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Associations and Township sign Transition Agreement

By: Mary Connell
| Published 03/01/2008

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas -– The Community Associations of The Woodlands and The Woodlands Township signed a historic agreement on Friday, February 29, that will lead to consolidation of the governmental functions of The Woodlands into one entity. The signing of the Transition Agreement marked a milestone in the history of The Woodlands.

Signers to the agreement were The Woodlands Township Chairman Nelda Blair, The Woodlands Association President and The Woodlands Commercial Owners Association President Joel Deretchin, The Woodlands Community Association President Jeff Long, Woodlands Community Service Corporation Chair and Woodlands Fire Department President Bruce Tough, and Woodlands Recreation Center President Cheryl Crandall Tangen.

The Transition Agreement ultimately provides a seamless consolidation of the governmental services provided to residents of The Woodlands into a single, community-wide, governmental organization. According to the agreement, services will transition smoothly from the Community Associations of The Woodlands to The Woodlands Township in a planned manner between now and 2012.

Community Association assessments will be phased out and replaced with a Township property tax, supplemented by a sales tax, which will lower overall fees paid for services by Woodlands residents. The property tax will be tax deductible, as compared to current assessments, which are not.

The Woodlands voters set the stage for this agreement when they approved the three propositions on the November 6, 2007 ballot, which were to expand the boundaries of the Town Center Improvement District, change the Town Center Improvement District Board to a fully elected Board, thus forming The Woodlands Township, and authorizing the levying of an ad valorem tax.

“This is another historic day in the life of The Woodlands,” said Nelda Luce Blair, Chairman of The Woodlands Township. “The residents overwhelmingly said they wanted to determine the future of governance, and today, we have completed the first giant step in making that happen. With freedom from annexation by Houston and Conroe, we have the opportunity to form our own united governance, elect our own leadership, and decide our own future. Not only do we enjoy a wonderful place to live and work, but we have outstanding elected officials who help to promote and protect our way of life.”

“After watching the community grow and being involved in the governance process from the beginning, I am so pleased to see The Woodlands take this next step toward self-governance,” said Joel Deretchin, President of The Woodlands Association. “As co-chair with Bruce Tough of the Governance Steering Committee, I was thrilled to participate with the community in learning its desires for future governance. To see it take shape has been especially rewarding,” he added.

“The Governance process in The Woodlands began in several phases, and can be traced back to 1999 when the community recognized that we needed a plan for the future,” said Bruce Tough, Chair of The Woodlands Community Service Corporation and President of The Woodlands Fire Department.

“A small group of founding fathers met to discuss a process to prevent another Kingwood event. This process continued for eight years. The committee work itself began in 2004 with a purpose to educate the public, solicit public input and develop a workable governance plan for the future of The Woodlands community. I have been honored to work with numerous dedicated and community-minded people in getting to this day,” he said.

“As President of The Woodlands Community Association, and member of the Governance Steering Committee, I would like to thank all of the community members who participated and who served as the guiding light in moving this forward,” said Jeff Long, President of The Woodlands Community Association. “Our state legislators opened the door for us, our dedicated community leaders sought feedback and paid attention to the wants of the community, and our community spoke at the polls, making the dream of becoming self-governed—and not annexed by Houston—a reality,” Mr. Long added.

“The Transition Agreement took the work of many dedicated individuals within the Community Associations and The Woodlands Township,” said Frank W. Robinson, president of The Woodlands Township. “Their dedication and creative thinking are to be commended.”

In October, 2007, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors unanimously approved Regional Participation Agreements with the City of Houston and the City of Conroe to prevent annexation of The Woodlands and permit future incorporation or adoption of a new form of local government. In return, The Woodlands Township will contribute a portion of the sales and use tax (a sixteenth of one percent) to an account established with both cities for mutually beneficial regional projects.

The Woodlands, located 25 miles north of Houston, Texas, was founded as a community in 1974 and today has a population of approximately 88,000 residents. For more information, please contact Nick Wolda at The Woodlands Township, 281.363.2447, or Mary Connell at the Community Associations of The Woodlands, 281.210.3800.

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