Public Information Office
210 S. McDonald St. Suite 540
McKinney, TX  75069

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leigh Hornsby, Public Information Officer
972-548-4772
publicrelations@co.collin.tx.us

February 16, 2003

Collin County Temporarily 'Relocating' to Austin

(Austin, TX) - Nearly 300 Collin County residents will travel to Austin on Monday to speak with state legislators regarding issues such as transportation, education and clean air. "Collin County Legislative Day" is actually a three-day event in which business, civic, education, city and county leaders congregate at the state capitol.

"It's a tradition," remarks Collin County Judge Ron Harris, who regularly participates in the event, which is held every two years. "This is an opportunity for citizens from different businesses and backgrounds to come together as a unified voice to express their views on issues they've selected as being the most important ones this year."

Through Collin County Day's clean air initiative, civic and community leaders will urge the 78th Texas Legislature to adopt measures that would, among other things, provide full funding for the next biennium for the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. The initiative would make up for the shortfall in the anticipated funding from last session.

Collin County Day participants will also urge lawmakers to consider and pass bills that would modify or replace the existing laws regarding public school finances to allow the public school districts of Texas sufficient state financial support and adequate access to local tax resources. The objective is to make it possible for each district to maintain past levels of programs and services and to add to those levels in an appropriate manner.

The third initiative is transportation. Collin County Day participants will urge lawmakers to adopt initiatives for the Texas Mobility Fund authorized by Texas voters in 2001. The most immediate action sought would be to fund a minimum $400 million dollars for the Mobility Fund to support $4 billion dollars in transportation improvement bonds. Funding the Mobility Fund immediately would allow for transportation infrastructure improvements to begin with the sale of bonds in Fall of 2003.

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