Corpus Christi's street paving program faces funding shortfall next year - Texas News Beep

Corpus Christi’s Rapid Pavement Program is on track to finish all of its budgeted work for 2026 by the end of August, with crews having repaired 45 miles of residential streets this year.

But next year could look very different.

The city used its fund balance to complete the extra street work this year, and Corpus Christi councilmember Mark Scott claims that money is now gone. As a result, next year’s budget could only cover 18 miles of residential street repairs.

The cuts extend beyond neighborhood streets. Maintenance funding for the city’s busiest major roads — the ones connecting neighborhoods to highways and shopping centers — is dropping from $14 million this year to just $3 million next year, according to Scott. City officials say that’s due to the elimination of the Street User Fee.

Corpus Christi City Councilman Mark Scott says the shortfall comes down to a few factors converging at once.

“It’s the culmination of a bond program that the citizens voted for in the past that is running out,” Scott said. “It’s the elimination of the street user fee, which was putting in $11 million dollars a year. When you add all that up — or in this case subtract all that out — at the end of the day, you just can’t do as much street maintenance as you used to. We had an opportunity to vote to move forward with a funding mechanism, and we couldn’t get the votes.”

Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni says the repaving program itself hasn’t been halted.

“The RPP hasn’t been halted,” Zanoni said. “We have caught up now on all backlog work funded in prior years and finishing up this fiscal year’s funded/programmed work.”

Corpus Christi City Councilman Mark Scott says the funding gap traces back to a motion he made months ago to reinstate the Street User Fee, which he says generated $11 million a year for street maintenance. That motion failed to get council support.

“I made a motion to increase street funding by up to $11 million, and it did not get council approval,” Scott said. “So it is not in this year’s budget process.”

Scott says he takes issue with how the situation has unfolded.

“I’m disappointed and I’m critical of the council because I think it’s going to look like we’re kicking the can down the road again, when we got over that hump a couple of years ago,” Scott said.

He says the city will have to find a solution as budget talks continue in the coming weeks.

“I don’t think any council member wants to kick the can down the road,” Scott said. “I think we will address it as soon as we can, but again, I was willing to address it back in January. It wasn’t popular, and ultimately didn’t have council support.”

Corpus Christi’s street paving program faces funding shortfall next year

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