Fate Of $2 Billion Dallas Pipeline Hinges On Election

Two incumbents won a high-stakes water district election this month after a heated campaign season defined by huge contributions from an out-of-town ranch owner, allegations of grave-digging, and debate over a $2 billion water pipeline to Dallas.

Jim Lane and Martha Leonard did not garner the same high-dollar contributions as their challengers, but they rounded up local support and managed to win anyway. "Leonard and Lane have been devoted public servants for many years, as members of the Tarrant Regional Water District’s board of directors and in other capacities. They are Fort Worth to the core," a Fort Worth Business Press editorial said.

The biggest point of contention in the race was the Dallas pipeline, which both incumbents supported. "Both Lane and Leonard [argued] that the board is building the pipeline the most efficient way in the best location for both Fort Worth and Dallas, a minority stakeholder in a joint project comparable to DFW Airport," Fort Worth’s Star-Telegram reported.

Reporter Bud Kennedy of the Star-Telegram explained the conflict to KERA News: "It’s a $2 billion water project that will bring water from Lake Palestine and it is water that will be for Dallas and Fort Worth, but it is more important to Dallas. The Tarrant Regional Water District is doing construction and maintenance on the project. It’s this eight-foot wide pipeline the size of a tractor-trailer rig. The campaign is ‘don’t let a Dallas man control Fort Worth’s water.’ What it’s really about is whether there will be a regional approach to bringing water to North Texas, or whether Fort Worth should go off on its own and pull out of the pipeline."

The race became contentious in part because a Dallas businessman who wanted to change the pipeline plans funded Lane and Leonard's challengers. The winners "campaigned on a platform that Dallas businessman Monty Bennett was using the election to take control of the water board, which Bennett denied," the Star-Telegram reported.

Bennett is a major critic of the pipeline plans. "Bennett has been fighting the water board for several years, trying to prevent it from running a water pipeline through his 1,300 acre ranch in Henderson County. While he cloaks his disdain – dare we say hatred? – for the water board in criticism of its lack of transparency, alleged violations of open meetings laws and nepotism, his real source of anger is parochial," the Fort Worth Business Press reported.

Tensions ran high, and big allegations were doled out. "Lane has said that Dallas businessman Monty Bennett created a cemetery to try to block the pipeline, which is planned to run though his ranch in Henderson County. Lane has [said] Bennett was trying to discredit the water district by suggesting in an early campaign ad that the district was trying to unearth the remains of a veteran," the Star-Telegram reported.

Challengers accused "the incumbents of being poor stewards of the water district, which is the raw water provider to almost all of Tarrant County. They also accuse the district of nepotism and a lack of transparency with the public. [One challenger said] the district hasn’t focused enough on water quality and hasn’t done enough to plan for climate change," the Star-Telegram reported in a piece before the election.

The race drew major contributions. Two challengers, funded in large part by Bennett, had big campaign war chests. Craig Bickley reported contributions of $112,833.28 and expenses of $1,158.60. Michele Von Luckner reported contributions of $112,498.27 and expenses of $1,135.48. Each reported an in-kind contribution of $111,878.27 from Bennett’s MJB Operating.

"In campaign finance reports eight days before the election…Lane reported campaign contributions of $98,975.99 and expenses of $250. Leonard reported contributions of $125,510.99 and expenses of $7,817.17," the report said.