Conroe - Montgomery Edition | October 2024

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Conroe Montgomery Edition VOLUME 10, ISSUE 7 OCT. 19NOV. 19, 2024

2024 Voter Guide

Ocer Wayland Edwards, a school resource ocer who works at Montgomery ISD, speaks to a Keenan Elementary student. The district has plans for safety and security improvements if a proposed voter-approval tax rate election ballot initiative is passed by voters on Nov. 5. EMILY LINCKECOMMUNITY IMPACT Security a priority in potential MISD tax rate hike

year,” Superintendent Mark Run said during a Sept. 23 town hall. “We can’t do it. So what does that mean if we are not able to increase our local revenues? It means we have to make cuts, and 80% of our budget is people.”

additional revenue for MISD as the district faces a nearly $4.3 million budget shortfall for scal year 2024-25. Filling the budget gap, recruiting sta and student safety are the main priorities leaders have pegged for the VATRE funding. “We cannot carry the [$4.3] million decit next

BY EMILY LINCKE

Voters will consider Montgomery ISD’s rst vot- er-approval tax rate election Nov. 5 after trustees chose to send the initiative to ballots Aug. 19. If approved, the $0.05 per $100 valuation increase could generate $5.5 million annually in

CONTINUED ON 18

Also in this issue

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Election: Early voting begins Oct. 21—see what races are on the Nov. 5 ballot, what local candidates have to say (Page 11)

Community: KVST KStar Country 99.7 FM radio host Mary McCoy inducted into Radio Hall of Fame—learn about her 74-year career (Page 31)

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Impacts

3 Shipley Do-Nuts The location offers a variety of doughnuts, kolaches, bear claws and coffee. • Opened Sept. 11 • 763 Fish Creek Thoroughfare, Montgomery • www.shipleydonuts.com 4 Nona’s Italian Grill The restaurant offers a variety of Italian dishes. • Opened Sept. 30 • 950 Pine Market Ave., Ste. 400, Montgomery • www.nonasitaliangrill.com 5 Woodforest National Bank The bank’s location is inside H-E-B where the branch provides full-service banking. • Opened Aug. 2 • 3601 FM 1488, The Woodlands • www.woodforest.com 6 Anytime Fitness The franchise offers fitness support and training. • Opened Sept. 9 • 3759 FM 1488, Ste. 250, The Woodlands • www.anytimefitness.com Home Smiles The mobile service company is offering home maintenance services. • Opened July 15 • www.metrohouston.homesmiles.com Sip & Saddle The dry mobile bartending service delivers bar set-ups and professional cocktail service at any given event. • Launched Sept. 14 • Serves Conroe and the surrounding areas • Facebook: Sip & Saddle Mobile Bar

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2 Urgent Care of Conroe Services include treatment for illnesses and injuries, lab and X-ray services and COVID-19 testing. • Opened July 22 • 2220 I-45 N., Conroe • www.urgentcareofconroe.com

Now open

1 Chipotle The restaurant features the Chipotlane, a drive-thru pick-up lane for digital orders. • Opened Sept. 25

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business units and flex/coworking businesses. • Leasing set to begin in the fall of 2025 • 540 Conroe Park W. Drive, Conroe • www.workhubusa.com 8 McAlister’s Deli The franchise offers sandwiches, spuds and salads. • Opening Nov. 14 • 12312 I-45 N., Willis • www.mcalistersdeli.com 9 Charm Tap House The restaurant will be located in the former Tapped Drafthouse location. • Opening in November • 525 Woodland Square Blvd., Ste. 100, Conroe • www.charmthaitx.com

Now open

Coming soon

13 Stone Cold Meats The business, owned by Ami and Sean Stone, offers a variety of meats, including ribeyes, brisket burgers, hand-linked sausages, stuffed pork chops, briskets and ribs. Stone Cold Meats will also offer specials and deals, and accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. • Opened Sept. 20 • 4900 W. Davis St., Ste. D2, Conroe • www.stonecoldmeats.com

17 Eggs Up Grill The restaurant specializes in breakfast, brunch and lunch food. Its menu items include omelets, blueberry muffins, croissant-style donuts and French toast, while lunch selections include burgers, melts and salads.

