Opinion: Candidate Analysis: The Woodlands Township Board and MCHD Elections

It’s important to vote in local elections for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors. This year there are elections for four seats, three of which are contested.

Early voting begins Monday, October 21 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. Please vote and encourage your friends and family to join you.

I am supporting:

• Brady Bailey (Pos. 1, incumbent)
• Linda Nelson (Pos. 2, incumbent)
• Richard Franks (Pos. 3, incumbent)
• Craig Eissler (Pos. 4, open seat)

Since the directors in these four positions were elected two years ago, the Township Board has been doing an excellent job working for and with the residents of The Woodlands. Our new directors have made great strides while focusing on the needs of residents instead of wasting resources on peddling incorporation of The Woodlands, which voters rejected by a 2-1 margin.

The new Board has passed the lowest Township property tax rate in history, passed the first homestead exemption for all Township homeowners, and increased the senior homestead exemption. None of this would have been possible had voters not rejected incorporation.

Our board also managed to get a seat for The Woodlands on the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) and to pass legislation with the help of our state lawmakers that allows for the Township to recapture mixed beverage taxes that were going to the state. These are both great achievements, especially considering that we were once led to believe that they were impossible unless The Woodlands were to incorporate.

Please do your research, make your own decisions, and vote.

My own assessment criteria include qualifying candidates who have relevant experience, qualifications, and skills for the position and are most likely to continue the resident, taxpayer, and community focused successes of our new board leadership.

Meets Criteria? | Candidate | Qualifications & Comments

Position 1

✓ Meets Criteria | Brad Bailey | Corporate executive background, opposes incorporation, passed first homestead exemption for all Township homeowners, passed lowest Township property tax rate ever, long-time resident of The Woodlands

Doesn’t meet criteria | Dylan Gonzales | Tech background, opposes incorporation, lacks relevant experience, did not attend candidate forum, recently moved to The Woodlands

Position 2

✓ Meets Criteria | Linda Nelson | Business professional background, opposes incorporation, extensive community service, passed first homestead exemption for all Township homeowners, passed lowest Township property tax rate ever, long-time resident of The Woodlands.

Position 3

✓ Meets criteria | Richard Franks | Decorated veteran, public administration background, opposes incorporation, passed first homestead exemption for all Township homeowners, passed lowest Township property tax rate ever, led successful initiatives to improve board communications with residents, longtime resident of The Woodlands

Doesn’t meet criteria | Elvin Misut | Construction, education and IT background, no relevant public service experience, did not attend candidate forum, moved to The Woodlands 15 months ago, “identifies the most” with Incorporation Squad member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs

Position 4

✓ Meets criteria | Craig Eissler | Financial planner and advisor, born and raised in The Woodlands, Rotary Club board, graduate of Leadership Montgomery County

Doesn’t meet criteria | Jaime Viteri | Tech background, recently moved to The Woodlands, did not attend candidate forum, sentenced to prison for willfully failing to file federal individual income tax returns in Chicago, donates to progressive Democrats including Dick Durbin, seen supporting Obama

Montgomery County Hospital District (MCHD) Board of Directors Elections

I support the following candidates for MCHD:

• Jerry Bittner – At Large Position 1
• Georgette Whatley – At Large Position 3

Voters in Montgomery and Harris Counties may vote at any early voting location within the county where they are registered to vote.

Yours truly,

Bruce Tough
Former Chairman, The Woodlands Township Board
Principal Attorney, Tough Law Firm