I want to continue to reach out across county lines and have stronger relationships regionally. I think that's going to be critical as we continue to grow across this whole Montgomery County and north Houston area that we work with commissioners in Harris, Waller, Walker and Grimes [counties] and kind of create a working relationship that helps us coordinate efforts. Also, I want to work more closely with the San Jacinto River Authority and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District on water issues.

Every single day we're mindful of the tax burden we put on the residents and the county. We will continue to do everything we can to maintain the lowest tax rate possible. Can you give some more details about what the May mobility bond election will entail?

Our financial advisers have indicated based on minimal growth we could do $200 million with no [property] tax increase at all. [At] $300 million, I hate to even say this but I have to say it might raise [the property tax rate by] a penny. [At] $400 million, [the rate will go up by] two pennies and $500 million [will raise it] three [pennies], but that's projecting minimal growth.

I suspect that because of the growth that we're seeing and what some of these projects will do, our growth rate will far exceed the debt service requirements.

For this bond issue, we'll be encouraging the people to think about transportation and mobility needs. In 2005, we said we're going to do [FM] 1488—you can drive on it. We said we're going to do Fish Creek—you can drive on it. We said we're going to do [FM] 1485, [FM] 1484, [Hwy.] 242, and they're all completed. Now give us a chance to do it again.

In recent years, Montgomery County voters have not shown much support for bond elections. How do you plan to improve awareness to increase support this year?

I think the reason the last bond issue [in 2011] didn't pass was simply because we didn't take enough time to inform people and provide them the information they could make a good decision on. We want to make sure that there's not a concern about lack of information.

Right now traffic is bad, and we've got to do something. We're putting together a group that will be going around to locations around the county to get input from individuals and inform [residents as to] what our plans are.

Aside from mobility improvements, how do you feel the county should best manage growth moving forward?

We're working to continue our tax abatement program to attract that corporate footprint here because it broadens our tax base and lessens the burden on the residential taxpayers. It brings good quality jobs for the people that are here. We're becoming the new energy corridor along I-45. That's going to be huge for the county moving forward.

Charlie Riley, Montgomery County Precinct 2 commissioner

What are some of the top priorities that you hope to accomplish as Precinct 2 commissioner?

I don't know of any time that I've been here that we've really had a great working relationship with every neighboring county. I'm not saying we haven't had some [great working relationships], but it's got to be important that we do that.

I'm excited that I was appointed to the [Houston-Galveston Area Council] board for Montgomery County. I'm looking forward to that.

During my campaign, I made some comments about having town hall meetings over in Magnolia or Precinct 2 once a quarter, but I don't want a town hall meeting with just me. I want the superintendent of the schools, the mayor, the constable and City Council if they want to be there. It's not all about me. I think that would be fantastic for people to sit down and talk.

Can you give some more details about what the May bond election will mean for local projects?

There's a lot of things here in Magnolia we can really benefit from with passing that bond issue.

I'll be focusing on getting [FM] 1774 wrapped up and [FM] 1488. Some other local projects I've been thinking about wanting to do is Woodlands Parkway by bringing it from [FM] 2978 over to [Hwy.] 249, the expansion of Fish Creek to four lanes from [FM] 1488 to [Hwy.] 105 and the realignment of Nichols Sawmill Road down here over to Sanders Cemetery Road that ties into Mueschke Road.

I want to sit down with [the Texas Department of Transportation] and see if they will help us do the overpass over the railroad tracks [at FM 1488]. It's critical for Magnolia.

Aside from mobility improvements, how do you feel the county should best manage growth moving forward?

I think one of the main issues is working with those developers to create some kind of green belt space somewhere. We have a great working relationship with some Boy Scouts. [In late November], there was something like 90 Boy Scouts here at Unity Park, and they planted five or six willow trees by the lake, picked up a ton of garbage and planted a bunch of stuff around the gazebo we had donated to us.

I think [the Hwy.] 249 [expansion] is going to bring a lot of [development]. A lot of people are waiting on it. There's no telling [what new development] we're going to see.

What do you think the county will be like 10 years from now?

The perfect answer to that is the roads that we need [will be constructed], and mobility [will be] hunky dory. Ten years from now, it's not going to be that way. We're still going to be faced with challenges. I don't see [issues with] mobility going away in my lifetime—not if things continue the way they are now.