The Woodlands was built as an unincorporated master-planned community within Montgomery County and the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. This means that prior to 1999, the City of Houston had the ability to annex The Woodlands with a vote of the Houston City Council. Parts of The Woodlands were also built within the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the City of Conroe. In 1999, an agreement was signed that in essence put a moratorium on the ability for Houston to annex The Woodlands and on the ability for The Woodlands to incorporate.
In late 2007, The Woodlands Township signed an agreement with the City of Houston, as well as the City of Conroe, that will allow The Woodlands to contribute to projects of regional and mutual benefit (such as better access to the Houston Medical Center or extending the Hardy Toll Road) in exchange for those cities releasing The Woodlands from potential annexation for a period of 50 years. This agreement gives The Woodlands freedom to determine its future governance once the moratorium agreement expires. Based on legal requirements related to these agreements, the earliest date that an election could be held to determine whether or not The Woodlands residents choose to become a city was May 2014.
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors took action on Friday, August 13, 2021, to place Incorporation on the ballot for the election on November 2, 2021. Residents of The Woodlands were asked to vote "for" or "against" the propositions shown below:
THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP – PROPOSITION A
Authorizing the Type-A city incorporation of The Woodlands Township District and the adoption of an initial property tax rate of not more than $0.2231 per one hundred dollars ($100) valuation of taxable property.
THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIP – PROPOSITION B
Upon incorporation of The Woodlands Township District into a Type-A General Law City to be called the City of The Woodlands, the transfer of the rights, powers, privileges, duties, purposes, functions, responsibilities, the authority to issue bonds, and the authority to impose taxes from The Woodlands Township District to the City of The Woodlands.
As of November 2, 2021, residents of The Woodlands Township voted not to incorporate as the City of The Woodlands.
For more information on The Woodlands Township election, visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/NovemberElection. Transition and Governance