Texas Central Railroad owes back taxes

The high-speed rail company, Texas Central Railroad, owes Limestone and Freestone Counties a total of $42,245.61 in delinquent taxes and fees, according to Texans Against High-Speed Rail.

The Bistone counties are two of 10 Texas counties in the path of the proposed high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston owed a total of $956, 682.61 in taxes from 2023, along with penalties and attorney fees, according to a TAHSR press release. The money is owed to counties, emergency services districts and school districts in which the company owns property.

Limestone County is owed $18,120.09, and Freestone is owed $24,125.52. The taxes were due to be paid by July 1, and the Bistone counties along with the other entities are now pursuing legal action against the company.

The other counties are Dallas, $80,624.47;Ellis$69,444.02;Grimes, $218,948.66; Harris, $224,078.37; Leon, $15,590.42; Navarro, $34,393.04; Madison $104,195.55 and Waller, $167,162.47.

In response to the TASHR press release, the railroad company issued a statement to The Mexia News saying, “We are constructively working through funding with our partners, and all taxes will be paid as they have been in previous years.”

Waller County Judge and TAHSR president said of the delinquent taxes, “While the amount of property currently owned by Texas Central is a small fraction of 15,000 acres needed for the proposed HSR project, Texas Central, or what is left of it, is now intentionally placing a financial burden on counties, school districts, hospital districts, local colleges and emergency service districts. With Amtrak exploring a partnership with this zombie company, that would create even more of a financial burden … in perpetuity … because Amtrak does not pay any property taxes. Let us not forget what was represented to be a ‘privately financed project’ was supposed to produce millions of dollars in tax revenue for impacted counties, but if Amtrak takes this project, it actually becomes a huge loss of tax revenue.

“Additionally, Waller County Sheriff Troy Guidry recently shared with me that there are squatters now living in abandoned houses owned by Texas Central. Legally, with only distressed assets consultants working for Texas Central unaware of the problem and unable to be reached, the neighbors of these drug and crime havens now have to deal with squatters. We are far beyond ‘Enough is enough.’” Grimes County Judge and TAHSR board member Joe Fauth commented on the extent of the burden created by Texas Central’s failure to pay its property taxes saying, “We are in the middle of our budget review and the amount owed by Texas Central to Grimes County would allow us to hire two desperately needed 911 dispatchers. We were promised TCR would be good neighbors and substantial tax payers … neither is true.”

Texas Central’s total for delinquent taxes and fees is set to increase August 1 due to additional interest charged by each county.