critical to the success of the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will take place in North Texas this summer.
Council members decided to hire an external lawyer as council of governments counsel Ken Kirkpatrick advises both bodies, creating a potential conflict.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, who was among those angry when the plan for Morris’ job was announced at a Dec. 11 meeting, said it is important to resolve the conflict “in an amicable fashion.”
Duncan Webb, a Collin County commissioner, said that “timing is everything” in order to resolve the conflict prior to the World Cup games.
Resolving the conflict is important, some members said, since it could otherwise hamper regional transportation funds for projects needed as the North Texas population is expected to hit 12 million in 25 years.
The group’s lawyer will review key statutory and regulatory agreements related to RTC responsibilities that include federal and state codes for highway and transportation planning.
A draft letter that calls for improved communication will be sent to executive board chair Victoria Johnson, a Burleson City Council member.
RTC chair and Johnson County commissioner Rick Bailey’s letter said “broader questions remain about the roles and responsibilities of each body in moving forward policies determined” for the Metropolitan Planning Organization.
When Morris submitted his plan in December at the request of council of governments executive director Todd Little, it was the first time that members of the RTC were made aware of such a plan, according to the draft letter.
Little, a former Ellis County judge appointed to this role in May, previously told the Fort Worth Report that he was charged with obtaining succession plans from all department heads, not just transportation, as plans are made for the future.
“It is unclear whether that was based on the interest of NCTCOG’s Executive Board or its Executive Director,” the letter said. “It is also unclear whether there was any communication to the Texas Department of Transportation, which is a party to several relevant agreements and Congressional legislation as an integral part of the (Metropolitan Planning Organization) process.”
Although Morris is an NCTCOG employee, “that role is also vitally important to the RTC as the Director of Transportation facilitates decisions made by the RTC,” according to the letter.
The two groups should “address challenges faced by North Texas and create outcomes to solve (the) challenges,” the letter said. “It is in everyone’s interest to reestablish a stronger partnership.”
Transportation council members said they want to meet with executive board members, including Fort Worth City Council member Carlos Flores, “to create a positive path forward.” He also wants to ensure that the transportation council is part of the decision-making process in hiring a new transportation director.
Morris has not said when he plans to retire from his job.
Bailey said he wants the internal conflict resolved to “keep peace among family members here.”
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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