VOTER'S GUIDE
T H E W O O D L A N D S D E C I D E S
Governance Election
In December 2006, upon completion of the work of the Governance Steering Committee, Senator Tommy Williams and Representative Rob Eissler announced they had negotiated a historic Regional Participation Agreement with the City of Houston.
In the agreement, The e Woodlands would contribute an initial $16 million towards mutually beneficial public works projects, such as regional park improvements, Texas Medical Centervmobility and other joint mobility projects, while an ongoing 1/16 of one percent of sales tax generated in all of The e Woodlands would be paid towards future regional public works projects of mutual benefit.
Months later, a similar agreement was negotiated with the City of Conroe. This agreement dedicates an initial $320,000 for fire protection infrastructure to Conroe and an ongoing 1/16 of one percent of sales taxes generated within Municipal Utility District #39 (the northeast quadrant of Interstate 45 and State Highway 242) to be paid towards mutually beneficial projects.
In exchange for these payments toward regional projects, The e Woodlands would be free of the threat of annexation and would ultimately be able to choose its own form of governance, including the opportunity to incorporate after May 29, 2014. Early Voting begins Monday, October 22!
Voter Eligibility
In order to participate in the Tuesday, November 6, 2007 election, residents of The Woodlands must be registered to vote by Tuesday, October 9, 2007. Montgomery County residents can check their voter registration, or apply for a mail ballot, by contacting www.MontgomeryVotes.org or 936.539.7843. Harris County residents can visit www.HarrisVotes.org or call 713.368. POLL (7655).
Available on www.TheWoodlandsDecides.com: Sample ballot, Frequently asked questions, Voter tutorial Enabling legislation
Ballot Question #1: Expanding Town Center Improvement District
To confirm the addition of territory to Town Center Improvement District.
Voting YES to the expansion of Town Center Improvement District will permit a uniform sales tax throughout The Woodlands. The Town Center Improvement District currently levies a two percent sales tax in some parts of the District, such as Market Street, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, the College Park/Hwy 242 corridor and the Mall expansion, and one percent elsewhere in the Town Center area. It is anticipated that the total sales tax throughout The Woodlands would become 8.25 percent, the same as Houston, Conroe and Shenandoah. The monies collected from this sales tax will, in part, go to fund the agreements made with Houston and Conroe, as well as to off set the cost of services, such as if re protection in The Woodlands, which are currently paid by Association assessments. Sales taxes are paid by all who make taxable purchases in The Woodlands. In fact, a significant amount of the sales taxes collected would be from visitors to the community. These additional sales taxes collected will allow for a reduction in Association assessments.
Voting NO for the expansion of Town Center Improvement District will void the other ballot questions and will void the agreements made with Houston and Conroe. Further, Town Center Improvement District will not expand nor will it have the authority to levy sales taxes throughout The Woodlands.
Ballot Question 2: Changing the Town Center Improvement District Board
To confirm changes in the composition of the Town Center Improvement District's Board of Directors.
Voting YES to the change of leadership for Town Center Improvement District would mean the governing board for the local governance structure, The Woodlands Township, would be elected by all residents in the boundaries of The Woodlands Township. By 2010, The Woodlands Township would be led by a fully resident elected Board.
Voting NO to change the leadership for Town Center Improvement District would void the other ballot questions and would void the agreements made with Houston and Conroe. Town Center Improvement District would continue to be governed by eleven appointed and elected board members.
Ballot Question #3: Ad Valorem Property Tax
Authorize Town Center Improvement District to levy an ad valorem tax.
Voting YES for authorizing the ad valorem, or a value-based, tax would mean a property tax would be levied in all of The Woodlands Township. Implementing an ad valorem property tax would off set the current ad valorem property assessments levied by the Associations. The e property tax rate will be less than what property owners currently pay in Association assessments due to the collection of local sales taxes. Both the property tax and sales tax levied by The Woodlands Township are deductible from federal income tax, unlike the current Association assessments, which are not tax-deductible.
Voting NO for authorizing an ad valorem property tax would mean that Association assessments would continue to be collected to pay for services and that assessments would remain non-deductible from federal income taxes. Voting no for authorizing the ad valorem property tax would not void the other two ballot initiatives or the agreements made with the cities of Houston and Conroe.
Where can I learn more?
OCTOBER PUBLIC FORUMS
Get your questions answered by attending a public forum. The Woodlands Decides Public Engagement Committee is hosting two panel discussions with leadership from The Woodlands to answer your questions regarding the upcoming governance election. The public forums are scheduled for:
Thursday, October 11, at 7 P.M. and Saturday, October 13, at 9 A.M.
Both forums will take place at The John Cooper School, located at One John Cooper Drive, off Woodlands Parkway near Cochran's Crossing Drive.
A project Web site has been created to provide additional information to residents of The Woodlands. Information on the Web site includes:
Video voter guide tutorial
Enabling legislation
History of the governance project
Sample ballots
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Voting locations
THE WOODLANDS DECIDES
Community Associations of The Woodlands
2201 Lake Woodlands Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380-1118
Phone: 281.210.3800
Fax: 281.210.3962
Don't let a few decide for you.
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