By Sam A. Lopez - NTTA - June 22, 2007
Plano, TX – The Board of Directors of the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) will add two seats to their Board of Directors later this year. Senate Bill (SB) 964, passed by the State Legislature during their recent legislative session and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry on June 16, requires that there be two Board members from each of the NTTA’s founding counties: Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant. In addition, there will continue to be one Board member, appointed by the Governor, from a county adjacent to the member counties.
Authored by Senator Florence Shapiro of Plano, SB 964 also allows for a seat to be awarded to new counties with an NTTA roadway project. A second seat for these new counties will be authorized when roadways achieve a minimum length of 10-miles and have been in operation for three years.
“The passage of Senator Shapiro’s Senate Bill 964 is a crucial step in creating equal representation among NTTA’s four member counties and in the decision-making process on projects that benefit our entire region,” said William W. “Bill” Meadows, NTTA Board Member representing Tarrant County and Chair of NTTA’s Legislative Committee.
SB 964 includes two amendments, authored by Rep. Yvonne Davis of Dallas, that would delegate Board seats to different geographic regions within the counties making the appointment, and to the extent possible, require appointments to reflect the diversity of the population of member counties.
NTTA Board Chairman Paul N. Wageman added, “The NTTA is committed to serving our entire region and SB 964 helps us do this. In addition, the legislation permits the NTTA to plan for future relationships with other counties that will need assistance with their mobility needs.”
SB 964 becomes effective September 1, 2007.
Currently, the NTTA is governed by a seven-member Board. Each of the four counties within the service area of the NTTA appoints one member. Two members are appointed on a rotating basis by those counties in which an operating NTTA toll road is located. The Governor appoints the seventh member from a county adjacent to the NTTA's four-county service area. Board members serve staggered, two-year terms, and no member may be an elected official. From their membership, the directors elect a chairman and vice chairman.
About NTTA
The North Texas Tollway Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Texas, is authorized to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects in the North Texas region. The seven-member governing board is comprised of Chairman Paul N. Wageman, Vice Chairman Jack Miller, Directors Gary Base, David Denison, William W. Meadows, Bob Shepard and Alan Sims.
The NTTA serves Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant Counties and is responsible for the Dallas North Tollway System, consisting of the Dallas North Tollway, President George Bush Turnpike, Addison Airport Toll Tunnel, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge and the Mountain Creek Lake Bridge. The North Texas Tollway Authority is able to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of turnpike revenue bonds. NTTA toll projects are not a part of the State highway system and receive no direct tax funding. Tolls are collected to repay debt and to operate and maintain the roadways.
Visit the NTTA Web site or call 214-461-2000 for additional information about the North Texas Tollway Authority or call 972-818-NTTA (6882) for Customer Service.
