In the first installment of The Woodlands Road Utility District series, BJP examined the salient points of the case of Jim Jenkins. In June 2013, Jim Jenkins was sentenced to three years in prison for voting in a Road Utility District election in 2010. This second installment outlines the circumstances of how Adrian Heath came to discover the existence of The Woodlands Road Utility District, the level of bond indebtedness of the road utility district, and the enabling legislation creating the road utility district.
Adrian has been a U.S. citizen since 1992 after emigrating from Australia. In 2009 while searching the website for the Texas Bond Review Board he learned of the existence of the road utility district. Here is a link and screenshot to the Texas Bond Review Board website, Texas Other Special Districts FY 2012 that I found today:
Based on a fiscal year end of 8/31/2012, the Texas Bond Review Board discloses Woodlands RUD #1 grand totals of over $110 million in indebtedness, including principal & interest.
This is how Adrian Heath came to learn the existence of the Woodlands Road Utility District.
Special districts have their basis in the Texas Constitution, I learned. The MUD’s, for example, are formed under Chapter 54 of the Water Code and some are not limited in the amount they can tax or the amount they can borrow, like general forms of government.
Adrian next turned to the website of the Texas Legislature to learn how the Woodland Road Utility District was legally formed. In 1991, then Texas State Representative Kevin Brady authored HB 2818, the enabling legislation for the creation, administration, powers, etal including financing the Woodlands Road Utility No. 1 which also granted the ability to issue bonds.
Ironically, 1991 was also the year Steve Ogden authored HB 879, removing the word “permanent” from residence address on a voter registration application. Section 3 (b) of HB 879 reads:
“The Secretary of State shall omit the term “permanent” preceding the term “residence address” on an official voter registration application form that is prescribed on or after the effective date of this Act.”
A search of the Texas Bond Review Board website and the Texas Legislature website is how Adrian Heath came to learn of the existence of the Woodlands RUD, its level of indebtedness and the enabling legislation that established the creation, administration, powers and financing of the Woodlands RUD, including its ability to issue bonds.
Next: how Adrian Heath learned about the Woodlands RUD Board and the qualifications for becoming a RUD board member.