New Woodlands board members aim to be voice for residents

Board member Gordy Bunch, running for re-election for Position 1 with The Woodlands Township, addresses incorporation during a candidate forum for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors at LandryÃ©s Seafood Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, in The Woodlands. The Woodlands Republican Women club hosted the nine-candidate forum during the group's monthly luncheon. less Board member Gordy Bunch, running for re-election for Position 1 with The Woodlands Township, addresses incorporation during a candidate forum for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors at LandryÃ©s ... more Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close New Woodlands board members aim to be voice for residents 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

When the votes were finally counted and released just before midnight Nov. 8, it became clear that voters were ready for a new vision from The Woodlands Township Board of Directors.

With the election of the four Tea Party-backed "Residents' Advocates," six of the board's seven seats now will be occupied by people who rallied against the Woodlands Parkway extension and have touted themselves as a voice for the people, rather than developer or special-interest groups.

The shift in power comes after Ed Robb and Jeff Long chose not to run for re-election to their seats after years of involvement in community government, and two-term board member Mike Bass was unseated by challenger Brian Boniface for Position 2.

Position 1 board member Gordy Bunch retained his seat in spite of a well-funded campaign by The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers, a nonprofit group formed by former board chairman Bruce Tough. The group spent at least $244,000 on advertising, much of which targeted Bunch for allegedly rushing into incorporation.

But with the election over, the rising board members are turning their attention to the future of The Woodlands.

"Elections are heated. Lots of things are said and done," Bunch said. "It's time for our community to come together and unite around the new board and work together to heal any issues in the community lingering from the campaign."

One effort Bunch hopes to undertake is to "set the record straight" on incorporation. Much of the advertising circulated by The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers suggested danger of imminent incorporation and a 70 percent tax increase, which Bunch and others decried as misleading and a scare tactic.

Beyond that, he believes the board will have to fight several road projects included on the Montgomery County Thoroughfare Plan, including the extension of Woodlands Parkway, address flooding and drainage issues in the community and work to prevent clear-cutting.

With three new board members stepping in, Bunch plans to suggest that the board hold a workshop to get new members up to speed and determine priorities for the coming year.

For new board member John Anthony Brown, his election is a sign that voters want someone who will listen to their concerns and approach issues from a new perspective.

"I'm going to take this as a new slate - going in there with fresh eyes and a fresh attitude," Brown said. "I'll see when I get in there what are the most pressing matters."

Boniface echoed Brown's intention of focusing on listening to Woodlands residents and representing their views.

New board member Bruce Rieser named improving public safety and addressing drainage issues as his top priorities, acknowledging the board will have to face the challenges of slowing development and a stagnating tax base.

"It's going to be incumbent on us to work very diligently to ensure we're spending people's tax dollars as effectively as we can," Rieser said.

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors will hold a special meeting to canvass the election results at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, in the board Chambers at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd.

The election results were:

For Position 1, Bunch earned 22,209 votes (58.89 percent) to challenger Amy Lampman's 12,046 (31.94 percent) and Bob Lelich's 3,458 (9.17 percent).

Boniface received 17,940 votes (51.32 percent) to Bass' 17,016 (48.68 percent) for Position 2.

In the Position 3 race, Brown earned 21,212 votes (63.51 percent) to Stuart Schroeder's 12,186 (36.49 percent).

And in Position 4, Rieser garnered 22,732 votes (66.56 percent) to Chris Grice's 11,422 votes (33.44 percent).