Regional Transportation Council members agreed Thursday to retain independent attorneys to clarify the group’s duties and help stop the search for a new transportation director after a related lawsuit was filed in Denton County.
The council’s decision stems from an ongoing dispute with the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ 17-member executive board, which seeks to replace longtime transportation director Michael Morris.
This issue surfaced in late 2025 after former Ellis County Judge Todd Little was appointed executive director of the council of governments last May. Little previously told the Fort Worth Report that he sought a succession plan for when Morris retires.
Morris, 70, has served as transportation director for the council of governments for 35 years. He created a succession plan Little requested just before the organization launched a job search for Morris’ replacement.
The Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy group of 45 elected and appointed officials, balked at the executive board decision and sought legal advice on whether the group would have to hire its own attorney to clarify its role as part of a state-recognized Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey, the group’s chair, made the funding request since it was determined that council of government attorneys cannot provide legal services in some areas because of potential conflicts from the dispute.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, also an attorney and member of the transportation council, said a temporary restraining order that a judge granted to Denton County officials could help stop the transportation director search.
The lawsuit was filed by Denton County on April 6 in the 431st State District Court. The suit names North Central Texas Council of Governments executive board members as defendants, including Fort Worth City Council member Carlos Flores, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, Arlington City Council member Bowie Hogg, Burleson City Council member Victoria Johnson, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, Collin County Judge Chris Hill, Johnson County Judge Chris Boedeker and Dallas City Council member Cara Mendelsohn.
A hearing on the lawsuit, which seeks to permanently cease the executive board’s candidate search, is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 21 before state District Judge Jim Johnson.
Fort Worth City Council member Elizabeth Beck, another transportation council member who previously worked with Morris on mobility projects, said the Texas Department of Transportation could help clarify the transportation council’s role once that agency weighs in.
Ken Kirkpatrick, the council of governments attorney, said in a March 18 letter to Bailey that he determined potential conflicts could arise from his representation of the Regional Transportation Council and withdrew from representing the group.
The transportation council’s membership sought to clarify the group’s Metropolitan Planning Organization legal duties and its relationship with the council of governments executive board.
Independent attorneys, who will be paid with local transportation funds, will assist the group on governance agreements, interpretations of responsibilities and authority in federal law as well as questions about institutional functions.
Attorneys hired by the transportation council would assist on questions for related transportation agreements and provide monthly reports on legal costs.
“Chair Bailey hopes this will be temporary as the RTC and Executive Board attempt to resolve their differences,” an item on the April 9 agenda stated.
Beck said she was concerned about legal fees that could arise from the matter.
“That’s $1 of local funds not used on transit,” she said.
Morris is described by state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, as “the Tom Landry of transportation.”
Little said the council of governments is preparing for long-term mobility projects and looking for an eventual transportation successor to marshal projects needed to accommodate 4 million people expected to move to North Texas by 2050.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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