Government
BY VANESSA HOLT & JESSICA SHORTEN
Council positions open in 2 cities Two local cities could see elections in May if the city council positions open are contested. The filing deadline for both Oak Ridge North and Shenandoah city council posi- tions for the May 3 election was Feb. 14, after press time. What to know The May election will be for terms for council positions 2, 3 and 4 in Shenandoah, and positions 2, 4 and 5 in Oak Ridge North. In Shenandoah, Joe Summerlin was recently appointed Nov. 13 as council member for Position 2 after former council member Ted Fletcher resigned from his position, as previously reported by Community Impact . If all positions are unopposed, the cities will have the option to cancel the elections.
Hwy. 242 median concept design approved The Woodlands Township board of directors approved a concept design Jan. 16 for the Hwy. 242 median being constructed by the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation for $700,000 as part of a traffic flow enhancement project. The context The median design is part of a number of lane improvements along the 4.36-mile stretch of Hwy. 242 from I-45 to FM 1488 by TxDOT such as widening and restriping. John McGowan, the township’s director of parks and recreation, said the new medians would include foliage shared across all township entry signs and medians. TxDOT will fund the landscaping and median construction as part of the agreement made with the township in 2022, which only required the township to cover the cost of a conceptual design. According to contract documents between the County terminates library director Montgomery County on Jan. 29 officially terminated Rhea Young, who served as executive director over the Montgomery County Memorial Library System, following concerns from the public voiced at Com- missioners Court meetings regarding the availability of “conservative literature.” What you need to know Montgomery County commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb. 11 to affirm the termination after Young and a number of residents petitioned for her reinstatement. Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley was the dissenting vote. “The future of the library system is vital to me and I will immediately begin a nationwide search for a new library director that shares the value of the community.” MARK KEOUGH, MONTGOMERY COUNTY JUDGE
Hwy. 242 construction area
1488
45
242
N
township and TxDOT, construction on the median improvements is set to begin in late 2025. Quote of note “We believe that [Hwy.] 242 should look like the rest of our main thoroughfares, and whatever we’ve got to do to make that happen ... [we’ve got to] make sure that we’re on top of that,” said Brad Bailey, chair of The Woodlands Township board of directors. The Woodlands outlines 2025 legislative priorities As the Texas Legislature proceeds with its 89th session, The Woodlands Township board of direc- tors is looking to amend its enabling legislation in an effort to allow the township greater autonomy as a special-purpose district. What you need to know Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Todd Stephens presented two priorities to the township board on Jan. 22 for lobbying firm Williams Public Affairs to focus on during the legislative session, both of which aim to amend the township’s enabling legislation. One is to allow the township to create a tax abatement agreement. According to the Texas Comptroller’s Office, a tax abatement exempts a business from taxation on increases in the value of the property for up to 10 years. The second is to be able to apply for state fund- ing with the Event Trust Funds Program for major sports and entertainment events which occur in The Woodlands, such as the Chevron Cham- pionship and the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas event. The program is administered by the
Creating tax abatement agreements Changes to the township’s enabling legislation could allow it to: Create tax abatement agreements
for economic development Create its own incentives and guidelines Not rely on the county to initiate tax abatement agreements
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP/COMMUNITY IMPACT
governor’s office to help incentivize major sports events to come to various municipalities across the state. What else? Board members voted unanimously, with Linda Nelson and Richard Franks absent, to pursue the priorities outlined by Stephens. Stephens also said the Legislature will be “taking a closer look” at special-purpose districts this session due to some concerns regarding abuses of the system. How- ever, he said the township has not been an area of concern for legislators.
21
THE WOODLANDS EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook