Three Township candidates advocate for residents

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Residents and media are curious about a new logo and slogan on campaign materials in this year’s Woodlands Township election. Three 2015 candidates seeking election or re-election to The Woodlands Township board of directors have adopted a “Residents’ Advocate” slogan and logo on their campaign materials. The candidates say they have been contacted by numerous residents concerned about developers and special interests from outside the community, as well as county politicians, and their outsized influence in the government of The Woodlands.

Candidates displaying the logo as a pledge to represent “Residents First” are Laura Fillault, Matthew Burton, and Director John McMullan who say they are responding to these undue influences on Township business and finances.

The positioning of the slogan and logo were conceived to respond to residents who came away from the $350 million defeated and divisive road bond proposition with a feeling of insecurity about their community’s direction and approach to mobility. As an example, Fillault points that while 86 percent of Woodlands residents were voting NO on the May bond issue, Township Board Chairman, Bruce Tough, strayed outside the community, defying residents and actively promoting the bond, working with the County Judge and several County Commissioners to promote passage of the proposal with a YES vote. Only three of the current seven Township board members – John McMullan, Gordy Bunch, and Peggy Hausman, actively campaigned on behalf of residents who were overwhelmingly opposed to the extension of Woodlands Parkway, road maintenance expenditures, and other poorly prioritized road projects that offered little traffic relief to the community. Director Gordy Bunch spearheaded the successful effort to defeat the bond by creating an online Vote NO petition which was signed by 5,000 residents. In another advocate matter, Matthew Burton, a Woodlands business executive, led 2,000 residents in a drive calling on The Woodlands developer to end clearing-cutting of trees in the Village of Creekside Park. Burton has been endorsed by retiring Peggy Hausman as her replacement on the board in Position 6. Laura Fillault is a community and political activist with a degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M, specializing in business processes. She was a leader in the successful fight against the May 2015 road bond election. She is seeking to replace Bruce Tough at Position 7. Director John McMullan is an energy attorney running for re-election in Position 5.

The Residents’ Advocates say they are being called upon to maintain a high level of awareness on upcoming board issues with resident interests first and to be careful stewards of their tax dollars. These directors plan to have full and transparent public forums while actively planning a future for The Woodlands Township, as its founder George Mitchell originally intended it to be – a model American town in a natural forested setting where people can live, play, and learn. Campaign websites and materials are available from the individual candidates.

The merging of purpose as Residents’ Advocates is not intended to form any special coalition or committee. The candidates have also pledged to perform and vote as individual directors on the board to serve with a common purpose and to “accomplish the people’s business in a citizen-led government.”