Since Laura Fillault was first elected, she has been an incredibly successful and forceful advocate for her constituents, and that’s why Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is pleased to endorse her for re-election to The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, Position 7.

TFR first encountered Fillault when she was a local activist fighting for The Woodlands taxpayers, well before she sought public office. Fillault was a part of an active, pro-reform group of citizens in Montgomery County pushing back against officials who were failing to consider the interests of every community in the county.

After helping lead the charge in 2015 to defeat the $350 million road bond containing the hated Woodlands Parkway extension, which over 90 percent of her community opposed, Fillault decided to challenge the longest serving member of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors, Bruce Tough.

Tough was the chairman of the board and had served on it since its inception. As the son of one of the major designers of The Woodlands, Tough had been a public face in the community and an icon of the establishment for decades.

In a contentious race that highlighted the divide between the Montgomery County establishment and the grassroots, Fillault ousted Tough, despite being outspent approximately 5-1.

During her first campaign Fillault said, “Too many current leaders in The Woodlands Township and Montgomery County elected to represent the residents have favored developers and special interests above families and conservative governance,” and she has fought to change that culture.

Fillault has been an advocate for the residents, not the special interests, and has fought to stop the clear cutting and ensure the Woodlands Parkway extension is never built.

Since taking office, she has worked to keep The Woodlands tax rate low, while balancing the need to prepare ahead of time for a fiscally responsible path to incorporation when the community decides the time is right.

Her first year in office, Fillault and the board cut the budget from $132 million down to $121 million.  She has worked to cut spending even further in the 2017-18 budget, which has been brought down to $118 million.

Fillault has also voted to provide appraisal relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey, to prevent future water usage rate increases, and even launched two events to celebrate first responders on 9/11.

Early voting runs from October 19-24 and 26-28, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 7.

Charles Blain

Charles Blain is the president of Urban Reform and Urban Reform Institute. A native of New Jersey, he is based in Houston and writes on municipal finance and other urban issues.

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