A group of counties in the path of the planned Houston-Dallas high-speed rail have filed an amicus brief March 30 in the Texas Supreme Court case Miles v. Texas Central, accusing the company Texas Central of not paying property taxes for 2021.
The case centers on a 236-mile high-speed rail line between Houston and Dallas being planned by the company Texas Central. Filed by landowner Jim Miles in 2016, the lawsuit argues Texas Central does not qualify as a railroad company under state law and therefore cannot use eminent domain to acquire land needed to construct the line.
The Texas Supreme Court initially declined to hear the case in June after an appeals court ruled Texas Central could be defined as a company. Miles petitioned for a rehearing, and the court reversed course Oct. 15 to grant a rehearing. The court heard oral arguments Jan. 11.
The counties filing the letter include Grimes, Waller, Madison, Leon, Ellis, Freestone, Limestone and Navarro. Harris County and Dallas County were included in the alleged tax delinquency, but neither county was party to the amicus brief. Harris County Commissioners Rodney Elis and Adrian Garcia filed a separate amicus brief Jan. 10 expressing support for the project.
