Government
BY JESSICA SHORTEN
Montgomery County to pursue $480M road bond in May
The timeline
Deitz said once the bond election is called commissioners can not advocate for or against the bond initiative. Mark Mooney, a senior project engineer with LJA Engineering and former Mont- gomery County engineer, said the rm will work with commissioners to set public workshop dates in each precinct to conduct outreach initiatives ahead of the May 3 election. “We’ve got three and a half months before the election actually occurs, and there’s a lot of information materials that [the county] will likely provide over that period of time and discuss with the voters what impact this is going to have on the taxes, because they’re all going to be asked,” Deitz said on Jan. 31. Commissioners previously discussed including some infrastructure projects such as a new animal shelter on a bond issue in 2024. However, County Judge Mark Keough said infrastructure projects were no longer on the table for a May bond elec- tion to allow the county to focus on road needs.
Montgomery County commissioners unanimously agreed Feb. 11 to pursue a $480 million road bond in May—the rst bond initiative the county has put forth since 2015. During a special workshop on Jan. 31, commissioners received information from the county’s bond nancial advisor John Robuck and bond counsel Marcus Deitz, who outlined three options for a May bond initiative. The presentation included options for no tax rate impact, a $0.005 tax rate increase and a $0.01 tax rate increase. Commissioners agreed to pursue the $480 million bond scenario o cially on Feb. 11, which would have no impact on the county’s debt service tax rate if it is approved by voters May 3.
Bond scenarios considered Bond scenario 1: $450M-$480M • Tax rate impact: No increase • Amount per precinct: $120M
Bond scenario 2: $600M • Tax rate impact: $0.005 increase per $100 valuation • Amount per precinct: $130M-$160M Bond scenario 3: $750M • Tax rate impact: $0.01 increase per $100 valuation • Amount per precinct: $175M-$200M
SOURCES: MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BOK FINANCIALS COMMUNITY IMPACT
In their words
“I’m making three-lane roads out of everything I’ve got. ... I’m putting in lanes, 11-foot turn lanes, 8-foot
“We’re not just using this money for the next three years; we’re using it for the next stage, which
“We have to get the trust of the public to do this. ... We have to look beyond today or tomorrow or
is 15 20 years.” RITCH WHEELER, COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3
shoulders.” CHARLIE RILEY, COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 2
next year.” MATT GRAY, COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 4
Looking ahead
projects to the public. Carter said the county has set up a question line for all public inquiries regarding the bond e ort to prevent commissioners from violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. Questions can be sent to roadbond25@ mctx.org, and they will be directed to the appropriate commissioner.
ensure no commissioner spends over the $120 million limit during the bond issuances. “If you spend your money a little bit faster than [other commissioners], that’s okay, we’re not going to stop you doing your projects, but your $120 million is your max,” Carter said. County o cials said public hearings will be scheduled in the near future to present
If the bond measure is approved by voters, the soonest commissioners will be able to receive bond funds is August, Robuck said. The rst issuance would give each commissioner $30 million to work with through the end of 2025 Budget Director Amanda Carter said she would monitor the division of bond funds alongside County Auditor Rakesh Pandey and County Treasurer Melanie Bush’s o ces to
19
THE WOODLANDS EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook