Mike Bass*
Occupation: retired business consultant, senior partner with Accenture Years lived in The Woodlands: 8 years [email protected] www.facebook.com/mike.bass.7106670 713-299-1184
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing The Woodlands, and how would you address it?
Due to growth in and around The Woodlands, the biggest challenge our community faces is sustaining George Mitchell’s vision and all the reasons people have elected to live and work in The Woodlands. As the developer completes their build out, the township must continue to step up to sustain Mitchell’s vision. The board must commit to sustain all the amenities our residents expected when they moved here, sustain our forests and green space, improve our drainage system, reduce congestion and sustain our outstanding public safety organization.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
An ill thought out rush to incorporate will put our quality of life and property values at risk, along with the potential for much higher taxes. I am not opposed to incorporating if we do so in the right way, for the right reason and at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayers. Before the township can develop any plan for incorporation, we must first seek legislative clarity as to how we can incorporate when the time comes. Today, all we have is the option to call an election. Given our large size and the fact the township already exists and will not go away, creating a new city is more complex than just one election.
What steps should the township board take to alleviate mobility issues in the community?
The township board must do much more than it has in the past. Any solution requires collaboration with the county, neighboring cities and [the Texas Department of Transportation]. The board should be more willing to partner with the county to improve mobility and reduce congestion. To do so will require more funding on our part to help the county implement solutions faster than they can do solely with their own funds. I hope after this election, the newly elected board members will commit to partner with the county to solve our biggest growth issue—reducing congestion.
How would you like to see the township board handle resident concerns involving issues like clear-cutting and future development?
The board must continue to support the covenant committee in their enforcement of our long-standing commercial forestation standards. Due to building size and changes in the floodplain, commercial development requires reasonable tree removal in order to prepare a lot for development, but that must be followed by robust reforestation. The covenant committee must continue to ensure the commercial forest preserves are maintained in the future. For many years, the township has invested $500,000 to $600,000 per year to sustain our forest. This investment must continue.
Brian Boniface
Occupation: registered nurse Years lived in The Woodlands: 11 years [email protected] www.facebook.com/bonifacefortownship 832-671-3002
What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing The Woodlands, and how would you address it?
It’s imperative we begin planning for the future. We know we’d rather be our own city than be annexed, so a responsible first step would be to set aside funds every year to help mitigate the cost of incorporation. Without a proper tax study, we don’t know what that cost will be. It won’t be free, but it won’t be a 70 percent tax increase. It’s perplexing that four of the township board members voted to eliminate a specific fund for incorporation. We need to understand all facets of incorporation, but a simple first step at the very least would be to properly save for our future.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
I am in favor of incorporation, but only when it makes the most sense for our community. We face city-sized issues with limited ability to address those issues. I would very much like to protect all of what drew us here in the first place, preserve our high quality of life and still guide us to our next stages of existence. It is important our future allows the residents of The Woodlands to determine what is best for The Woodlands.
What steps should the township board take to alleviate mobility issues in the community?
As it stands right now, the township has no control over how, when and where roads are developed as it is left up to the county and developers. This is another reason incorporation is necessary: so our residents have the power to solve mobility issues.
How would you like to see the township board handle resident concerns involving issues like clear-cutting and future development?
At this time, the township has no power over clear-cutting and future development due to the way the community is structured, and the township has no authority to act or react to either issue.
*incumbent
