The referendum will be the first bond sent to the voters by the county in 10 years. The last bond was held in 2015 for $280 million, and went before voters in the May and November elections before being passed.
John Robuck, managing partner at BOK Financials, the county’s bond counsel, said the bond initiative should not result in a property tax increase if it is approved by voters. Robuck said this is because the county lowered its debt service over the last several years to allow for the issuance of $120 million a year in debt using the county’s current funding collections.
"I'm making three-lane roads out of everything I've got," Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said during the Jan. 31 workshop. "I'm putting in lanes, 11-foot turn lanes, 8-foot shoulders ... reconstruction from the ground up."
Measuring the impact
The majority of Precinct 2’s list are total reconstructions of the roadways, which includes widening lanes and reformatting turn lanes to improve traffic flow, Riley said.
"We've got our own traffic counts that we've done our own drones. ... We're trying to figure out how we can get people in and out of school safer, and getting them in and out of those intersections safer," Riley said.
However, one new construction project will be Woodtrace Boulevard, which is set to be extended from Dobbin Huffsmith Road to FM 2978. Closer to The Woodlands area, the Precinct 2 project list also includes a widening and reconstruction of Kuykendahl Road from FM 1488 to Research Forest Drive.
What's next?
If the bond initiative passes in the May election, bond funds will be issued annually through 2029. As of press time, commissioners have yet to discuss a course of action if the bond fails.