Relocations

10 Luxury Barber Salon & Spa The business relocated from Hwy. 105 in Conroe to Montgomery and expanded. • Relocated Aug. 5 • 16915 Walden Road, Montgomery • www.vagaro.com/luxurybarbersalonandspa

• Opening in November • 2816 I-45 N., Conroe • www.eggsupgrill.com

In the news

14 Spec’s The location is celebrating its 20th anniversary after first opening its doors in November 2004. • 1420 N. Loop 336 W., Ste. 100, Conroe • www.specsonline.com 15 Southern Star Brewing Company The brewing company reopened in late August after 8 months of being closed due to renovations. • 3525 N. Frazier St., Conroe • www.southernstarbrewing.com 16 Jet’s Pizza The eatery marked its first year serving the area Aug. 1.

• 3776 FM 1488, Ste. C, Conroe • www.jetspizza.com

11 Jack Staggs Counseling Clinic Sam Houston State University’s clinic is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The clinic, which also has a location serving Conroe, first opened its Huntsville location in September 2004. • 3380 College Park Drive, Conroe • www.shsu.edu 12 Walmart The store reopened Aug. 23 following renovations. • 1407 N. Loop 336 W., Conroe • www.walmart.com

18 Conroe I-45 Business Park WorkHub Flex officials said they are now accepting business tenants to occupy individual units. • 1030 Outpost Drive, Conroe • www.workhubusa.com 19 Central Library The library will adjust its Saturday hours and closing times Monday-Thursday beginning Oct. 21. • 104 I-45 N., Conroe • www.countylibrary.org

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Government

County approves $3M for debris removal In a 3-2 vote, Montgomery County commission- ers on Sept. 24 authorized an additional $3 million for debris pickup in The Woodlands area and River Plantation community to allow contractor CrowderGulf to make a final pass for storm debris. The breakdown Jason Millsaps, executive director of Mont- gomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said the additional funds will go toward picking up vegetative debris from Hurricane Beryl along the county right of way in The Woodlands Township and for roughly 300 residents who did not originally register for pickup in the eastern portion of the county. Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack disagreed with the inclusion of The Woodlands in the coun- ty’s new debris removal authorization, stating he had established an agreement with the township in

Conroe OKs changes to water, sewer rates During its Sept. 26 meeting, Conroe City Council unanimously approved new water and sewer rates effective Dec. 1. In a nutshell The new rates will charge multifamily units at 90% of the single-family rates, with volumetric water charges based on a per-unit basis, according to a Sept. 26 news release. The council also approved the multi- family lifeline rate, which provides a 50% discount on water and sewer base rates for disabled and/or residents aged 65 and over who reside in apartments, per the release. “The discrepancy between a single family using the minimum and an apart- ment resident was blatantly visible, and ... it should have been addressed before,” council member David Hairel said.

Managing debris removal July 8: Hurricane Beryl makes landfall July 16: Montgomery County authorizes $14.6M for debris removal Aug. 27: CrowderGulf requests additional $10M Aug. 27: County halts pickup over cost dispute Sept. 3: County resumes pickup with $24M limit Sept. 24: County increases limit to $27M

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

order to pick up debris in the right of way. “We go around the community and we meet the needs of the community,” County Judge Mark Keough said. “We don’t want to spend it, but this is how we know it’s going to get done.” What’s next? The authorization increases the total cost of debris pickup to not exceed $27 million. However, Millsaps said he does not expect the county to use the entirety of the additional $3 million due to the debris collections now being targeted to specific areas.

