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Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition APRIL 27, 2015 — [FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]
Proposals by a Woodlands Township politician and a Woodlands-based political PAC to kill and then modify a proposed $350 million Montgomery County road bond election will boost road spending in south Montgomery County and slash millions from the rest of the county, said Duane Ham, chairman of the Texas Conservative Tea Party Coalition.
The plan also could lead either to a huge tax increase or further deterioration of roads
outside The Woodlands. Funding in The Woodlands would soar in their proposed road bond.
Woodlands politician Gordy Bunch – a favorite of the Woodlands-based Patriot’s PAC – is on the record wanting to push an additional $15 million into the road bond for The Woodlands for his pet project – a proposed widening of The Woodlands Parkway.
Furthermore, Bunch, The Woodlands-based Patriot’s PAC – and its supporters like former state Rep. Steve Toth – have attacked a key project in Precinct 2 and up to $70 million in road reconstruction projects planned for the rest of Montgomery County – apparently in an effort to kill the bond and these projects and leave more room for another bond election that would be stuffed with yet more money for The Woodlands. Those badly needed projects they are targeting include complete reconstruction of numerous miles of county roads outside of The Woodlands.
Opponents of the bond claim those projects should be done under the county’s regular budget – but adding $70 million in spending to the county’s $301 million budget would lead to a nearly 25 percent hike in taxes!
“Commissioners wisely would reject that option – meaning roads would be allowed to further deteriorate. But who cares, right – Gordy doesn’t live there,” Ham said.
HGAC staff have now confirmed recently that the very same steering committee that proposed projects for a much-touted south county mobility study had considered Gordy’s proposed $15 million Woodlands Parkway widening – and then rejected it.
“So without the support of the mobility study they claim to back, these opponents want to add more money in south Montgomery County and kill projects desperately needed for the rest of Montgomery County – just to play politics and reward their power base in The Woodlands,” said Ham.
“We reject this kind of naked power play, and hope Montgomery County residents will see past this and work together to pass this much-needed bond to ensure the success of ALL of Montgomery County and the 77 projects on this $350 million road bond.”
For more information about the bond, please see information here and here
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