The Woodlands Township board of directors will review a proposed agreement from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for mounted patrol services at a Sept. 17 meeting.
The board will decide whether to move forward with negotiations for a final agreement with MCSO, as the contract with the township's current mounted patrol service provider, Alpha & Omega Mounted Patrol, ends Dec. 31.
How did we get here?
During previous budget discussions, the township reviewed funding of its mounted patrol agreement with Alpha & Omega and evaluated how the service fit into its current budget needs.
For fiscal year 2027, Alpha & Omega had requested an increase from 387 to 425 hours per week. However, the board voted 7-0 in August to decrease its mounted patrol budget in its customer engagement department by about $1.5 million. The board allocated about $1.3 million in potential funding for mounted patrol services within the law enforcement fund in the FY 2027 budget.
Community Impact previously reported the township would keep mounted patrol services, but would consider transitioning from a private security model to a law enforcement model. According to the township, benefits of the transition could include broader law enforcement access to dispatch and other services and reduced liability from having private security patrol non-township property.
The details
According to the agenda, mounted patrol within the sheriff’s office would not replace traditional law enforcement patrols. Costs for the proposed agreement would include a combination of one-time costs for horses, equipment and facility needs, while ongoing costs include salaries, supplies, equipment expenses and overtime:
One-time costs: $954,876
Recurring costs: $1,371,354
First year cost total: $2,326,230
In other news
Another agenda item for Sept. 17 is a public hearing regarding cell tower installation on township-owned property in an effort to improve cell service. In April, the board awarded a bid to Diamond Communications to lease 10 cell tower sites within Township Parkland. The board will consider starting lease agreements for the sites during the township meeting. A coverage area with a list of current and future cell towers is available here.
