Woodlands RUD board expanded to seven, with Doyal and Bass appointed

By Catherine Dominguez | Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2015 5:03 pm

Montgomery County Commissioners Court and The Woodlands Township board each appointed a representative to the Woodlands Road Utility District No. 1 Board of Directors, expanding the number of directors from five to seven.

The two new appointed positions were created by by state legislation passed in June 2013. The other five positions are elected.

Commissioners unanimously appointed County Judge Craig Doyal Monday to fill one of the RUD board positions. In December, The Woodlands Township board picked Mike Bass in a 6-0 vote. Board member John McMullan was absent from the meeting.

“To broaden (the RUD’s) representation, legislation allowed them two more seats on their five-member board,” said Bass, adding that the purpose is to give the RUD board a broader representation.

In 2013, House Bill 3895 amended the RUD’s enabling legislation to allow the board to expand its number of directors, with those two positions being filled by “one or more political subdivisions other than a school district and municipality.”

“I’m excited about any opportunity to have a positive impact on mobility issues in Montgomery County,” Doyal said.

Bass echoed Doyal and said being a part of the board and involved in the future mobility of The Woodlands is critical.

Despite most of the RUD being in Precinct 3, Commission James Noack declined to sit on the board but supported the nomination of Doyal.

“Improving mobility and infrastructure has been and continues to be top priority for me and my office,” he said. “I have a great working relationship with the RUD, which yields a complete understanding of the projects they have planned.

“Since the boundaries of the RUD extend into both Precincts 2 and 3, having the county judge serve on the RUD board makes perfect sense and it gives him the opportunity to better understand and address our mobility needs and the projects they have planned.”

Woodlands RUD history

The RUD was created by legislation in 1991. It is funded through taxes from commercial business at a rate of 36 cents per $100 property valuation.

Since its inception, Bass said, the RUD has funded more than $80 million in projects in The Woodlands and leveraged another $200 million.

Directors serve two-year terms on a rotating basis. Two seats will be up for election in May. The board also is considering a bond for May frame, but an amount and specific projects have not be decided.

However, because the RUD only taxes commercial property, those who vote for the directors and a potential bond referendum would have to reside in that commercial area. According to Bass, there are only four voters in the RUD district.

Some of the largest taxpayers in the RUD are Anadarko, The Woodlands Mall and The Woodlands Development Company. Bass noted that some people believe the RUD is “taxation without representation.”

In fact, while township board member Gordy Bunch voted to appoint Bass to the RUD board, during a July township meeting, Bunch expressed his concern about the RUD and its tax base.

“A lot of the outcry for the RUD representation was taxation without representation,” said Bunch, adding that he pays the tax but does not get to vote in RUD elections. “The people being taxed are property owners with commercial interests.”

Bunch owns and operates The Woodlands Financial Group with its main office located near The Woodlands Mall.

Bass disagrees with Bunch but said the RUD could improve on its transparency.

“The RUD has had some issue in terms of how its transparency could be improved through things like websites and so forth,” he said. “It has issues in the way it taxes and earns its money because it has a limited amount of taxpayers.”

In fact, four people were convicted of voter fraud concerning the RUD’s May 2010 election. Woodlands residents James Jenkins, Adrian Heath, Sybil Doyle and Roberta Cook were convicted of voter fraud for changing their addresses on their voter registration card to 9333 Six Pines Drive – the site of a Residence Inn – in the May 8, 2010, RUD election.

All four cases have been appealed.