What are the three main reasons you are running for this office? Do you see any potential conflicts of interest?

We have chosen to make The Woodlands our home and I want to help ensure that the many attributes of our community are here for generations to enjoy.  That means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty, it means getting involved in ensuring that the issues that will determine our future are handled responsibly.  There currently are and will be temptations to spend our limited funding on items that special interests or a vocal minority demand.  We have to make sure we have people on the board who can make these decisions independently of those groups and do what is best for the community as a whole.

1. Priority One: Increase the level of security for our residents.  This means not only increasing spending, but ensuring that everyone in The Woodlands benefits from this.  If funding is going to increase (and it is by over $788,000 in 2016), then everyone should see an increase in the level of service they receive. 
2. Get back to the basics of what government is meant to provide.  We moved to The Woodlands because we knew what the covenants and restrictions were and that they would be enforced.  I question whether that is true today.  We loved that the common areas were all maintained on a regular level with each community getting roughly the same level of care.  Today, areas west of Kuykendahl Road are on less traveled schedule by the maintenance team vs. areas near and around Market Street, The Waterway, etc.  We all pay the same levels, we should all expect and get the same level of services.
3. As we move closer to incorporation, now is the time to not create expenditures to items that may be nice to have today, but will only continue to absorb an ever increasing amount of funds later.  We need adults that are willing to say NO to programs like Olympic swimming pools, intra-Woodlands bus service and more.  We need to ensure that special interests never create another boondoggle like the Woodlands Cruisers.
4. Conflicts of interest?  I am not part of the VAC and do not and will not receive any benefits if elected.  Other than the property I live on, I have no real estate investments that could benefit from any vote I would take.   I look to serve the residents of The Woodlands and not a limited number of so-called, well connected few.

What are the three main attributes that make you the most qualified for this position?

• Over 35 years working in the private sector plus 4 years in the U.S. Air Force.  I would come into the position having worked in the real world and knowing both the short and long term impact of the votes we take that commit the funds I and my fellow residents work hard to earn and pay annually.
• Not willing to rubber stamp budget items simply because they are always there and it is easier to just get along and continue them.  If elected, I plan to have substantial discussion into the so-called “Miscellaneous” items that don’t usually receive scrutiny.
• A belief that I do not come into the position always right or a know-it-all.  Too much lip service is paid to hearing from the people.  That is exactly what my focus will be and by that, I don’t mean lobbyists and just the other board of directors.  We have too much of a clique environment right now on the Board.  That needs to change.

What three changes would you like to see implemented by the Township?

1. Term Limits.

2. Better level of communication with the residents and not in a format like the current Township website in which they cannot possibly find what is going on without first contacting the programmer to be able to circumvent the site.

3. More big ticket items and events put up for vote by the residents in conjunction with other election periods.

List all civic, political or union organizations or individuals to whom you have contributed time or money in the last five years.

None

Are you now or have you ever done business with any township and/or county official?

No

Are any of your family members employed by or working under contract to either The Woodlands Township or Montgomery County?

No

List all individuals/groups you have represented or lobbied for before any governmental entity during the past five years.

None.

Have you ever been arrested? Ever had any tax liens? If so, start & resolution dates?

No to both questions.

The township budget funds all reserves 100% yearly. Should any surplus be returned to the residents or retained in a rainy day fund?

With such a large percentage of the townships revenue generated from sales taxes (41%), there is always the potential for shortfalls even with the best of planning.  I would comfortable with maintaining a maximum of 1% of revenue as an emergency fund, everything after that should be returned or credited to the taxpayers of The Woodlands.  There would need to be a limit of the type of projects that these funds could cover including police, fire, rescue, common area maintenance.  The concern is that after it is created, some of our creative directors could use this for a “miscellaneous” project.  Any of these funds being used should be addressed in local media so that everyone knows how their funds are spent.

Should the township be funding non-profit organization events such as Interfaith luncheons, senior pick-up services, Education for tomorrow luncheons, etc...with tax dollars.

No, with one exception/carve out.  That is not the function of the township or government in general.  This should be covered by private funds or religious institutions if they prefer to cover items like this.  The only item I would consider a bona fide service that should be considered is senior pick-up services, but it would not be a blank check program.

Do you consider the water taxi service an amenity in The Woodlands? If so what level of funding should be paid by taxpayer dollars?

It is not an amenity.  It represents a dream from a previous director who gave the citizens of The Woodlands the pleasure of paying for it.  There should be no taxpayer funding used to sustain it.  If a private firm does not want to take over all aspects, the boats should be scrapped, sold or sunk.