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Conroe development meetings required On Sept. 12, Conroe City Council approved implementing mandatory pre-development meetings for all new development and redevelopment projects, and increased the cost of the meetings from $200 to $600. The gist Mandatory pre-development meetings will allow the city to advise and inform applicants of the procedures and requirements for obtaining permits, per the ordinance. This will also allow the city to review the pro- posed project plans. Notable quote “Our sole purpose of this mission is to effectively and responsibly move forward with development,” Public Works Director Norman McGuire said Sept. 11.

SJRA seeking partnerships for Lake Conroe Park The San Jacinto River Authority announced in a Sept. 26 news release that it is seeking public and private proposals for a partnership to reopen Lake Conroe Park. How we got here “SJRA is interested in evaluating ideas and innovative approaches to improving the Lake Conroe Park amenities to make it a year-round

destination site for all visitors.” AUBREY SPEAR, SJRA GENERAL MANAGER

Lake Conroe Park closed Jan. 1 following the expiration of a 30-year agreement between the SJRA, the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Commis- sioner’s Office, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. Precinct 1 Commissioner Robert Walker said, at the time, the expense of operating and main- taining the park had grown outside the funding available to his office. The details Lake Conroe Park sits on 19 acres of land along the west shore of Lake Conroe; and has a number of facilities and equipment which will require assistance in maintaining such as an on-site water well, a park office, picnic tables, restrooms, a

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swimming area and pavilions. As of press time, there is no timeline for reopen- ing Lake Conroe Park. No deadline has been set by the SJRA for the submission of proposals, but they will be brought before the board for further discus- sion at future meetings.

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Election

BY LIZZY SPANGLER

Voter Guide

2024

Dates to know

Where to vote

Oct. 21: First day of early voting Oct. 25: Last day to apply for ballot by mail (received, not postmarked) Nov. 1: Last day of early voting Nov. 5: Election Day and the last day to receive ballot by mail (or Nov. 6 if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7 p.m. at location of election on Election Day)

Voters in Montgomery County can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting and will vote at their designated voting precincts on Election Day. Visit https://elections.mctx.org for polling locations.

Only candidates in contested elections are included. Go to county election websites for information on uncontested races.

KEY: D Democrat G Green L Libertarian R Republican *Incumbent

Conroe ISD board, Position 6 Scott Buzbee Stacey Chase* Melissa Semmler Conroe ISD board, Position 7 Marianne Horton John Robichau Montgomery ISD

Federal elections President

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 R Gina Parker D Nancy Mulder Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 R Lee Finley D Chika Anyiam Texas House of Representatives, District 16

R Donald Trump D Kamala Harris L Chase Oliver G Jill Stein U.S. Senate R Ted Cruz* D Colin Allred L Ted Brown U.S. House of Representatives, District 2 R Dan Crenshaw* D Peter Filler U.S. House of Representatives, District 8 R Morgan Luttrell* D Laura Jones State elections Texas railroad commissioner R Christi Craddick* D Katherine Culbert L Hawk Dunlap G Eddie Espinoza Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 2 R Jimmy Blacklock* D DaSean Jones Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 4 R John Devine* D Christine Vinh Weems Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 6 R Jane Bland* D Bonnie Lee Goldstein L J. David Roberson Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, presiding judge R David J. Schenck D Holly Taylor

R Will Metcalf* D Mike Midler

Proposition A: Allowing MISD to increase its property tax rate from $1.0412 to $1.0912 per $100 of valuation Willis ISD Proposition A: The issuance of $27 million in bonds for a student activity center and related improvements Proposition B: The issuance of $68.8 million in bonds for an athletic stadium complex and related improvements Proposition C: The issuance of $19.6 million in bonds for an aquatics center and related improvements City of Montgomery Proposition A: Allowing the creation of the Montgomery Crime Control and Prevention District and reallocating half of the 1/2 portion of sales tax dedicated to economic development to the district Proposition B: Allowing terms for City Council members and the mayor to be extended to four years, with a three-year term transition period beginning with the May 2025 election and four-year terms for each subsequent election

Texas Senate, District 7 R Paul Bettencourt*

D Michelle Gwinn Local elections Montgomery County Hospital District, Precinct 1 Kelley Inman Arnette Easley* Montgomery County Hospital District, Precinct 2 John Buck Jackie Williams Montgomery County Hospital District, At-Large Position 1

