There was no shortage of input on what a better county road bond would look like, both before and after the May 9th election. As a result that that effort, a better bond is on our ballot now.
The Courier editorial of April 26, 2015 accurately summarizes the views of many Montgomery County voters about the strengths and weaknesses of the bond that failed in May. Some excerpts:
“[It] has been a decade since the county passed a road bond, and everyone agrees it is time for another one. in 2005, commissioners did an exceptional job leveraging the $160 million bond with state money to get the most dollars out of each project, with the least impact on taxpayers.
Mobility plans: We must complement South Montgomery County, including Precinct 3, The Woodlands Township, Shenandoah and Oak Ridge North, among others, for funding a $500,000 mobility plan that identified $1.6 billion in short-term and long-term projects needed in that region. It is a roadmap to accommodate growth.”
The editorial then goes on to name specific needed projects in each precinct, and to protest bond spending on maintenance and unnamed projects. The Courier even advocates for maintenance spending out of annual revenue: “Sure, that will create more of annual budget crunch to pay it off sooner, but maybe that will force them to put more money in the annual budget for road maintenance and cut the fat in other areas.”
Read the whole editorial. It’s terrific.
Members of conservative groups across the county including the Montgomery County Tea Party, Judge Sadler, former state representative Steve Toth, private citizens like Laura Fillault, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, other municipalities throughout the county, and the Courier itself made clear what they wanted and would support in a road bond. These people spoke in court and in print and their views were plain as day.
Commissioners wanted to be sure that a new bond would pass. To that end, Judge Doyal and Commissioner Riley were glad to commit the Texas Patriots PAC to a statement about what the PAC would support. It is regrettable that all of us could not arrive at this better bond through the regular work of the court.
Is it reasonable to punish those who live and work along Rayford Road because Commissioners delayed in placing the bond on the ballot until the last possible day? Should we now miss the opportunity to access $9 billion in state matching funds for mobility projects?
The Woodlands Parkway extension has been removed from this bond. More money goes to mobility projects throughout the county. Less money is spent on maintenance projects. Passing this bond allows us to access our part of state funds for road projects here.
Please vote FOR the Montgomery County Road Bond. Our wallets and our mobility depend on it.