The Woodlands Township Board of Directors held a special Board meeting Wednesday, August 24, 2011, at 9 a.m., to adopt the 2012 Budget and set the 2011 property tax rate. The Board set the ad valorem property tax rate at 32.5 cents per $100 of valuation, which is lower than the 2010 property tax rate of 32.74 cents. The rate consists of two components including 30.46 cents to fund maintenance and operating expenditures and 2.04 cents to fund debt service payments. Projected property tax revenues for 2012 total $40.6 million.

The adopted consolidated Budget estimates 2012 operating and capital expenditures of $96.5 million, which is a 4% increase from the 2010 budget. The most significant increases in the budget are related to public safety. Sales and hotel tax revenues, bond proceeds and program fees pay for more than half of the expenditures, saving residents millions in property tax requirements.

Adoption of the property tax rate and budget followed a comprehensive review of the budget by The Woodlands Township Board of Directors and many opportunities for public input. In addition to a strategic planning workshop conducted in June 2011 and four budget workshops held during the last week of July and the first week of August 2011, the budget was presented and discussed at a Town Hall meeting on July 27, 2011 and at public hearings held on August 11, 2011 and August 16, 2011.

More information, including the entire budget, is available on The Township Web site’s 2012 Budget page. Links to executive summaries from the August 24, 2011, board meeting are also online under Board Meeting Information/Public Meeting Documents.

Please check the Board Meeting Information page for links to agendas, minutes, public meeting documents, videos, reports and summaries of meetings.

For more information on The Woodlands Township, please call 281-210-3800 or visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

Visit Michele Flory at www.MicheleFlory.com for more information on The Woodlands community.