Montgomery County commissioners voted unanimously Thursday, Oct. 8, to ask state lawmakers for limited power to pass local ordinances governing land use in unincorporated areas, including the Montgomery County portion of The Woodlands.

The resolution, headed to every Montgomery County state representative and senator, asks them to draft legislation granting the county additional authority to regulate development and land use outside city limits. Texas counties have limited development regulatory authority and generally lack broad zoning powers, although state law provides specific exceptions.

The Commissioners Court approved the measure at its regular session in Conroe, Community Impact reported.

About 78% of Montgomery County is unincorporated. Residents in those areas rely on the county for public safety and infrastructure. The Woodlands also has a Township government that provides services including fire protection, parks, transportation and supplemental law enforcement. Creekside Park is in Harris County and would fall outside the proposed Montgomery County authority.

The resolution states that growth is outpacing the county's ability to expand infrastructure and public services and that existing authority does not give the county the tools to address challenges in unincorporated areas.

The resolution does not itself adopt or enforce any regulation. It expresses the Commissioners Court's position and calls for any new authority to include safeguards for private property rights, public participation, due process and consistent application. It also calls for preserving municipal authority within incorporated cities. Any changes to development rules would depend on legislation being enacted and subsequent county action.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Matt Gray said the county remains pro-business, according to Community Impact.

"This is a pro-business friendly county. We're not changing our position on that," Gray said at the Oct. 8 meeting, the publication reported. "Our position is not only to look after our residents and look after the county, but it's to protect your property investments, your property rights and the life you built here."

County Judge Mark Keough said landowners and developers both have a stake in the outcome. The county's approach needs to work for all parties, he said, according to Community Impact.

The Texas Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 12, 2027, according to Community Impact. State lawmakers would then decide whether to act on the request.