Tomball Trust

08/06/2026

Next Tuesday evening, the Tomball Economic Development Corporation board takes up a nearly $20 million spending plan — and a lot more.

The TEDC Board of Directors meets Tuesday, August 11 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The headline is the FY2026-27 budget: about $19.9 million in proposed spending against $7.8 million in revenue, drawing reserves down roughly $12 million in a single year. This is a public hearing before a possible vote late in the meeting.

Before that vote, a budget workshop is where the details get aired — including a $250,000 whole-town mobility and trolley feasibility study tied to an H-GAC grant, a new $250,000 rental incentive, and $2 million for Tomball Legacy Square, the old First Baptist Church redevelopment.

Also on the agenda: a possible move to add two members — including a Colliers real-estate executive — to the board committee steering that redevelopment, and a separate, open-ended item on appointing or removing citizens from the Legacy Square Advisory Committee.

Rounding it out: an update on the $260,000 Summer Youth Employment Program, and a vote on out-of-state staff travel to conferences in Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.

-TT

08/05/2026

Five hours, two boards, and the budget hearing everyone was waiting for — here's what happened when Tomball City Council and the TEDC board met jointly Monday (Aug. 3).

The budget landed. Council held the public hearing on the FY2026-27 city budget and passed it on first reading, 5-0. The tax rate stays flat at $0.340940, below the voter-approval rate, even as certified taxable value hit $4.145 billion. Final votes are set for Aug. 17 and Sept. 8.

The Roadstar variance died. Council rejected an alcohol-sales variance for a gas station at 22623 Hufsmith-Kohrville Rd., 2-3. Council Member Lisa Covington said she'd re-listened to the recordings that day: "I am voting no because he lied to us," pointing to the applicant's earlier assurances he wasn't building a gas station.

Legacy Square placeholder got cheaper. Following July's parking talks, TEDC and council walked the numbers together, and council directed staff to cut an $8 million planning placeholder to about $1.5 million total. A parking study pegged a downtown deficit of roughly 600 stalls; residents on nearby streets pushed back on a large lot and drainage. No vote — still being shaped.

D.R. Horton pitched up to about 300 single-family and multifamily units on Agg Road, with developer-funded drainage and road widening and homes starting near $300K. Presentation only.

Police Chief Jeffrey Bert said farewell after six years, leaving for a post at Sam Houston State. He honored Ofc. David Galindo for the department's new drone program and Ofc. John Willard for a mental-health effort that helped house about 20 people.

Amid a transit-study debate, Mayor Lori Klein Quinn ad-libbed, "Water, roads, gas, and commodes. That's what the city builds, though" — prompting the city manager to tease, "she's a poet and didn't even know it."

Also: Stage 2 water restrictions start Tuesday — odd addresses water Wed/Sat, even Thu/Sun — and Jeremy Griffin was confirmed as Community Development Director.

-TT

07/30/2026

Monday, Aug. 3 is a big one at City Hall — two boards, two sessions, and your tax bill in the mix. 🏛️

Tomball City Council and the Tomball Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) board meet jointly starting at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 401 Market St., then recess and reconvene at 6 p.m.

At the 4 p.m. workshop:

📊 A first look at Phase I of the Old Town Parking & Mobility Study, tied to the Legacy Square redevelopment — presentation only, no action.

💰 A joint workshop on TEDC's draft FY2027 budget: about $25.8M in spending, including $8M for Legacy Square, with reserves drawn down from roughly $26.2M to $8M. No vote yet — that's set for Aug. 17.

When the bodies reconvene at 6 p.m.:

🏘️ Discussion of a possible DR Horton single-/multi-family development along Agg Road — talk only, no action.

📈 TEDC's 2025–2026 annual report: $117.4M in committed private investment and 1,008 jobs claimed.

🗺️ A vote on TEDC's three-year "Made in Tomball" strategic plan.

🍺 A decision on allowing alcohol sales at 22623 Hufsmith-Kohrville Rd, near a Tomball ISD campus.

🏠 The FY2026-27 city budget is noticed for a public hearing and first-reading vote. The rate stays flat at $0.340940, but rising values push the typical bill from about $1,174 to $1,244 — roughly $70 more. Council also sets tax-rate vote dates for Aug. 17 and Sept. 8.

That's the budget we've tracked through two July workshops, now reaching its formal hearing.

07/29/2026

Monday, Aug. 3, Tomball City Council meets at 4 p.m. — reconvening at 6 p.m. — at City Hall. 🏛️

💰 Your budget hearing is here. The one we flagged is up for its public hearing and first-reading vote. The tax rate stays flat at $0.340940, but rising home values push the typical bill from about $1,174 to $1,244 (~6%).

🏘️ DR Horton eyes Agg Road. Council will discuss a possible single- and multi-family development — discussion only, no vote yet.

🍺 A convenience store wants to sell beer/wine at 22623 Hufsmith-Kohrville Rd, within 300 feet of a Tomball ISD campus. The district says it has "no objection." Council will approve or deny.

