Three easy steps to a new road bond election this November

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Three types of projects can be combined to form a new road bond in a single afternoon, according to the group of community activists who successfully campaigned against the $350 million road bonds in the May election. The group, led by two tea parties, three Township Directors, a former state representative, and other community leaders believe Montgomery county government is now stalling to retry a similar bond 16 months from now. This week, the cry for a new November bond was presented to Commissioners Court by the cities of Shenandoah and Oak Ridge along with a unanimous resolution from The Woodlands Township board of directors.

Bill O’Sullivan, an officer of Texas Patriots PAC here says this united group is saying it is literally as simple as 1-2-3 to resolve and commit to a November 2015 bond issue that should easily be approved by voters. Here are the steps:


Projects that need to be discarded. That would be the Woodlands Parkway extension.

Mobility projects that need to start immediately to alleviate current traffic problems. These are high priority projects that include building, widening, and extending roads that are experiencing daily gridlock, along with overpasses and intersections needing to be built or improved.

Resurfacings are the result of historically poor funding for decades that won’t be solved by any 30-year bond. However, the most critical of these projects should be put on bonds with a ten year amortization period befitting the life of a resurfacing. Taxpayers will save some $20 million in interest in this shorter time period on $60 million in bonds.

Based on the above three criteria, a new bond can be put together in hours not days.

The group spoke directly to Commissioners Court earlier this week and urged commissioners to put these projects into the pipeline now. “Start building,” they said. “We can then begin to address how we change our funding methods for road resurfacing over time so that we discontinue bonding for it.” The removal of the Woodlands Parkway extension would create an additional $22 million available for Commissioner Riley. This can be plowed back into the Precinct 2 problems on 1488 and/or the intersection at 1488 and 1774.

The group’s forceful “Just Say No” campaign that spoke with 16,220 voices against the bond now demands a road bond that solves today’s transportation problems, today. “Fix it NOW!” is the new watchword of the next phase. It really is as easy as incorporating one-two-three factors and it takes only three commissioners votes, they explain. “We need to stop stalling and get a practical new road bond on the ballot for this November - today.”