Jerry Bittner Jason Walker Brent W. Thor* Montgomery County Hospital District,

At-Large Position 3 Georgette Whatley* Bob Bagley Conroe ISD board, Position 4 Datren Williams* Nicole May Jamison Gentle Conroe ISD board, Position 5 Kristin Guardino Josh Webb Lindsay Dawson

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION

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Election

BY ANGELA BONILLA

KEY: *Incumbent

Conroe ISD board of trustees, Position 4

Datren Wil liam s* Occupation & experience: CFO; CPA; CISD board of trustees; president, Montgomery County Women’s Center board of directors www.facebook.com/datren4cisd

Ja mison Gen tle Occupation & experience: small- business owner; retail store manager; field operations manager; regional training manager jamisongentle@protonmail.com

Nicole May Occupation & experience: business management, and education- specific legislative advocacy www.nicoleforcisd.com

What are the main challenges the district is now facing and how would you plan to address them?

Challenges: growth of our district, lack of state funding and school board members’ overreach. We continuously plan for our consistent growth and maintain an exemplary education for all students. Appeal to our legislatures of what is at risk in not funding our public schools. Continuously combat political and personal agendas.

The main challenges the district faces are teacher retention, balancing the budget and improving learning outcomes. I would address these challenges by strengthening our discipline policy, protecting class sizes and all positions that work directly with students, and placing the focus back on reading, writing and arithmetic.

2024-2025 $10 million overspent; balance the budget; working through the difficult conversations to make it happen. Give parents peace of mind with secure buildings and appropriate levels of security officers for all schools. Finally, transparency in our administration about its fiscal reporting and clear policy guidelines to safeguard future generations.

Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. For more election coverage, go to www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

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CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION

Election

BY ANGELA BONILLA

KEY: *Incumbent

Conroe ISD board of trustees, Position 5

Kristin Guardino Occupation & experience: Exxon Company, U.S.A., headquarters litigation department; BBA, Economics, cum laude, University of St. Thomas at Houston Candidate https://kristinguardino.com

Josh Webb Occupation & experience: business owner, CISD graduate, TAMU graduate, nance background josh.webb.cisd@gmail.com

Lindsay Dawson Occupation & experience: founder and CEO, uThrive Academy; former economic analyst, CIA Former Foreign Service Ocer, Department of State www.lindsay4cisd.com

Our challenges are driven by population growth, diversity of backgrounds, awareness of curriculum expectations of students and parents in meeting their duties, obligations and available benets of a public school education that propel children into good citizens and happy lives. What are the main challenges the district is now facing and how would you plan to address them?

Budget decit, controversial topics. Work with the state to address the budget issues. Stop trying to please everyone and do what is right for the children, teachers and district as a whole.

Student learning outcomes are declining as parents’ voices are being marginalized, teachers are leaving, and exponential student growth is straining already stretched resources. We must be proactive in preparing for growth while also maintaining a laser focus on the basics to ensure academic success.

Conroe ISD board of trustees, Position 6

Scott Buzbee Occupation & experience: Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.

Stacey Chase* Occupation & experience: director of internal audit, Conroe ISD trustee and head of Audit Committee www.votestaceychase.com

Melissa Semmler Occupation & experience: English professor; I have experience teaching high school ELA and in community college admin. www.melissasemmler forconroeisd.com

Candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time. What are the main challenges the district is now facing and how would you plan to address them?

CISD faces funding shortages, a decit budget, teacher retention challenges and a $2 billion bond to execute. I’ll prioritize essential services, implement cost-saving measures and seek alternative funding while advocating for full state funding. These actions are needed to preserve CISD’s excellence and protect jobs without increasing taxpayer burdens.

Teacher issues, including shortages and retention, are current challenges. We must prioritize our teachers and make sure that classrooms are safe. Retaining teachers will also lower recruitment costs, and improve student outcomes. Discipline must be addressed, and violent children must be removed from the classroom.

