A November referendum will determine whether The Woodlands continues to be the only township government in Texas. A report by the Bush School outlines some of the reasons communities incorporate and how they apply in the case of The Woodlands.
While most of the debate on whether The Woodlands Township should incorporate as a city has centered around the tax implications, the authors of The Takeaway, “Local Government Control: The Case of Municipal Incorporation in The Woodlands Township, Texas,” provide some less appreciated background relevant to the proposed change in governance.
The Woodlands’ current complex intergovernmental arrangements provide unique benefits that allow it to be flexible in providing services, but The Woodlands’ status as a special district also has limitations. The authors describe how municipal incorporation could provide The Woodlands with more authority in regional and emergency planning, and allow it to access more federal funds.
The Takeaway is a publication of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University.
