Two bills related to The Woodlands’ incorporation planning process were signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 9.

Senate Bills 1014 and 1015 were authored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and state Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, to grant procedures and guidelines for The Woodlands to use if and when the decision is made to incorporate into a city.

“With the passage of both these bills, the power and future will be in the hands of our community and the voters of our community, ensuring the voters are fully informed of future tax rates, type of city, governing structure of the city and when the city will form, when the question to incorporate is brought to them,” Keough said.

Although there is no specific timeline, The Woodlands has until 2057 to incorporate before potential annexation by Houston and Conroe. Voters in The Woodlands will have the ultimate say over whether to become a city should the township’s board of directors choose to place incorporation on a ballot.

The Woodlands’ self-governance process has been ongoing for about a decade since The Woodlands signed regional participation agreements in 2007 with the cities of Conroe and Houston. The agreements released The Woodlands from annexation by the two cities until 2057 for a portion of the community’s sales tax dollars and also allowed The Woodlands to choose its future form of governance.

SB 1015 would amend the local government code governing the regional participation agreements between the cities of Conroe and Houston with The Woodlands, laying out the type of city it can become and how an election would be called.

There are two types of cities in Texas: general law and home rule. The Texas Constitution only allows communities to incorporate as general law cities, which have populations of 5,000 people or less. Therefore, prior to the new legislation, The Woodlands was not legally able to incorporate because its population is more than 110,000 residents.

SB 1014 would amend the township’s enabling legislation to define procedures regarding a potential incorporation election. The legislation requires the township board provide the maximum possible tax rate the new city would require if approved in an incorporation election, along with the legal framework for the assets and liabilities of the township to be transferred to the new city, according to the bill.

If a majority of voters approve a ballot proposition to incorporate into a city, the township board would serve as the temporary governing body of the new city until one is elected, according to the bills.