Conroe ISD board of trustees, Position 7

Marianne Horton Occupation & experience: former Conroe ISD language arts teacher; district K-12 substitute; small- business owner www.marianneforcisd.com

John Robichau Occupation & experience: co- owner of Robichau’s Jewelry; lead a team of 10 in two retail locations www.john4cisd.org

What are the main challenges the district is now facing and how would you plan to address them?

The district faces a $12 million budget decit which could be partially addressed by cutting administrative waste. Many of the new administrative positions brought on during the pandemic not only add cost but also add additional workload burdens to our teachers.

Funding. Lack of funding puts additional strain on teachers. Doing less with more. Less support to address behavioral issues.

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN & LIZZY SPANGLER

KEY: D Democrat R Republican *Incumbent

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing District 16? I’d point to the rising cost of property taxes, ensuring reliable water resources, improving roadway infrastructure to match growth and addressing the ongoing crisis at our southern border. These issues directly aect our community’s quality of life, and residents deserve focused, practical solutions.

What specic policies or initiatives do you propose to address the issues you’ve identied? I’ll continue to ght to rein in skyrocketing property taxes and ensure we fully fund Texas’s border security eorts. I’ll also promote school safety initiatives that protect our children and loved ones, and champion policies that strengthen our power grid to meet the demands of our state’s massive population growth.

Texas House, District 16

Will Metcalf* Occupation & experience: vice president, business banking: Woodforest National Bank; active in various local leadership organizations www.willmetcalf.com

Growth in HD16 dictates that our most important challenges are providing infrastructure and creating jobs. As a 40-year public education teacher of economics and government, I have analyzed, taught and applied the principles of our free enterprise system. We have the strongest economy in the world, highly respected and emulated…

My top priority is to ght against school vouchers. I think it is a given that our future success lies with our children. They all need a quality education and it is the government’s responsibility to see that that opportunity exists for all, not just a select few. It’s obvious…

Mike Midler Occupation & experience: I am a retired high school economics and government teacher/coach and

USMC veteran. 832-693-4519

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing District 8? As a district directly impacted by the border crisis and located in the Houston area, we face a serious threat from human tracking. Houston is ranked as the number one city in the nation for this crime. While many might think, ‘this could never happen to my child,’ the reality…

What policies or initiatives do you propose to address the issues you’ve identied? I’ve been working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to eectively tackle the border crisis and harden our national defense. I have introduced legislation to combat human tracking, crack down on cartel activity, increase support for border patrol agents and strengthen our overall defense of our nation. I’m…

U.S. House, District 8

Morgan Luttrell* Occupation & experience: 14-year combat veteran and special advisor at the Department of Energy www.morganluttrell.com

District 8 faces signicant challenges, including restoring women’s reproductive rights, ensuring aordable health care and providing aordable housing. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving the quality of life for all residents and ensuring equity and opportunity within our communities.

I propose codifying Roe v. Wade with federal protections, expanding the Aordable Care Act and supporting [Kamala] Harris’ aordable housing plan. These initiatives will strengthen women’s rights, lower health care costs and enhance aordable housing to better serve District 8 residents.

Laura Jones Occupation & experience: Army mom, Realtor, farmer, community advocate, former Democratic party county chair, American taxpayer www.laura4tx.com

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Be ready to vote TUESDAY, NOV. 5

CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION

Election

BY LIZZY SPANGLER

WISD voters to reconsider $115M bond propositions for athletic facilities

What they’re saying

“I do not believe another bond should be able to be voted on, since we, the community, had just voted all of them down. These bonds shouldn’t be able to be reintroduced within the same year.” HEATHER WEATHERLY, WISD RESIDENT