07/24/2026

No votes Wednesday — but your wallet was in the room. 💰

Council spent the afternoon in its second FY2026–27 budget workshop and gave staff informal direction on a few adds:

🎪 $100,000 in city money toward the Collins-Strong Family Project pavilion — the same project the EDC backed with $300K last week, alongside $1.6M from the state.

🌳 $270,000 to finish the Cherry Street pocket park this fiscal year.

🏛️ Looking further out: a proposed municipal safety complex and new city hall, pegged at $70M–$92.6M, is headed toward a future bond election — meaning your vote. Construction is targeted around FY2033.

None of it is final.

Send a message to learn more

07/23/2026

Case closed! 🤨

Update regarding the property at 110 N. Walnut Street.

The City appreciates Mr. Mitchell Holderrieth, property owner of 110 N. Walnut Street, for his cooperation, commitment and professionalism throughout the process of evaluating the discovery of headstones on his property. He engaged a professional archaeologist and funded an independent investigation to determine whether a historic cemetery existed on the site.

The independent investigation included a review of historical records, government documents, maps, death records, and the physical evidence found at the site.

The investigation found no evidence that a cemetery ever existed on the property. The report concluded that the headstones found at the site are not associated with burials there. Instead, the evidence indicates they were likely rejected or discarded headstones that were repurposed as construction material many years ago.

Residents may notice fencing being removed from the property in the coming days. This work is consistent with the findings of the investigation and should not be interpreted as the removal or disturbance of a cemetery.

The City appreciates the community’s interest and hopes this information provides clarity regarding the findings of the independent investigation. The City thanks Mr. Holderrieth for his willingness to work collaboratively with the City and the community throughout this process.

07/22/2026

Big money, big land fights, and a health-center plea. 🏛️ Here's what your Tomball City Council did Monday (July 20).

💧 A flat tax rate — but $33M in new debt. The city plans to borrow up to $33 million to finish two water wells, the wastewater plant, and a new gravity line to kill the FM 2920 lift station. The tax rate stays put at $0.340940. Still, with home values up, the typical tax bill rises from about $1,174 to $1,244.

🏢 Those 48 apartments on FM 2920? Not so fast — again. After P&Z's 4–0 denial, Council took no action and sent the multifamily rezoning back to Planning & Zoning. "No more multi-families" remains the resident mantra.

🏥 A resident urged the city to explore saving the Texas Sports Medicine Center, alleging HCA is cutting hours and staff.

🗓️ The next workshop is July 22 at 2 p.m., and a public hearing Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

07/21/2026

Big turnout, big pushback at City Hall. 🌳

Nearly two dozen neighbors packed last Tuesday's Tomball Economic Development Corporation meeting to oppose the proposed Legacy Square music venue and a ~300-space parking lot behind homes on Epps, North Oak, and Pecan streets. Their worries: century-old oaks, traffic, flooding, headlights and noise.

They may have been heard. A board member said the venue's 1,000-seat plan "more likely will drop" — with ~750 floated as the "sweet spot" — and promised to make any change public. 🎭

No votes were taken on the parking plan. It's still being studied, and the TEDC will talk parking with City Council on Aug. 3.

Also on the table: a $300K request toward a Collins Strong memorial pavilion at the depot, backed by $1.6M in state funds.

-TT

07/16/2026

📣 Heart of Tomball Alliance Marketing Grant

We did some digging on the topic and here's a rundown.

At its May 4 meeting, Tomball City Council gave first-reading approval to a $53,147 marketing grant for the Heart of Tomball Alliance, funded through the Tomball Economic Development Corporation. The TEDC board had approved the request in back in April.

The grant supports downtown programming and marketing across seven annual events. The breakdown:
• Marketing and advertising (7 events, plus ad management): ~$22,900
• Event materials — decor, signage, supplies: $14,000
• Website design, development, hosting: $9,997
• Circulator shuttle service for 5 events: $6,250

It's a performance-based grant, meaning the Alliance covers costs up front and requests reimbursement as each event or expense occurs.

A key point of discussion during the meeting: who benefits. The Alliance is a 39-member organization, and the funded events and marketing are built around its members. But the events are open to the public, and businesses outside the group benefit from the added foot traffic downtown. Council members emphasized that coverage should span all of Old Town — not just a select few — and confirmed the shuttle route and marketing reach across the full district, including members located outside the historic core.

Membership is open to any brick-and-mortar business in Tomball ($350/year), with no restrictions on who can join. There is no requirement that the funds serve every Tomball business equally — the grant supports Alliance events and members directly, with the broader downtown benefiting from increased visitors and activity.

Send a message to learn more

07/15/2026

Tomball's zoning board just told a 48-unit apartment complex: not here. 🏢

The Planning & Zoning Commission voted 0-4 Monday to recommend denying a multifamily Planned Development at 15226 FM 2920. Commissioners said the 2025 comprehensive plan calls for single-family and "missing middle" homes — not three-story apartments — and flagged traffic, the coming FM 2920 expansion, and "one way in, one way out."

It's not over, though: the case heads to City Council for a first reading Monday, July 20. That's the same night as the FM 2920 annexation hearing we told you about — set for 6 p.m. at City Hall, 401 Market St. A big night for how our city grows. 📍