Rockwall County Commissioner John Stacy addresses leadership change in Regional Transportation

Rockwall County, TX (December 12, 2025) – Rockwall County Commissioner John Stacy issued the following statement regarding regional transportation planning and the recent leadership transition at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), following the decision of longtime Transportation Director Michael Morris to step down.

For more than thirty years, Mr. Morris has played a central role in shaping transportation planning across North Texas. His long tenure provided continuity to regional discussions and the development of major mobility projects throughout a period of rapid growth. He will now transition into an advisory role until a new director is fully established, reflecting the forward-thinking leadership of the NCTCOG Executive Board and Executive Director Todd Little during this period of change.

Recently, Mr. Morris visited Rockwall County to discuss cooperation on long-term planning for the proposed outer loop and conveyed an expectation of partnership. However, in a subsequent Commissioners Court workshop, commissioners stated that he had communicated that funding for already approved projects might be withheld if Rockwall County did not engage in outer loop planning. This directly contradicted the cooperative tone of his visit and raised serious questions about the consistency and clarity of regional communication. With new leadership now in place, this change offers an opportunity to establish a more transparent and constructive season of cooperation that genuinely prioritizes the needs of Rockwall County.

Regarding long-range concepts such as the proposed outer loop, Stacy noted that while the topic has circulated in regional discussions for many years, it remains far too early to determine what its future may be for Rockwall County. This is especially true given the recent change in the NCTCOG Transportation Director, which introduces additional uncertainty into long-term regional planning assumptions.

As County Commissioner, Stacy remains focused on safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring that Rockwall County prioritizes infrastructure projects that meaningfully address congestion and directly benefit county residents. For the past three years, he has worked to shift transportation decision-making toward projects that reflect the needs of local drivers rather than those driven primarily by regional preferences.

Press release submitted by Jim Barto, Rockwall County, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News. Provided photo.

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