Growth has not only come to the greater Katy-Fulshear area but will continue to come and to shape the future of local cities, three area mayors told attendees at the Katy Area Economic Development Council’s general assembly meeting on May 19.

State Representative District 132 Mike Schofield moderated a panel consisting of City of Katy Mayor Dusty Thiele, City of Fulshear Mayor Don McCoy and City of Pattison Mayor Daphney Kirby at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at 16435 Katy Freeway in Houston. The trio represent local cities in different stages of development as the Houston area marches to the west, Schofield said, with the City of Katy in a mature state of growth after dealing with years of expansion. The City of Fulshear is just now beginning to deal with that growth, while Pattison sees huge growth on the horizon, he said.

Schofield asked each mayor to list their top priorities at their current stage of growth. Thiele, who was first elected in 2022 after serving on many city boards, said that mobility and traffic control was number one, with the objective of getting people to and through the city efficiently. But the city of just 28,000 can’t do it alone but must work with other entities to solve mobility problems for the other 370,000 residents of the unincorporated Katy area, Thiele said. The Katy Development Authority is working on $34 million in mobility projects, he said.

McCoy, elected as mayor in 2024 and president of the Fulshear Regional Chamber for Commerce since its founding in 2013, said that Fulshear’s biggest priority right now is balancing growth with the quality of life. Fulshear has been named the fastest-growing city in America for the third year in a row, McCoy said, and that growth comes with challenges for mobility and infrastructure. “But quality of life is important and people are moving to Fulshear for a reason,” he said “But we gotta get the roads done.” The city is also working on improvements to the downtown area in order to create a pedestrian gathering place with a small-town feel.

Kirby, elected to serve the town of 700 in 2024 and re-elected for two more years, said that Pattison was looking at “responsible and intentional growth” with protection of the infrastructure especially mobility, and respect for the residents so that they understand why decisions are made and how those decisions will affect their lives. “What we want to do now is to plan wisely for future generations,” Kirby said. Waller is one of the fastest growing counties in America, Schofield said, where three subdivisions – by themselves – will soon double the county’s population.

Asked about the biggest challenge that residents are feeling because of the growth and the toughest challenge that goes with that, and the biggest decision being made today that will have the greatest long-term impact, Thiele said it is mobility and other infrastructure needs such as drainage. The road projects funded by the $34 million bond should be done by 2030, he said, and drainage projects which are “ongoing all over town.” Drainage is being addressed in conjunction with the road projects, Thiele said. Sewage is also a big problem and the city of Katy just approved a big $20 million sewer plant, he

said, to deal with sewage that is currently being hauled off. The decision that will have the greatest effect on the community will be the development of Texas Heritage Marketplace at I-10 and Pederson Road, Thiele said. The 44-acre shopping center will have major tenants including Lowe’s, Academy, Target, Sam’s and others along with restaurants. The sales tax revenue from development will assist economically, Thiele said. “We can’t exist just on property taxes,” he said.

McCoy said that the greatest challenges for the 200-year old city of Fulshear are the noticeable growth in traffic and the speed with which development is coming – to the dismay of some long-time residents who are seeing their wide-open spaces disappear almost overnight. New residents deserve amenities and services and “we still have many of those to put in,” McCoy said. The toughest challenge is to maintain the look and feel of Fulshear, he said. Roads and water systems and other infrastructure have to keep pace with “this outstanding growth,” he said. The city has a low tax rate, which is a challenge to fund needs such as increases in pay for the police department. The city is also focused on creating the right kind of growth and development – “not just Anytown USA,” but preserving Fulshear’s uniqueness, he said. The city is focused on maintaining a family-oriented connected community, McCoy said, with the redevelopment of downtown and the opening of a new park and the creation of new events for the community.

Kirby said that, for Pattison, the biggest challenge is the pace of development, with four new developments right around the city right now, posing challenges for wastewater management. There is also no city property tax in Pattison, she said, so funding for infrastructure will require creative solutions. “Pattison is a hidden gem,” Kirby said, “and people are looking to move and invest in places like Pattison.” Having the residents understand how and why decisions are made and how their lives will be impacted. Kirby and the city council are currently working on drainage thanks to a recent grant of $100,000, she said. Roads and utilities also need to be done, she said. “Relationships and communication matter,” she said. The city is shaping the growth while it still can, Kirby said, looking to focus on zoning. Kirby is also developing written policies and procedures as well as an operations manual for the city, she said. Pattison is also trying to preserve its small-town identity, she said.

Asked what was most exciting for their communities as they looked ahead and what they hoped never changed about their community, Kirby said it was “opportunity with purpose so that we can bring new amenities to our city,” adding that Pattison needs new businesses. The city is also budgeting for more community events, she said, and is trying to create a stronger financial future. She said that she wants to make the charming little town “more charmier.” Kirby said that she hopes “the heart of Pattison” never changes and that neighbors and community will still matter.

McCoy said, “Growth is happening, and it’s going to happen whether you like it or not. It’s coming. It’s here.” He said that he was excited about the opportunities in Fulshear – small businesses, future generations, families coming in which represent a “unity of culture.” The city is seeing “incredible investment in retail, restaurants and healthcare,” McCoy said. There will soon be five high schools serving the area – four in Lamar CISD and one in Katy ISD, he said. “Fulshear is becoming – and we want it to become – a destination city,” he said.

Thiele, reiterating that Texas Heritage Marketplace represents Katy’s biggest growth opportunity, said that he hopes the thing that never changes in Katy is its sense of community. “In Katy, we have community, pride and tradition,” Thiele said, much of which is tied to Katy High School and “Friday Night Lights.” He cited the success of the May 16 downtown event which drew over 7,000 people from all over the area to the historic downtown square.

Schofield then asked the mayors what lesson they had learned that other cities should pay attention to. McCoy said, “Growth is going to happen whether you like it or not – that’s the lesson.” Communication and partnerships with developers, schools, businesses, county leaders and state agencies were the things he has really learned, he said, as well as being transparent with residents. “Growth affects every single aspect of community life,” McCoy said.

Kirby said “communication and getting to know people” were important and that her goal this year was to bring the community together and to educate residents about the changes coming as a result of growth.

Thiele said the lesson he had learned was about “smart economic development” because public safety cannot be funded on property taxes alone. “Sales tax is where it’s at,” he said, noting that it funds city services.

Asked what they hoped residents would say ten years from now about decisions they got right, Thiele said he wanted to be remembered for smart economic development and partnerships to bring in more surface water to Katy, along with the new water recycling system to process wastewater. McCoy said in ten years, he hoped that Fulshear still represents “something different” and that he is working to establish a culture of “Chick Fil A” service within city departments and that the city will be “Buccee’s clean” and pristine. Transparency with residents is “priority one,” he said. Kirby said that she hoped that in ten years residents would say that the identity of Pattison was protected while the city still planned ahead with thoughtful decisions, such as the recent construction of the new city hall.

The KAEDC’s next meeting will be the June 26 Economic Outlook Summit sponsored in partnership with the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. The event will be held at the Merrell Center, 6301 S. Stadium Lane in Katy from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature Governor Greg Abbott as the keynote speaker, along with panels on transportation, water, the Toro District, energy and deveopment. For more information or to register, go to https://www.katyedc.org/about/calendar/p/event/38826/katy-area-economic-outlook-summit-june-26th.