Should the economic development reserve fund serve as a general fund, to go to multiple projects such as ice-rinks, museums, buildings, street repairs etc. or should it be a project specific only account?

It should be project specific.  Our budget is filled with enough non-descript “miscellaneous” programs.

What is the standard the "Township" should set on general obligation debt?

Either could be set as a percentage of forecasted revenues, a set dollar ceiling or on a debt per resident basis.  The correct answer is after calculation, which ensures that we do not accelerate the rate of debt to a point that it becomes a larger percentage each year of expenditures.

Is the current amount of "county" debt a good or bad thing and why?

If debt was incurred that enabled The Woodlands to generate revenue at long term, higher rate of return that what we pay in debt service funds and reserves, then taking on some debt can be a good thing for the community.  We should set a debt level that will ensure that the debt component of property taxes does not have to increase annually.

Woodlands founder George Mitchell was arguably the godfather of "sustainable" communities and funded international meetings here to that end. What does that mean to you?

It means that he was a true visionary that continued to learn and teach from interaction with a host of individuals that had diverse backgrounds.  He also showed that positions like the Board of Directors should be infused with new talent on a regular basis. 

What are the 2 most pressing mobility issues in The Woodlands and what is your preferred solution to each?

• Half-finished road projects.  Think the Kuykendahl expansion just recently completed, but not completed.  Instead of doing the project right and doing it once, we have another 4 lane/2 lane/4 lane program.   Then we have the Research Forest near Alden Bridge “temporary” road.  When the San Jacinto pipelines were being installed, it was the perfect time to enlarge the stretch into the 4-lane road it was meant to be.  Now, if this was near the Town Center…..
• The next answer is supposed to be either intra-Woodlands bus service or catering to the vocal bicyclists that believe they are entitled to a greater share of the road space.  First, bus service is good as long as it is privately operated and there is no cost to the residents of The Woodlands to establish and maintain it.  No government subsidies.  Either the riders pay and make it viable or we don’t have it.  Mass transit rarely pays for itself and it is always up to the non-users to keep it afloat.   Bikes?  If they would like to establish a fee or registration that allows them to create a fund to maintain/enhance road shoulders or sidewalks, I am good with it.  I will never support taking space from cars, which is what roads are truly designed for and give to bicyclists that pay no registration fees, no licensing fees, no safety fees and most of all, pay no gas/oil taxes.   Cars pay for the creation and maintenance of our roads.  Cars are the first priority.

Did you take a public position on the May 9, 2015 Road Bond, and if so, what was it? And in a few sentences, explain why.

Totally opposed to it.  The expansion of Woodlands Parkway to 249 was as blatantly self-serving to a few developers and other special interests as could be.  The estimate of what increased traffic per day would be was, in my opinion, too low.  The result would have been to diminish the character and beauty of our community.  We are already larger than what was originally envisioned.  This would have only made the issues worse.

Explain what a RUD is and it's use, if any, to the community of The Woodlands. Also address any negatives.

Road Utility District.  Seems to be issues with transparency, residency issues and the fact that we have the same players calling the shots on funding allocations.

Should Township directors serve at large or represent specific villages (districts)?

Absolutely yes, they should represent specific villages. While this could create a bit of a Balkanization effect at times, it would help ensure that one member is not so likely to push through a waste of money project (think cruisers) that everyone else would get the pleasure of paying for.  Elected representatives would have to go back to their specific village constituents and explain their vote for projects that provide either no or limited value to 90% of the residents and why they should need to fund them on an ongoing basis.

Are you active with any Tea Party or conservative grassroots organization? If so, list which, how long and what capacity? If not, what's your opinion of Tea Party groups here as to their effectiveness?

I consider myself a Libertarian-Conservative.  I believe there is a specific need for government, but any expansion of its power and spending comes at the expense of something else.

Do you think The Woodlands should become a city or remain unincorporated? Why?

We basically have to become a city or risk being absorbed by the cities of Houston or Conroe down the road.  We have the time to do this the right way and that includes understanding that many of our costs will grow once we incorporate.  So that is why I am so determined that we do not create new programs or projects and expand our funding liabilities now.  They will only grow and continue to absorb a greater share of taxpayer funds later. 

In this role, you'll be representing both the community & businesses. In the event of a conflict with the Woodlands Development corporation how would handling this situation?

Would have make that call when a specific issue or conflict comes up.  Not trying to evade the answer, but it would be on a by incident basis.  If a “conflict” is defined as breaking the laws, then there is no conflict.  I won’t be looking over my shoulder when making decisions.  If everything is on the up and up and it is truly a decision that each side is making genuinely sound arguments, I will evaluate on what is best for the residents of The Woodlands and not just those special interests making their pitch.