Spotlight On: John Escoto, Mayor, City of Shenandoah
March 2025 — In an interview with Invest:, Mayor John Escoto emphasized Shenandoah’s strategic location as a healthcare and business hub, with four major hospitals driving regional traffic. He highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects like the David Memorial Drive expansion to improve mobility and future growth opportunities in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
What makes Shenandoah an ideal location?
Shenandoah is a small city — just 2.5 square miles — but it sits right on the edge of The Woodlands and along I-45, making it a prime location. Within our city limits, we have the area’s major hospital, Memorial Hermann, along with two medical corridors that attract visitors from across the region. These corridors house independent specialists and satellite offices for hospitals, providing top-tier medical care. Additionally, within a 1.5-mile radius, we have three more major hospitals: Houston Methodist, St. Luke’s, and Texas Children’s. This concentration of healthcare facilities has made Shenandoah a medical hub, and we take great pride in providing some of the best medical services in the county.
Beyond healthcare, our business sector is strong. For such a small area, we have 13 hotels and 62 restaurants, bringing in a significant amount of regional traffic. Even though our official population is just under 4,000, on any given day, we may have up to 60,000 people in or passing through Shenandoah for business, dining, or medical visits. That makes us an essential part of the region’s economy.
Shenandoah was recently named a Tourism Friendly Texas-certified community. How are you leveraging that designation?
We want to capitalize on this recognition by ensuring people know Shenandoah is a destination. Whether visitors are coming for shopping, dining, lodging, or medical care, we want them to know they don’t have to travel far to find what they need. We’re emphasizing that we have it all right here. Additionally, we have built and dedicated a Veterans Memorial Park in Shenandoah. It has become an attraction for visitors, especially veterans, and we plan to feature it in advertisements promoting our city. Our goal is to step out of the shadows and make sure Shenandoah is seen as a premier place to visit.
How is the city working to enhance its appeal for tourism, new residents, and businesses?
One of the biggest advantages we offer residents is the lowest property tax rate in the county, thanks to strong sales tax revenue from our retail, restaurants, and hotels. That revenue allows us to invest in public amenities while keeping taxes low. For example, in just 2.5 square miles, we have four parks and a city pool, providing great recreational options. We regularly survey our residents, and they are satisfied with the amenities available to them.
What efforts are being made to improve public safety services?
Public safety is a top priority. We have our own police department with 28 officers dedicated to keeping the city safe. That strong security presence contributes to the high quality of life our residents enjoy. We consistently host events to support our law enforcement and first responders. Our relationships with surrounding law enforcement agencies, including the Sheriff’s Office and local police departments, are strong. In March, we’ll hold a safety expo where law enforcement, EMS units, and hospital representatives will come together at the stadium to engage with the public. This event showcases the resources available and reinforces the message that Shenandoah is a safe place to live and visit.
While we don’t have our own fire department, we contract with The Woodlands Fire Department, which has the highest possible rating. Their emergency response services ensure our residents and businesses are well-protected.
With changing demographics, how is Shenandoah adapting to meet the needs of different populations while maintaining its small-town feel?
Shenandoah just celebrated its 50th anniversary, and many of our original residents are now older. Interestingly, we’re seeing their children — who grew up here and moved away for education and careers — returning to raise their own families. Many are purchasing and renovating homes, leading to a natural revitalization of the community. Even though Shenandoah is surrounded by rapid regional growth, we’ve managed to preserve our small-town charm. Residents can walk the streets, visit parks, and feel safe, which is something we work hard to maintain.
How is the city addressing traffic concerns and infrastructure development?
Mobility is a big issue everywhere, but especially for us because The Woodlands is to our west and south. One of the main ways traffic moves out of The Woodlands borders and onto I-45 is through Shenandoah, so we must manage that carefully. We’re working with the Texas Department of Transportation to realign the intersection at Research Forest and I-45, adding lanes to help traffic flow more smoothly. On the east side of that intersection, we’re also expanding lanes to improve connectivity.
David Memorial Drive is another major project. We’re in the process of finishing the connection from Shenandoah’s city limits through the hospital area to I-45. Once that’s completed, it will provide much-needed relief for northbound traffic coming off I-45 and the feeder roads leading to SH-242.
What programs are in place to attract businesses and support workforce development?
We have a designated redevelopment zone that includes older hotels and commercial properties. To encourage redevelopment, we’re updating our building codes, which were written 14 years ago. Development trends have changed since then — structures are being built taller, for example — so we’re working to balance modern development with the needs of our residents.
We also support workforce development, particularly in healthcare. We have a nursing school at Vision Park that produces graduates who often find jobs in our hospitals. With strong employment opportunities in medical and business sectors, workforce availability is not a challenge for us.
What are your top priorities for the next two to three years?
While our city limits prevent significant expansion, our extraterritorial jurisdiction offers growth opportunities. We’re building a water plant for the neighboring community of Tamina. Once that infrastructure is in place, property values will rise, and development will follow, bringing additional traffic and business opportunities.
Within Shenandoah, growth will likely be vertical rather than outward, which is why updating our development codes is so important. Additionally, once David Memorial Drive is completed, we expect to see new interest in adjacent properties. While some of this growth will happen outside our city limits, it will directly impact Shenandoah, and we’ll need to prepare accordingly.
We’re optimistic about Shenandoah’s future. The city is growing, and we’re working hard to prepare for what’s ahead while maintaining the high quality of life our residents value.
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