You folks in The Woodlands can rest easy. You will not be assimilated. Well, maybe.
Senate Bill 1012 would amend the state's Local Government Code to allow cities and special districts to enter into regional participation agreements in which the parties would share the cost of mutually beneficial regional projects, including roads and parks.[State Sen. Tommy] Williams, of The Woodlands, and Houston Mayor Bill White crafted such an agreement last December to give The Woodlands residents an opportunity to form its own governance without the cloud of possible annexation.
The bill spells out who can enter such agreements, how they should be set up and what regional projects can be funded under the deals. It also allows for deferral of annexation.
''We spent several days going over this, and we feel comfortable it is a good first draft," Williams said from his Austin office. ''I think it will be well received. I'm very optimistic."
Under the proposal, Houston would release The Woodlands from its extraterritorial jurisdiction -- a distinction in state law that would allow annexation. That would allow the community of more than 85,000 residents to decide after 2014 whether to incorporate or choose another form of local self-governance.
In return, The Woodlands would give an initial $16 million to pay for certain regional projects. The money would come from existing local funding sources to be determined. It would not come from increases in municipal utility district fees or property tax increases.
The projects include $3 million for improvements to Lake Houston Park, much of which is in Montgomery County and a $5 million contribution to a planned project that would extend the Hardy Toll Road closer to downtown.
The agreement also calls for The Woodlands to expand the boundaries of its existing special taxing district (the Town Center Improvement District), which currently supports the mall and surrounding retail, to include all of The Woodlands within Montgomery County and Houston's future boundaries.