On Nov. 5, Willis ISD voters will reconsider three bond propositions for a student activity center, athletic stadium and aquatic center—propositions that failed in May, Community Impact previously reported. WISD’s Director of Communications Jamie Fails said trustees were disappointed with voter turnout in May. “The school board is really the one who requested that we hold some bond planning meetings ... and discuss the concept of basically a bond continuation,” Fails said. “Just ... putting those back in front of the voters during the presidential election knowing that we’re going to have a larger voter turnout and that that might give us a clearer picture of where the community stands on the issue.” Fails said she believes the district’s 50-year- old stadium doesn’t have enough capacity for the demand, and has limited parking and concessions. As for the need for the aquatic center, Fails said WISD’s swim team uses a pool in Conroe, which limits its growth. Regarding the student activity center, Fails said she believes it could give athletic and extracurricular teams a place to practice while also hosting events such as art shows.

May 4 election results

With the original bond propositions failing with a narrow margin, the district is putting them, unchanged, back on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Proposition A: $27M for a student activity center

52.94% Against

47.06% For

“Timing-wise, [trustees] feel like getting those items done now—passed now, get the funds going and get those items built—allows us to focus on the educational facilities over the next 10 years and even beyond, and not have to try to worry about squeezing those things in somewhere.” JAMIE FAILS, WISD DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Proposition B: $68.8M for an athletic complex and stadium with community room

52.53% Against

47.47% For

Proposition C: $19.6M for an aquatic center

53.97% Against

46.03% For

Montgomery County voter turnout

Registered voters

Voter turnout

50.94% 4.09%

7.5%

73.24%

“We see these things becoming necessities for us. And at the end of the day, these are going to provide opportunities for a lot of students.” KYLE HOEGEMEYER, WISD BOARD PRESIDENT

Nov. 2020

May 2022

Nov. 2022

May 2024

SOURCE: WILLIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Diving in deeper

Future bond actions

One more thing

If the propositions passed, the tax impact on residents would be no more than $0.01 per $100 valuation, Fails said. The district’s tax rate for fiscal year 2024-25 is $1.0349 per $100 valuation. “Our growth is going up quick enough that it helps offset that need for a tax increase,” Fails said. In 2021, WISD’s median home value was $206,500, per its January 2024 demographic study. Based on that home value, the impact of a $0.01 tax rate increase is $0.89 monthly or $10.65 yearly. Heather Weatherly, a WISD resident since 2020, said that in May, she was opposed to all the propositions except the ninth-grade center. “The bonds are a waste of taxpayer money,” Weatherly said. “While other schools are enhanc- ing their security protocols, Willis [ISD’s] board is more interested in pushing bonds the community has already said ‘No’ to.”

Nov. 5: Voters to consider athletic facility propositions December 2025*: Construction begins on athletic facilities 2026: Transportation center opens, potential bond election for Elementary No. 8 Spring 2027* : Aquatic, student activity centers open Fall 2027: Ninth-grade center opens December 2027* : Athletic complex opens 2030-40: Potential bond elections for Middle School No. 4, High School Nos. 2 & 3, Elementary No. 9

2024

Fails said one of the biggest factors in running the propositions again is looking at the district’s plan for what officials believe needs to happen over the next 10-15 years regarding its growth projections. By 2026, the district will have built and opened new middle and elementary schools and be potentially looking at another bond for an additional elementary school, according to its website. “There’s not going to be a lot of time or bonding capacity left in [the next five to six years] to get these facilities, that once we have a second high school, we’ll definitely be required to have,” Fails said.

2025

2026

2027

2030-40

*CONTINGENT UPON VOTER APPROVAL NOV. 5 SOURCE: WILLIS ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM

Election

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN

On Nov. 5, Montgomery residents will consider approving the creation of a crime control and prevention district, or CCPD, which would allocate a portion of sales tax revenue to the city’s police department. City Council first began the process of creating the CCPD in May and voted to include it on the Nov. 5 ballot during an Aug. 13 meeting, per prior reporting. Police Chief Anthony Solomon said CCPDs are beneficial for smaller cities that face similar challenges as large metropolitan areas but lack resources or funding. “When you’ve got a small city that’s surrounded by a huge metropolitan area like Montgomery County, ... you’ve got to equip a small police department like us ... with ... all the things that we need,” Solomon said. Montgomery sends CCPD to Nov. 5 ballot

