March 14, 2025
After Smith County Commissioners Court Responds
to Our Questions on Road Bond Projects,
Reasonable, Unanswered Questions Remain!
On February 24, 2025, Grassroots America, called for a full public accounting of 2017 and 2021 Smith County Road Bond Projects, saying “Our audit revealed that the Smith County Road Plan promised to the taxpayers to be completed by 2026 is dramatically behind schedule and over budget. We call on the Smith County Commissioners Court to adopt a “business urgency” approach, work with the County Engineer to assemble all the facts and hold a public meeting in the very near future to inform citizens.”
On March 11, 2025, County Judge Neal Franklin’s Commissioners Court agenda included a non-action presentation from the County Auditor and County Engineer. Substantive questions remain unanswered.
- When will the promised projects be completed?
- What is the estimated cost of the remaining projects?
- Will unsold bonds cover the cost, excess cash reserves be used, or is a tax increase planned? What are the anticipated budgetary and taxpayer impacts?
- What percentage of the completed roads show signs of degradation? How much is due to poor drainage, poor workmanship, or damage caused by humans, animals, or weather?
- Is a one-year contractor’s bond adequate to protect taxpayers from substandard work?
- Why was the approximately $40 million in interest expense (a substantial cost to taxpayers) never acknowledged in the presentation?
- When, how and who will plan and update the Smith County Transportation Infrastructure Plan?