Township Statement Still Does not Answer Questions Taxpayers Deserve Answered
August 21st, 2026
The Woodlands Township’s latest statement does not resolve the controversy surrounding mounted patrol. It confirms the reason residents and employees are concerned: the Board moved funding toward a governmental alternative before releasing the complete MCSO proposal, producing an apples-to-apples cost comparison or allowing Alpha & Omega to respond.
No, A&O is not “entitled” to taxpayer money. But taxpayers are entitled to the truth, complete numbers and a transparent process before government displaces a proven local employer and places 35 private-sector jobs at risk.
Calling A&O a “courtesy patrol” is demeaning and inaccurate. A&O is a Texas-licensed professional security company. For more than 31 years, its trained mounted troopers have deterred crime, protected scenes, intervened in incidents, detained individuals when legally justified, documented offenses, assisted businesses and worked alongside law enforcement.
A&O troopers are not peace officers, and we have never represented otherwise. But the Township’s blanket assertion that they cannot detain anyone, make any arrest or take any security action is not an accurate description of Texas law or A&O’s actual operations.
The claim that A&O can only call 911 (tel:911) is equally misleading. A&O carried a direct MCSO radio until COVID-era operational changes and can restore that capability. Our troopers currently communicate directly with deputies, property security and supervisors when circumstances require it.
The Township historically directed A&O to provide unarmed mounted patrol. A&O is a Class B-licensed security company capable of supplying properly commissioned, trained and insured armed security officers if requested. The Township never told A&O that its existing service was inadequate, never asked A&O to propose an enhanced model and never disclosed that a competing governmental alternative was being developed.
The Township cannot fault A&O’s May proposal for continuing the existing model when that was the model the Township requested and funded for decades. If the Township wanted a different service, it had an obligation to give its longstanding provider an opportunity to propose one before suggesting publicly that only government could deliver it.
Chairman Bailey’s reference to “political rhetoric” does not answer a single financial or operational question.
Where is the complete MCSO proposal?
Where is the calculation supporting the claimed savings?
Does that calculation include compensation, benefits, retirement, supervision, dispatch, administration, facilities, horses, veterinary care, vehicles, trailers, equipment, insurance, relief staffing, startup costs and future replacement costs?
How will six horses and seven personnel reliably provide approximately 400 mounted hours every week while allowing for days off, leave, training, illness, injuries, veterinary care, lost shoes, transportation, equipment failures and special events?
The Township says those are operational matters for the Sheriff’s Office. That answer is unacceptable. Once the Township proposes spending taxpayer money on the operation, its cost, feasibility, staffing and readiness become the Board’s responsibility.
Thirty-five jobs are not political rhetoric. They are 35 people with families, obligations and lives built around serving The Woodlands. Thirty-two of those employees live in Montgomery County. Many have spent years working with horses that are not simply equipment, but trusted partners known by generations of local families.
The Township now acknowledges that no agreement with MCSO has been approved and that a proposed agreement must return at a future public meeting. That means there is still time to do this correctly.
Before selecting a provider for 2027, the Township should:
Release the complete MCSO proposal and all supporting cost calculations.
Correct its inaccurate characterization of A&O’s authority and operations.
Allow A&O to submit a directly comparable enhanced-service alternative.
Conduct a public, apples-to-apples comparison of cost, capability, staffing, risk and operational readiness.
“We are not demanding a contract,” said Frank P. Keller, founder, president and CEO of Alpha & Omega Services. “We are demanding an honest process. If MCSO truly provides better service at a lower total cost, the complete public record should prove it. But government should not eliminate 35 private-sector jobs based on numbers the affected company, the employees and the taxpayers have never been allowed to see.”
A decision of this magnitude should survive public scrutiny.
So far, the underlying proposal has not seen the light of day.
