<\/p>\n
Michael Morris, shown above at a ribbon cutting on November 7, 2014, was fired from his role as director of transportation for North Central Texas Council of Governments on April 28, 2026, leaving maybe governmental leaders confused.<\/p>\n
Paul Moseley<\/p>\n
Star-Telegram<\/p>\n
One of the most influential leaders on the North Texas transportation scene was fired Tuesday after spending 35 years in the field.<\/p>\n
Michael Morris, director of transportation for North Central Texas Council of Governments, was primarily in charge of dispersing hundreds of billions of dollars across regional transportation projects.<\/p>\n
Officials said internal politics led to Morris\u2019s involuntary departure. He had announced his plan to retire in December 2025, but he did not say when.<\/p>\n
The acting director, Dan Kessler, will fill the role until a replacement is hired.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t take him four hours\u201d to find his next gig, Kessler said of Morris at the Regional Transportation Committee meeting on Thursday, April 30. Morris will be working with FIFA in a similar position, Kessler said.<\/p>\n
A proponent of the high-speed rail<\/a> connecting Fort Worth to the potential Houston-Dallas line, Morris played a large role in planning for the FIFA World Cup<\/a> in July and building a $1.5 billion \u201cspine\u201d<\/a> over the next several years for north Tarrant County commuters.<\/p>\n Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, who represents northwest Tarrant County, said he fully expects Morris to stay involved in the projects as there is no one who could take his place.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, I\u2019m not sure that there\u2019s anybody positioned to be able to do it as effectively as he is,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cHe\u2019s one of the most effective transportation directors in the country. And again, there\u2019s been no performance issue or management issues that you can point to as a justification for this type of action.\u201d<\/p>\n
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