Houston Mayor Candidates and Rail
The latest declaration of support or opposition to Houston METRO’s November passenger rail referendum has come from incumbent State Rep. Sylvester Turner. Turner now “unequivocally” supports the transit vote. Among the major candidates, the rail initiative has the support of Turner and Bill White, while Orlando Sanchez has not staked a position. Former candidate Michael Berry, who opposed the initiative, recently withdrew from the mayoral race Monday because of a lack of support.
Turner says he’ll back transit referendum
By JOHN WILLIAMS, Houston Chronicle Political Writer, Sept. 22, 2003
After weeks of speculation, mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner on Monday said unequivocally that he will vote for the transit referendum that the Metropolitan Transit Agency will put before voters Nov. 4.
When Metro first unveiled the plan last month, Turner complained that the transit agency was not seeking voter approval for more than 22 miles of rail.
At the time, he said he hoped Metro would beef up its request by Monday, which was the deadline for the agency to set ballot language.
But the Metro board stood pat at 22 miles of light rail when it established the final language at a meeting Monday.
During a meeting with the Houston Chronicle editorial board Monday, Turner said he will support the referendum, though he said most Houstonians want more rail, not less.
“I want more, but I don’t want to cut off my head and get nothing,” Turner said of his decision to support the referendum.
Metro board members settled on 22 miles of rail after behind-the-scenes negotiations with rail opponents who didn’t want the transit authority to eliminate general mobility funding — sales tax revenue that Metro transfers to other governments to build roads.
By paring down the plan, the transfer can continue, and Metro can build rail if voters approve the referendum.
Turner questioned the part of the Metro plan that puts off until 2009 any vote on extending rail beyond the 22 miles on this year’s ballot. That provision was part of Metro’s compromise to extend the general mobility transfers.
Turner said that decision makes it hard for the next mayor to push for a broader expansion of rail. He pledged that if he is elected and the referendum passes, he will ensure that Metro does a good job on the next phase of rail expansion so voters will want more in a subsequent vote.
“I will make it easier for the next mayor to move forward,” Turner said.
Of the three major mayoral candidates, Turner and Bill White now support the referendum, while Orlando Sanchez has not staked a position. Former candidate Michael Berry, who withdrew from the race Monday, opposed the referendum.
Turner, a Democratic state representative who lost a mayoral runoff to Bob Lanier in 1991, told the editorial board that he has three main issues he will push as a candidate in 2003. They include managing the city better; improving infrastructure, such as streets and drainage; and promoting economic development.
Turner said he will try to attract new business to Houston by promoting Houston’s top attributes, which include a well-educated work force, the nation’s top medical center and a diversified community in which people of different backgrounds largely get along with one another.
“This city is poised to go far beyond where we are today,” Turner said.