The Woodlands Township has approved a deal that would pay Houston about $50 million in exchange for Houston permanently giving up its ability to annex The Woodlands. The catch? Texas law already makes forced annexation much harder, so critics are asking: Why pay $50M for something Houston may not be able to do anyway? The Woodlands says it’s buying long-term certainty and, starting in 2030, would keep roughly $4.5M more per year in local sales-tax revenue. Houston Mayor John Whitmire supports the deal because the city gets much-needed money now.
