The Woodlands Township board Position 5 candidate QUESTION & ANSWER
Amos McDonald[/caption]
Amos McDonald
Banker, BBVA Compass [email protected] 832-899-4636
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I have a strong history of community support, serving on different boards and organizations. I have a very deep knowledge of what is happening in The Woodlands and a very wide net of people I can reach out to and talk to hear feedback from, from all walks of life. I’ve got a really good finger on the pulse of what’s happening as well as having a very strong financial background. I’m able to really sit and look at our planning and where we are and what we are doing.
What are some of the biggest challenges The Woodlands faces in the coming years?
I think transportation is a huge one. We’ve got to do a much better job of planning as to how we’re going to do [mobility], which means we have to have a much better relationship with the county and a better understanding with the county on how roads get built and function better.
What are some solutions the township could implement to help solve The Woodlands’ traffic issues?
Right now we’re talking about signalization and stoplights to reduce some of the repetitiveness that’s happening. I think they’ve done a good job already with some of the lights that are coming in, like the flashing blinking yellow lights to help things move. But then again, I think the realization is going to be that if The Woodlands Township can’t do it, the county does. So again, working and prioritizing with the county so we can be part of the planning process of what that looks like.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
I am in favor of incorporation. When it will happen, I don’t know. We’ve really got to scope back and look at our 2011 plan for incorporation and all the fees associated with that so we can better understand how we can get there and become a city. There’s a lot to it.
In terms of community oversight, what role would you like to see the township take as The Woodlands nears build-out?
I think the biggest role I’d like to see them play is to make sure they are an active planner [and] participator and being a voice not only for the residents but to the residents. And there’s are a lot of plans in place that you can look at today that will show you what is coming over the next few years and making sure residents not only can see what’s planned [but] play a bigger role in the planning of those processes.
John McMullan*[/caption]
John McMullan
Attorney, Greenberg Traurig [email protected] 832-995-1895
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
Our community needs directors who will be outspoken advocates for our residents. I have a proven record of putting residents first, as demonstrated by my successful public opposition to the deeply flawed May 2015 road bond that included the Woodlands Parkway extension and my support of residents’ successful efforts to alter the Development Company’s clear-cutting practices. I will continue to stand up for residents.
What are some of the biggest challenges The Woodlands faces in the coming years?
We face several, including preparing for incorporation and ensuring that Montgomery County better maintains our roads and addresses mobility needs. We face the challenge of directors who want to spend residents’ money on expensive, experimental transit options like a transit center. It is especially important that we elect directors who will be careful stewards of residents’ tax dollars in this uncertain economic time in order to successfully meet these challenges.
What are some solutions the township could implement to help solve The Woodlands’ traffic issues?
The Woodlands does not control the roads within our boundaries, leaving us vulnerable to the whims of the county. Leaders and residents in The Woodlands must work together to make our voice heard at the county level, like when directors Hausman, Bunch, and I, together with 86 percent of voters in The Woodlands, stood together to defeat the May 2015 road bond that would have used taxpayer money to make our traffic worse. We must continue to apply political pressure so that those responsible for building and maintaining our roads do their job.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
I support incorporation so that The Woodlands is not eventually annexed by Houston. Before we incorporate, we must prepare. A first step—which I voted for—was the township contracting to purchase land for future city of The Woodlands infrastructure. However, merely buying land for future government buildings is not enough. Incorporation involves taking over services currently provided by the county, so we should begin reserving funds for future expenses associated with incorporation. By reserving funds in advance, we can minimize, or even eliminate, the anticipated tax rate increase.
In terms of community oversight, what role would you like to see the township take as The Woodlands nears build-out?
Residents pay a premium to live in The Woodlands and rightfully expect that the character of The Woodlands be preserved consistently throughout the community, such as with our streetscapes, parks and pathways. Only a handful of board members, including myself, fully supported the efforts to alter the Development Company’s clear-cutting practices, and the full board should have also supported the thousands of residents [who were against the Creekside Park clear-cutting].
Tom Sadlowski[/caption]
Tom Sadlowski
Account manager, Constellation Brands [email protected] 281-419-6849
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
When I look at what is going on here, this isn’t something I just want to do in the short term. I’m just a little concerned with some of the things going on to make sure that people my age and younger people can actually afford to live here one day. There are so many new proposals that sound good, but sometimes if you want to handle it right, you have to say no. Part of being a manager and making sure you hit financial goals is having to say no sometimes.
What are some of the biggest challenges The Woodlands faces in the coming years?
A challenge would be definitely the ability to get around. That’s a priority. Everyone is going to say they want people to be protected and have greater police protection; I definitely agree with that. We also need more police protection and also need it spread out better. Maintenance would be a third thing. If we expand things today, we wont be able to afford and maintain the things we need if we incorporate.
What are some solutions the township could implement to help solve The Woodlands’ traffic issues?
We can certainly finish projects. We piecemeal all of our road projects here. We have 30 and 35 mph speed limits, which is something else we have to look at. Are our speed limits set for safety, or are they set for revenue? Lake Woodlands Drive used to be [a] four-lane road with a 35 mph speed limit. One thing they have done right is adding the new flashing yellow light at intersections.
Are you in favor of incorporation? Why or why not?
Yes, for a very simple reason: either we incorporate, or we are annexed by Conroe or Houston. The Woodlands needs to be in charge of its own destiny. Nobody moved to The Woodlands to one day be governed by Houston. There’s no reason to leave The Woodlands. There’s medical care; there’s shopping; we have more and more restaurants. We have a number of years to incorporate, and I’d like to see us reach out to other communities before we incorporate and find out what they did [that] was spot on and what didn’t work.
In terms of community oversight, what role would you like to see the township take as The Woodlands nears build-out?
I think it’s pretty much at build-out. Until we incorporate, our hands are tied. Let’s make sure we maintain the basics right now and the common areas. Those are the things we need to focus on.
