WOODVILLE – Woodville City Council held a special called meeting to adopt a resolution regarding the Hwy 69 Relief Route.
The city of Woodville is the third entity to adopt a resolution regarding this, as Colmesneil ISD and the city of Colmesneil passed resolutions June 10 and 11. Woodville ISD is slated to adopt a resolution, as well as the city of Ivanhoe in the coming days.
Mayor Amy Bythewood opened the meeting by reading Resolution No. 20240624. The text of the resolution states an opposition to a relief route “without adequate utilities to support development and travelers, without opportunity for annexation resulting in reduction of tax base, and that would be detrimental to the local economy; further supporting an eastern route closer to the corporate limits with access to utilities and allowing for access to the existing business district of Woodville.”
In a presentation previously to the Woodville ISD Board of Trustees, Woodville City Administrator Mandy Risinger said “we had all been under the assumption it would follow the old railbed” route, and said that no matter which route the state chooses to follow, “it’s going to affect someone.”
Risinger also noted that some significant tax revenue could drop if the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) were to go with the western route, which would be located four miles from the US 69 and 190 intersection.
Walmart, she said, pays roughly $100K in ad valorem taxes each year and employs 200 people, many of whom are Woodville residents. If Walmart were to close, it would not likely reopen along that western route, she said, and other chains, such as McDonald’s and Whataburger could be at risk.
“TxDOT is leaning on the western route option. I can confidently share that,” she said.
Risinger referred to a meeting with Tx-DOT district engineer Martin Gonzalez, during which she estimated that Woodville could, potentially, lost 50% of its businesses if the western route were adopted. In response, Gonzalez said the figure would likely by closer to 60% impacted. Chains, she said, comprise 70% of the city’s tax base.
The resolution states that a decline in downtown businesses will directly impact the city’s sales tax revenue and tax base, which is currently 85% of the annual revenue funding police services, fire services, and street maintenance and improvements, animal control, parks and recreation and other services.
The text states that “a route closer in geographic proximity to the corporate limits of the city would provide an opportunity to retain/ regain a portion of its current tax base; and Whereas, a route closer to the corporate limits would result in more resources and support of travelers along the route, specifically hurricane evacuees; and Whereas, an eastern route would provide the city with the opportunity to provide utilities along the relief route; and Whereas, the city does not feel the current proposed routes have adequate access to the city’s current business district and routes intersecting with US 69, including but not limited to exits, interchanges and on/off-ramps; and Whereas, the city is concerned that the future maintenance of the existing US 69 route by TxDOT would be costly and impractical resulting in the State abandoning the route and further impact accessibility to homes and businesses located along the route and further compound financial burdens imposed upon the city and Tyler County to maintain abandoned roadway.”
Bythewood closed out the meeting and urged everyone to make your voice heard. There is still time to submit comments on TxDOT’s website, and you can also contact our state elected officials. Representative Trent Ashby can be reached at: 512-4630508. Senator Robert Nichols can be reached at: 512-463-0103.
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