Government
BY ATIRIKTA KUMAR & NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Montgomery City Council OKs permit for drive-thru restaurant at H E B site Montgomery City Council voted Sept. 9 to grant a special use permit allowing H E B to include a drive-thru for a future restaurant on its planned grocery store site. The details The permit applies to a 31.97-acre tract at the southeast corner of Hwy. 105 and FM 2854, according to city documents. The drive-thru will be located on the east side of the building with vehicle stacking positioned toward the rear of the store, sta told council. City o cials said the drive-thru will not impact tra c ow on Hwy. 105. The Planning and Zoning Commission previously reviewed the request in August and recommended approval. No residents spoke during the public hear- ing held at the Sept. 9 meeting before council approved the request unanimously. What you should know H E B is set to build its Montgomery store by late 2026, with about 16.75 acres dedicated to the County OKs funding for Lone Star Parkway Montgomery County commissioners approved a new engineering contract Oct. 14 for the Lone Star Parkway widening, part of the $480 million road bond program. In a nutshell Commissioners approved an agreement with LJA Engineering Inc. totaling about $1.87 million for the Lone Star Parkway expansion from FM 149 to Hwy. 105. The contract will follow a milestone-based payment method, with each installment capped at $1 million until completion.
Conroe passes FY 2025 26 budget Conroe City Council voted Sept. 11 to adopt the scal year 2025-26 budget and maintain a tax rate of $0.4272 per $100 valuation, the same as the previous year. The gist The adopted general fund budget of $135.6 million covers day-to-day city oper- ations, including public safety and city ser- vices. As part of the budget, all city employees will receive a 6% cost-of-living adjustment. City sta had presented a proposal to raise the tax rate to $0.4613 per $100 valuation, the maximum allowable without triggering a voter referendum, to fund additional pay raises for Conroe police o cers, as previ- ously reported. Council ultimately opted against the increase, keeping the rate at. The city’s approved FY 2025-26 general fund budget projects $137.47 million in revenues and $135.6 million in expenditures, resulting in a $1.8 million surplus, per the agenda packet. The FY 2025-26 budget took e ect Oct. 1.
Montgomery H E B site
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Future commercial site
H-E-B tract
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SOURCE: CITY OF MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY IMPACT
grocery store itself, as previously reported. The project will also feature a gas station and car wash. A feasibility study completed in May 2024 estimated that the development would bring in roughly $45,600 in property tax revenue each year, while requiring about $140,000 in public infrastructure costs.
County district attorney resigns to run for o ce Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon resigned from his position Oct. 2 to run for state Senate District 4 in 2026. The state Senate seat was held by Brandon Creighton, R Conroe, who resigned Oct. 2 to be Texas Tech University System’s next chancellor and chief executive o cer. Senate District 4 represents all of Chambers County, a large portion of Montgomery County and parts of Je erson, Harris and Galveston counties, serving a total population of 954,803 people, according to the 2020 census. A closer look In a letter to Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough and Gov. Greg Abbott, Ligon resigned after working as the county’s longest-serving district attorney for 17 years. “Brett has been a steadfast advocate for justice
“Of all the roles I have held as an attorney, serving as district attorney has been the most rewarding, as it has allowed me the privilege
of making an immediate and meaningful di erence in the lives of others.” BRETT LIGON, OUTGOING MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
and one of the key reasons Montgomery County is as safe as it is today,” Keough said via Facebook. What’s next Ligon will continue to serve until Abbott appoints his successor, per the state constitution. First Assistant District Attorney Mike Holley has submitted his application to be the next district attorney; however, the governor has yet to announce a timeline for a replacement to serve Montgomery County.
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION
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