Toll Authority chair Tesch, who refused to resign for conflicts of interests, now begins new term.

The Statesman reports that Robert Tesch, who was asked to resign two years ago, now begins a new term as chair of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA):

“Robert Tesch, a Cedar Park developer who has chaired the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority board since shortly after the agency's 2002 start, will begin a new term this week. Tesch's two-year original term expired more than two years ago, and he had been serving as a holdover ever since, a matter of some concern given that toll opponents had sued successfully to stop board members serving more than two years. But Gov. Rick Perry reappointed Tesch on May 11, and the Senate confirmed him without holding a hearing.”

This shocking news takes place two years after the Texas Comptroller asked him to resign because his property near the toll authorities first project (183A) had increased over 900% in value!

The Comptroller’s report also found Tesch, along with other board members, handed out NO BID contracts to himself and his friends.

On March 9, 2005, Comptroller Strayhorn asked for the immediate resignation of chair Robert Tesch:

"In order to build public confidence that is so necessary for the CTRMA and other Regional Mobility Authorities to be successful, I am calling for the immediate resignation of Chairman Robert Tesch and board member Johanna Zmud. Chairman Tesch's personal holdings and Johanna Zmud's business interests should have prevented their appointments in the first place. "Both of these board members stand to gain financially as a direct result of their positions on CTRMA's board, which is why I am calling for their immediate resignations," Strayhorn said.

Public records show that Chairman Robert Tesch’s property valuation (less any improvements) of an 18-acre tract, which lies about 2,000 feet east of future US 183-A right of way, by 2005 had already increased by 612% percent since the time of his appointment to the CTRMA board, another piece of land had increased 989%.

Zmud resigned a year after the comptrollers report came out. Chairman Robert Tesch has REFUSED to resign.

In January 2003 Bob Tesch was appointed by Gov. Perry, even though his Governors Appointment Application spelled out he had previously defaulted on "personal, business or student loan(s)", not to mention a bankruptcy in Dallas and pending foreclosure in Plano. Apparently Gov. Perry’s standards are not that high when it comes to unelected people that will set the toll rate for freeways we’ve already paid for.

In 2005 Robert Tesch had yet another bankruptcy.