KXAN Investigates Williamson County Road Bonds

KXAN has investigated the people and companies behind the campaign for passing $447M bonds for roads in the election that ends November 5, 2019.

Investigative Summary:

In one week, Williamson County voters will decide whether to take on another $447 million in new debt to build roads and parks. This investigation delves into the businesses funding the campaign to convince voters to approve the bonds. Those campaign dollars also ended up in the campaign pockets of the politicians who’ll award the contracts. This Position of Power investigation found the same thing happened in Williamson County in 2013, too.

If you’ve driven through Williamson County in the last few weeks, you’ve seen the signs. Vote “Yes,” is the demand. Yes, to approve $412 million in road construction and another $35 million for parks and trails.

In May, a political action committee formed to convince voters to approve the $447 million bonds. The PAC is almost exclusively funded by engineering firms; firms that could be awarded no-bid bond contracts.

If you’re wondering who’s paying for those signs, you have to read the fine print at the bottom: Citizens for Safety, Quality Roads and Parks. It’s a Specific-Purpose Committee formed May 28, 2019.

The SPAC’s treasurer is listed as Mike Robinson. Robinson is also listed as the business development manager for Halff and Associates, a Dallas-area engineering and consulting firm. Calls and emails to Robinson and Hall and Associated were never returned.

Within four months, the pro-bond SPAC raised $161,050 to convince voters to approve the bonds. The entities contributing the most: engineering firms. Campaign finance reports show the largest contribution came on August 20 when HNTB Corporation – a Missouri-based engineering firm – gave the SPAC a $20,000 check.

Out of 24 contributions, only one did not involve engineering, construction or surveyor interests. Rifeline, LLC, an Austin-based public relations firm, gave the SPAC a $1,000 contribution in September. Rifeline “has an affinity for facilitating public buy-in,” according to the firm’s web site."

Campaign contributions to the County Judge and Commissioners are particularly troubling.

Not a single Williamson County Commissioner turned down campaign cash from engineering firms during the time the commissioners court was considering whether to ask taxpayers to pass the bonds between 2018 and 2019.

In fact, campaign finance reports show all four commissioners—plus county Judge Bill Gravell—accepted a total of $55,046 from firms that could share in the benefits of the $447 million bond.