Current situation

The specifics

If approved, the CCPD would operate for five years, after which citizens would vote again to decide its continuation, Montgomery Mayor Sara Countryman said. Countryman said she believes this is a “win- win situation” and would free up money to be set aside for the police department’s budget every fiscal year. The creation of the CCPD would also save approximately $1 million from the general fund. “We can reinvest in the community here through our general fund for the roads, for the water and infrastructure. ... It’s freeing up dol- lars so we can focus on that for the residents,” Countryman said. By 2026, Montgomery’s population is set to double and will continue to grow with the current development plans, Solomon said, and approving the CCPD would allow city officials to reallocate funds from the budget to better prepare for the population increase. The creation of the CCPD would not result in a tax increase and would not change the overall sales tax rate, Countryman said.

The CCPD would be funded through sales tax revenue and would reallocate half of the one- half portion of sales tax dedicated to economic development to the district, Countryman said. If the proposition to create the CCPD passes, city officials would file paperwork with the state of Texas to begin the process of modifying the sales tax distribution. Solomon said with businesses such as Home Depot, Sherwin Williams and Firestone Com- plete Auto Care set to open soon, he believes the Montgomery Economic Development Corporation would not see much of a deficit. MEDC Vice President Arnette Easley said he supports the CCPD’s creation. “We’re not going to be hand feeding them forever. It’s just enough for them to get started, and then we’ll be making more from the busi- nesses that are coming in,” Easley said.

Sales tax: 2%

The crime control and prevention district could fund:

1% goes to city

1% goes to the Montgomery Economic Development Corporation

Montgomery's FY 2024-25 general fund budget

The financing and construction of a new police station

Costs related to recruitment and training of police officers

Courts: $337K (4.96%) Public Works: $1.18M (17.45%) Administration: $2.56M (37.66%) Police: $2.71M (39.9%)

If the CCPD is approved

Upgrading equipment, technology and vehicle replacement

Total: $6.78M

Supporting crime prevention and partner programs

The CCPD would get 0.5%

The MEDC’s portion of sales tax would decrease to 0.5%

SOURCE: CITY OF MONTGOMERY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Quotes of note

Also of note

“They made it very clear that we’re not going to have a tax increase, that we are going to have more funds available to make it possible for our town to be even safer." MERRIAM WALKER, A 25-YEAR MONTGOMERY RESIDENT

“If this district is going to create funds that the city can allocate back toward the city infrastructure, particularly, it’s a no brainer. ... We don’t mind giving this district its start." ARNETTE EASLEY, MONTGOMERY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION VICE PRESIDENT

November voters will also consider term extensions. Council members and the mayor serve two-year terms; however, those terms could become four years after a three-year term transition period following the May 2025 election, according to the ballot language.

CONROE - MONTGOMERY EDITION

Security a priority in potential MISD tax rate hike From the cover

The context

Funding district needs

MISD’s efficiency audit compared its budget to 10 peer districts and districts across the state. Revenue per student Expenses per student Funding and expenses per student

Should the VATRE be approved in November, it would generate:

On Aug. 19, MISD trustees added the VATRE to the ballot and approved the FY 2024-25 total tax rate. The total tax rate—which includes the VATRE—is $1.0912 per $100 valuation, which is a 4.1% increase from the previous fiscal year. Other Houston-area school districts are facing FY 2024-25 budget shortfalls, and a few have also responded by calling for VATREs. On Aug. 13, Spring ISD trustees called for a $20.1 million VATRE for November as the district faces an almost $12 million shortfall, as reported by Community Impact . Meanwhile, Magnolia ISD does not face a budget shortfall, but trustees called a $7.4 million VATRE on Aug. 12 to help fund teacher raises. Per Ruffin’s Sept. 23 presentation, if MISD’s VATRE is approved, the funds could be used to: • Keep teacher salaries competitive • Offer incentives for positions that are difficult to hire • Maintain student programs such as the Dual Language Immersion Program • Help pay for armed campus officers required under House Bill 3, which was approved June 2023 by the Texas Legislature • Maintain student technology monitoring initiatives During an Aug. 19 board meeting, trustee Elizabeth Ivey said MISD can’t compete with other districts that host “giant recruiting events” or focus on recruiting teachers before they graduate. “That’s not something that we’re able to do right now in a $4 million deficit,” Ivey said. “We can’t implement these strategies, and we’re just going to grow. So our ability to recruit new teachers into our district is extremely important and something we really need to prioritize.”

