Board hears July financials, reviews 2023–2025 staff additions and Visit The Woodlands update

The Woodlands Township Board received a multipart briefing Aug. 27 covering July financials, recent staff additions and a quarterly tourism report.

Kellen Schall, the township’s chief financial officer, presented the July 2025 financial report. He said year‑to‑date budgeted revenue through July was $104 million and year‑to‑date actual collected revenue was $107.8 million, a favorable variance of roughly $3.7 million driven by a 2.9% favorable sales‑tax variance and an unbudgeted contribution by the Montgomery County Hospital District of about $750,000 for Fire Station 5. On expenditures, year‑to‑date budgeted spending of $80.7 million compared with actual spending of $73.8 million left a favorable variance of about $6.8 million, explained largely by timing on contracted services and equipment purchases.

The board accepted the financial report (motion moved by Director Richard, second by Director Cindy; motion carried).

Monique (staff presenter) gave an extended review of staff positions approved during the 2023–2025 budgets. She said the township has roughly "630" (presenter said 630; slides referenced 637) full‑time equivalents and walked directors through additions in fire (a 10th company and 15 positions in 2023), parks and recreation (several FTEs offset by program revenue, including additions tied to recreation programs and maintenance), IT, communications and transit operations. Several directors questioned the pace of staffing growth and asked whether some duties should be contracted rather than brought in‑house. Monique replied that many additions were intended to right‑size services post‑COVID, some positions are fully offset by program revenue or contract recoveries (for example, $2.8 million of contract revenue for fire), and that the board approves positions through the annual budget process.

Nick (Visit The Woodlands) delivered a quarterly update for the Convention & Visitors Bureau, saying staffing additions helped push hotel‑tax collections above $10.3 million in the previous year and reporting roughly 32.2 million advertising impressions in Q2. Nick also warned July collections were weaker than June and that staff is adjusting marketing to target shoulder nights and trade‑show business; the board asked staff to keep working corporate and local prospects to boost midweek occupancy.

Board discussion: Directors who urged caution asked staff to provide more before/after measures of maintenance and clearer long‑term staffing cost projections. Staff suggested community surveys, scheduled maintenance metrics and reporting as ways to demonstrate results.

Outcome: The board accepted the staff positions briefing and the Visit The Woodlands update; the HCAD nomination resolution was deferred to the next meeting for further consideration.