Let The Woodlands Control The Woodlands

The Woodlands needs representatives who are totally dedicated to our interests. We need representatives who are residents and who are elected by residents and can by voted out by residents. Today, The Woodlands is a small interest to each county commissioner who govern over the Township.

Montgomery County is home to 620,443 people, and 114,436 who live in The Woodlands according to the 2020 Census.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department uses county taxes paid by all county residents to employ 220 patrol deputies. These men and women are the front line of law enforcement, answering calls, working at crime scenes, and patrolling to deter criminal activity.

Based on the population of The Woodlands, one would expect that about 18%, or about 39, of those County Deputies would be assigned here. However, despite the fact that residents of The Woodlands pay the same county taxes as everyone else in Montgomery County, exactly ZERO of these patrol deputies have any patrol duties in The Woodlands. None of the taxes collected by the County from The Woodlands residents are used to provide frontline Sheriff patrol services to those residents. Those resources are used only in the rest of the County.

In spite of this, even a short amount of time spent in The Woodlands is enough to show that there is a heavy Sheriff patrol presence here, anyway. In fact, the residents of The Woodlands are well-served by a total of 92, full-time, Sheriff’s patrol deputies in Montgomery County. This is possible because The Woodlands pays extra to the County in order to receive Patrol services. The Woodlands pays 100% of the salary, pensions, overtime, patrol cars, and equipment costs for all 92 full-time Sheriff’s patrol deputies. Note that this is not 53 specially paid by The Woodlands to supplement the 39 the County should supply: the County supplies none, and the residents of The Woodlands pay extra for all 92 deputies. The Woodlands residents also pay for the 12 patrol deputies in Creekside Park on the same terms (less paying for their vehicles).

The only reason that the residents of The Woodlands enjoy such excellent police protection and service is that The Woodlands Township Board – whose members are elected ONLY by residents of The Woodlands – are responding to the wishes of those residents.

The Woodlands needs representatives totally dedicated to our interests. If incorporated, the City of The Woodlands would give the council standing to address issues meaningfully and residents will be able to replace those not acting in the interests of The Woodlands residents.

Township Board members are entirely beholden to the residents of The Woodlands for their positions; only The Woodlands residents can vote for them, and the same would hold true for the City Mayor and Councilmen of an incorporated City of The Woodlands.

There are no elected officials in either County government (Harris or Montgomery) – not the Sheriff, not the County Judges, not any of the County Commissioners – who needs even a single vote from The Woodlands to retain office. Their neglect of issues important to the residents of The Woodlands holds no negative consequences for their political careers.

The County Commissioners Courts currently hold control over many issues critical to the character and prosperity of The Woodlands, such as policing, roads, drainage, and land use, yet regardless of how bad their decisions might be, the residents of The Woodlands are powerless to vote out any of them.

The safety and amenities that The Woodlands residents enjoy (fire department, covenant administration, environmental services, garbage and recycling, neighborhood watch, streetscape maintenance, parks and recreation, street lighting, transportation, and 92 patrol deputies) are all brought to you by locally elected Township Board representatives.

America has a long tradition of demanding actual representation in their government. If the residents of The Woodlands want to be able to control their destiny, then they should vote for actual representation. Vote FOR Incorporation.