The Woodlands Edition | January 2025

Government

BY JESSICA SHORTEN

Montgomery County commissioners approved a contract with LJA Engineering on Dec. 17 to begin preliminary work on a 2025 road and infrastruc- ture bond issue during the nal Commissioners Court session of the year. The 10-month contract was approved unani- mously by the court and authorizes LJA Engineer- Montgomery County contracts engineers for 2025 bond at a range of potential bond amounts, landing on an estimated $450 million in mid-2024. While the actual bond amount has not been nalized, commissioners have been using BOK Financial Advisors to provide tax rate impact assessments for the various proposals. Precinct 3 Commissioner Ritch Wheeler “[The bond planning process] is actually not just doing needs assessments and engaging, but synthesizing those

across the whole county and then actually [taking] that out to the private industry and other cities.” JEFF CANNON, SENIOR

ing to begin preliminary work including: • Project assessment and organization • Public engagement on bond needs • Coordinating funding strategies with stakeholders

assumed oce on Jan. 1 and said he will begin compiling a list of projects for Precinct 3 to present as part of the bond issue. One of the concerns shared by commissioners in 2024 was that since Wheeler was elected to replace outgoing commis- sioner James Noack, the county needed to wait until he assumed oce to begin listing projects for a bond issue. While no ocial project list has been released, commissioners said they will meet to discuss bond projects at an unspecied later date. Stay tuned According to prior Community Impact reporting, the county began identifying the need for a bond

VICE PRESIDENT OF LJA ENGINEERING

• Supporting the sale of a bond initiative The contract limits the rm to $10,000 for services within the 10-month period but can be amended at a later date. Diving in deeper During meetings in 2024, commissioners looked

issue in late 2023, but pushed it back in 2024 due to a number of concerns raised by commissioners for timing the bond alongside the presidential election. The deadline to put the bond on the May ballot is Feb. 14, according to the Texas Secretary of State’s oce; however, commissioners are able to call the election any time prior to that date.

THE WOODLANDS EDITION