$5.5M annually

$4.7M in local revenue

$820K in state revenue

+$437

$15K

+$161

MISD has pegged the FY 2024-25 VATRE revenue for: 80% for covering the

-$458

$10K

$4.3M FY 2024-25 budget shortfall and for teacher retention and recruitment 10% for maintaining student programs 10% for safety and security

$5K

MISD 10-district average

State average

The taxpayer impact

If approved, MISD’s VATRE would cause homeowners’ tax bills to rise. Homeowners over age 65 will not see an increase.

Taxes without VATRE:

Average appraised home value in Montgomery ISD’s boundaries

$350,000

($1.0412 per $100 valuation) X $250,000 = $2,603 annually Taxes with VATRE: ($1.0912 per $100 valuation) X $250,000 = $2,728 annually

- $100,000

Homestead exemption

= $250,000

Average net taxable home value

Montgomery ISD property tax rate (per $100 valuation)

The FY 2024-25 tax rate is dependent on whether a voter-approval tax rate election is approved Nov. 5.

$2.00

$1.34 $1.37 $1.37 $1.37

$1.3075

$1.26

$1.50

$1.00

$1.2798

$1.2289

$1.0487 $1.0912

$0.5

2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

SOURCES: MONTGOMERY ISD, TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, WHITLEY PENN/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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BY EMILY LINCKE

What they’re saying

What’s next

Path to the ballot

2024

The FY 2024-25 budget is the third consecutive fiscal year that MISD has a budget with a shortfall. Since MISD trustees passed the FY 2024-25 budget with a $4.3 million general fund gap, if the VATRE is not approved, staff cuts will not be made until the 2025-26 school year, according to Ruffin’s Sept. 23 town hall presentation. “When you [cut employees], you start as far away from the classroom as you can, but ... some of those services that those support staff provide, if they’re not there providing that, guess where those roles and responsibilities now fall?” Ruffin said. “Our classroom teachers.” The Texas Legislature is set to begin its 89th session Jan. 14, and more public school funding is slated to be considered, Greater Houston-area legislators said, as previously reported by Community Impact .

MISD leaders answered questions about the VATRE submitted by community members during a Sept. 23 town hall. Lujuana Haggerty—a parent of multiple MISD graduates—said she will vote in favor of the VATRE in November. During the town hall, MISD resident Ruben Hines did not say how he’ll be voting concerning the VATRE, but did express concern that the VATRE won’t bring enough money in three to five years if the Texas Legislature doesn’t approve more public school funding. Texas legislators have not increased the district’s basic allotment—which is $6,160 per stu- dent—since 2019, and measures to provide districts with additional funding did not materialize in the last legislative session in 2023. “My biggest fear, if we do pass Proposition A, … [is] they’ll cut even more despite the fact that we have Proposition A,” Hines said.

May 7: MISD trustees order an efficiency audit for the voter-approval tax rate election ballot initiative June 28: MISD board passes the FY 2024-25 budget that includes a $4.3M general fund shortfall Aug. 6: Trustees hear results of mandatory VATRE efficiency audit Aug. 19: Trustees call VATRE to be held in November Sept. 23: MISD holds open house on VATRE Oct. 21: Early voting begins

Nov. 5: Election Day

2025

Jan. 14: The 89th Texas legislative session begins

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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