Third MUD found potentially using voter-renting services
From Courier of Montgomery County By Stephen Green | Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 9:01 pm
Third MUD found potentially using voter-renting services
Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 142 is yet another special-purpose district this election cycle using what appears to be a service that hires voters to pass MUD elections in areas without existing voters.
MUD No. 142 will be the site of The Woods of Conroe, a 92-acre subdivision west of Conroe that will include about 400 residential lots, according to previous Courier articles.
According to voter registration records, two voters list their residence at 5283 Old Highway 105 W. in Conroe, which happens to also be the site of early voting for MUD 142. The MUD 142 election is being held separate from the Montgomery County joint elections and therefore is not on the sample ballot provided by Montgomery County Elections Central.
The two voters in MUD 142 also happen to list their mailing addresses at 20615 Marilyn Lane in Spring, which is the home site of Stingray Services. According to the Stingray Services website, the company specializes in providing turn-key voter trailer installation services, and election services,” their website “About Us” says. “We have completed over 70 trailer installations in Texas over the last 10 years, and have supported nearly 100 elections. We locate residents, perform landlord services, support residents in changing their license and voter registration, and assist with the district election. We have worked with a host of major developers and engineers including Lennar, Toll Brothers, Friendswood, Land Tejas, Taylor Morrison, Pate Engineers, Brown & Gay … to name just a few.”
The Spring address is owned by Michael Daugherty. A LinkedIn page under the name “Mike Daugherty” claims he was a co-founder of Stingray Services, with a description identical to the website’s “About Us” and the founder of Jaylerton Properties. Another LinkedIn account and a commercial business permit list Clark Packer as another founder of Stingray Services.
Tina Daugherty, another owner of the Spring property, is listed as the main contact for Stingray services. She chose not to be interviewed about the business when reached by The Courier Tuesday afternoon.
Both residents registered to vote in August. Both previously voted in other precincts, according to their voter history. One of them has voted in at least three other precincts since 2008.
The address of the home listed on their voter registration is a home purchased by the Stoecker Corporation in April 2014.
The home will serve as the early voting location for the MUD election, while Living Branch Church at 13229 Texas 105 W. in Conroe will serve as the Election Day location. Election Day voting will take place for those two voters from 7-10 p.m.
The creation of MUDs prevent developers from needing to pay for infrastructure — like water, sewer, roads, recreational facilities, etc. — themselves. Rather than an up-front cost to the developer, it is paid by future property owners/taxpayers in the developments through bonds over long periods of time.
The development
Members of the Conroe City Council approved creation of MC MUD No. 142 in April – the same month the council approved creation of the MUD.
The Stoecker Corporation presented its subdivision plans to the council that included 400 residential lots, not including multifamily or commercial developments.
The average lot size, according to Nancy Mikeska, assistant director of community development, at the April 2014 meeting, will be 50 feet by 100 feet. Mike Stoecker, owner of Stoecker Corp., asked the city to annex the MUD 142 area, which it eventually did. The Courier could not reach Stoecker by press time Tuesday.
The details of the MUD election weren’t immediately available Tuesday. However, according to Montgomery County Elections Central records of “Other elections,” it is one for voters to approve the creation of the MUD, a bond election (amount unknown), a director election and a maintenance and operations tax rate.
Other districts
Eight voters in two other special-purpose districts who only have been registered at their current addresses since March will decide the fate of approximately $1 billion in bonds inside Conroe city limits in the Nov. 3 election.
