Burnet County submits Rainy Day Fund wish list

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

Burnet County commissioners on Wednesday, March 20, discussed a wish list of infrastructure projects the county will submit to a state representative whose bill would create a new grant program using the state's “Rainy Day Fund.”

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, the chairman of the House County Affairs Committee, has suggested using some of the Texas Economic Stabilization Fund — currently at $11.8 billion and growing — to create a grant program for county's to fund needed infrastructure improvement projects.

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has predicted the Economic Stabilization Fund will grow by more than $3 billion over the next budget cycle and would reach a total of $15 billion if untouched during the next two years.

A House proposal under consideration at this time would take $6.6 billion from the Rainy Day Fund, leaving about $8.4 billion. The Legislature has agreed to keep a minimum balance of $7.5 billion in the fund at all times, which would leave about $900 million that could be used to fund any additional projects like Coleman's grant program.

County Services Director Karen Hardin compiled Burnet County's wish list, which includes items left over from a 2016 list of road and bridge projects commissioners put together prior to passing the first of a series of three road bonds which have helped them perform work outside their normal maintenance of county roads.

That list includes a new elevated bridge at Double Horn Road as well as new bridges on County Road 116, County Road 323 and Ancient Oaks Road; base, shoulder and surfacing work on County Roads 212, 215, 217 and 266; fixing a low-water crossing on County Road 321; installing concrete box culverts on County Roads 340, 340A and 403; and a new overlay on County Road 404W. . .

Find more on this story in the Friday, March 22 issue of The Highlander, the newspaper of record for the Highland Lakes. To offer a comment or news tip, email lew@highlandernews.com.