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Issue #4 | Sunday, August 9, 2026
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THE
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Local news. Real people. Stronger together.
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Good morning,
Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Is Back in Motion
School starts this week — and roads, taxes, healthcare and growth are moving too.
Inside this week's Brief
🎒 Back to school in Conroe ISD
🚧 Highway 242 nears the finish line
🏥 New urgent care opens on FM 1488
💧 A long-awaited Tamina milestone
💰 A tax-rate proposal worth watching
🛍️ A local mom-owned business expands
⏱ 2-Minute Read
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Jennifer's Letter
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Good morning, Montgomery County.
This week feels especially real in my house because we're getting ready for the first day of school.
If you're a parent, you know what this week looks like — last-minute shopping, hair appointments, supplies, figuring out schedules, and somehow realizing there is still something you forgot.
But while so many of us are focused on getting our families back into a routine, Montgomery County itself feels like it's getting back into motion too.
Conroe ISD students return Wednesday. One of our busiest road projects is getting closer to completion. A new healthcare option just opened along FM 1488. And in Tamina, families are finally seeing progress on something residents have waited years for: water and sewer infrastructure.
That's what I want this Brief to be about — not just what's happening, but what it means for the people who actually live here.
Have a great first week back.
— Jennifer
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Back to School
Conroe ISD Students Head Back Wednesday
Summer break is officially coming to an end. Conroe ISD's first day of the 2026–27 school year is Wednesday, August 12.
That means school-zone traffic, buses and morning routines return across the district this week.
Conroe ISD has also scheduled an August 18 public hearing to consider a proposed $770.42 million balanced budget and a tax rate of $0.9348 per $100 of valuation — about 1.5 cents lower than the current rate.
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★ Why It Matters
A lower tax rate doesn't automatically mean every homeowner's tax bill decreases — property values and exemptions matter too. But it's an important number to watch as families think about the total cost of living here.
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Growth Watch
Highway 242 Is Getting Closer to the Finish Line
AI-generated illustration representing Highway 242 construction.
Anyone who regularly drives Highway 242 between FM 1488 and I-45 knows this project personally.
The widening project is now approximately 86% complete, with completion targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
The first phase of the David Memorial Drive extension toward Highway 242 has reached the Conroe city limits, while drainage improvements along the I-45 frontage road between Shenandoah Park Drive and Highway 242 were roughly 25% complete in the latest update.
For a county growing as quickly as ours, development isn't only about new subdivisions and restaurants. Sometimes it's about whether you can get home without sitting through three extra light cycles.
New & Noteworthy
New Urgent Care Opens Along FM 1488
Integrity Urgent Care opened its new Conroe clinic August 3 at 3600 FM 1488, Suite 200.
The clinic is open seven days a week and is positioned to serve residents from Conroe, Willis, Montgomery and Panorama Village.
This one caught my attention because FM 1488 continues to change incredibly quickly. We're not just watching houses go up — we're watching the services that follow population growth: healthcare, restaurants, retail and infrastructure.
Community
A Long-Awaited Milestone for Tamina
Some growth stories are about what's coming. This one is about a community finally receiving infrastructure it has waited a very long time for.
The historic Tamina community has reached the first-phase milestone of its long-awaited water and sewer connection project.
The approximately $21 million ARPA-funded project is designed to allow Shenandoah to provide service to roughly 1,000 residents, with the overall project targeted for completion in December 2026.
For families who have lived with infrastructure challenges for years, this isn't simply another development announcement. It's about something most of us rarely think about until we don't have it: reliable basic infrastructure.
Money Watch
Your Tax Rate Is Being Discussed Right Now
There are several important budget conversations happening around Montgomery County.
Conroe ISD is considering a $0.9348 tax rate at its August 18 hearing.
Meanwhile, the City of Conroe's proposed FY2026–27 budget keeps its property-tax rate at $0.4272, includes police-pay adjustments and approximately $29.3 million in capital projects. Adoption is expected in September.
And yes — we're still watching the county's proposed courthouse/justice-center bond. The project is in its critical mid-August window as officials await cost information that could determine whether commissioners call a November bond election.
I covered that issue extensively last week, so the next development is what matters now — and I'll keep you updated.
Eat. Sip. Support Local.
This Week, We're Shopping Local
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Local Business to Support
Little Pookie Kids Co.
Downtown Conroe • Inside Main Street Merchants
A children's boutique run by a local mother of two is expanding with a second location right in the heart of downtown Conroe — exactly the kind of small, family-owned business worth showing up for.
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Know a Montgomery County business I should visit?
Reply and send it to me.
Local Housing Intelligence
Jennifer's Real Estate Insight
The Price of the House Isn't Your Housing Cost
This week's tax conversations are a good reminder of something I wish more buyers understood before they start shopping.
Two homes can have the same sales price and very different monthly payments because of property-tax rates, MUD taxes, homeowners insurance, HOA fees and interest rates.
For buyers: Ask for the estimated total monthly payment before deciding what you can afford.
For sellers: Understand the carrying costs buyers are comparing when they look at your home against competing neighborhoods.
My takeaway: Don't shop by sales price alone. Shop by the complete monthly number.
Real estate information provided by Jennifer Jelks, Texas REALTOR® with Epique Realty LLC. License #690020.
Looking Ahead
What We're Watching
● August 12: First day of school for Conroe ISD.
● Mid-August: County cost estimate and potential decision on calling a November courthouse/justice-center bond election.
● August 18: Conroe ISD public hearing on its proposed budget and tax rate.
● September: City of Conroe budget and tax-rate adoption expected.
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Question of the Week
What's the ONE change you've noticed most in Montgomery County this year?
Traffic? New businesses? Housing? Schools? Roads? Something else?
Hit reply and tell me.
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Jennifer Jelks
Publisher, The Montgomery County Brief
Texas REALTOR® | Epique Realty LLC
Helping Montgomery County stay informed, connected and moving forward.
Published every Sunday by Jennifer Jelks
The Montgomery County Brief
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