The Woodlands Edition | September 2019

BY ANDREWCHRISTMAN, VANESSA HOLT AND BEN THOMPSON

Montgomery County plans Sept. 4 budget adoption, lower tax rate for 2020 MONTGOMERY COUNTY

CITY HIGHLIGHTS

TheWoodlands Township board of directors will meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 and 25 at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands. 281-210-3800. www.thewoodlands-tx.gov Shenandoah City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 11 and 25 at 29955 I-45 N., Shenandoah. 281-298-5522. www.shenandoahtx.us Oak Ridge North City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at 27424 Robinson Road, Oak Ridge North. 281-292-4648. www.oakridgenorth.com OAK RIDGE NORTH The City Council on Aug. 12 approved a Waste Management residential collection fee increase of 5.9% due to Consumer Price Index and fuel annual adjustments, raising the city’s fees from $14.04 to $14.86 per month per household. THE WOODLANDS The Woodlands Township board of directors will make decisions on incorporation study recommendations on issues such as public works and infrastructure at its Sept. 25 meeting. Incorporation planning meetings are also scheduled at 6 p.m. Oct. 17, Oct. 23 and Dec. 11. MEETINGS

Montgomery County Budget Ocer Amanda Carter to put large items such as this system earlier in the work- shop next year. “Let’s try to get some of these big ticket things up at the top before we get all the way down at the bottom because that’s just a big hit,” Noack said.

transferring funds to keep the tax rate low. “I don’t want to risk our TCDRS; I don’t want to risk our bond rating by using too much fund balance money just to stay at an eective rate. I don’t think that’s good business,” Meador said. Precinct Commis- sioner James Noack asked

Keough said to the commis- sioners at the Aug. budget meeting. “Your hard work, it’s pretty amazing.” Among the items debated before approving the budget Aug. was Director of Information Technology Bobby Powell’s request for . million over a four- year period to replace the computer dispatch system for the sheri’s oce. Powell said the system has reached its service limit. The commissioners were able to fund the project by diverting million from a voluntary paydown for the Texas County & District Retirement System. Although the com- missioners came to an agreement, Precinct Commissioner Mike Meador

Montgomery County Com- missioners Court planned to adopt the scal year - budget and tax rate at a Sept. special meeting aer press time. Commissioners proposed adopting the eective tax rate of . per valuation for FY - as part of a . million budget. Tammy McRae, Mont- gomery County tax asses- sor-collector, said based on the average taxable value of a home in the county at ,, the county prop- erty tax under the proposed budget would be . a year. She said this saves roughly from the cur- rent tax rate of .. “This is my rst round to be able to work with each of you,” County Judge Mark

TAX RATE REDUCED The proposed tax rate in Montgomery County for fiscal year 2019-20 is a slight decrease from the 2018-19 rate.

Tax rate:

per $100 valuation

$0.4475

FY 2019-20 (proposed tax rate)

$0.4667

FY 2018-19

$219,227

Average house value (FY 2019-20):

$981.04

Average 2019-20 property tax:

originally said he was not happy they were

SOURCE:MONTGOMERYCOUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACTNEWSPAPER

Woodlands board eyes effects of incorporation on local road laws THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP At an Aug. meeting, The Woodlands Township board of directors discussed current road laws and how they could potentially aect the township if it chooses to hold a successful incorpo- ration election. Board Chairman Gordy Bunch said the matter needed to be discussed aer the board received an email about

where it was ruled the county could legally perform work on San Felipe Road. Acres said the dierence in the Piney Point case was the city had pre- viously signed an ordinance in to grant consent. Aer examining both counties’ road laws, Acres said he believes the Mont- gomery County road law likely would not be used for The Woodlands. “If the city incorporates, the city would incorporate as a general law city,” Acres said. “Based upon [The Woodlands] having more than , inhabitants, it would quickly be able to adopt home rule status … by

road laws’ eects on the township and whether counties can perform road work without township consent. “Both Harris County and Montgom- ery County have county road laws,” consulting attorney Monty Acres said at the meeting. “They’re old—the Montgomery County road law was enacted in . The Harris County road law was enacted in . That road law makes it clear that cities have exclusive authority over their [public] roads, streets and alleys.” Acres said the Harris County road law has been used on multiple occa- sions, as in Piney Point Village in ,

For instant coverage of these meetings, follow us on Twitter: @impactnews_wdl

approving a charter. That charter may contain any provision in it that is not prohibited by state law.” Acres said the charter could contain a provision prohibiting a county from doing road work in a city without consent, which would protect The

Woodlands if it incorporates. No action was taken on the presentation.

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The Woodlands edition • September 2019