Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan delivered her State of the City address to a group of community and business leaders Feb. 7 at a Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
In the address, Fagan described Tomball as a growing city that is making positive strides in a number of areas. She highlighted ways the city grew in 2013, the many projects that either started or finished in 2013, as well as what 2014 holds for Tomball.
Tomball experienced an increase in sales tax revenue from $11.1 million in 2012 to $12.6 million in 2013, Fagan said.
"That number does not include the December shopping months, so it will go up more," she said.
Along with an increase in sales tax revenues, there was also a significant rise in the number of new housing permits from 30 in 2012 to 76 in 2013, as well as the construction of a number of new subdivisions. Fagan also discussed projects designed to revitalize the city that were either completed or underway, such as the redevelopment of the Four Corners Shopping center, the groundbreaking on the Hwy. 249 tollway, the opening of a VA clinic, the addition of restrooms at the Depot and the construction of sidewalks in the Tomball Medical Complex.
In 2014, Fagan said the city will see ground break on the Tomball Business and Technology Park and the opening of the Baker Hughes Western Hemisphere Education Center, which is expected to bring roughly $7.8 million to the city. Road projects such as adding a stoplight at the Hufsmith-Kohrville Road and Holderrieth Road intersection, the completion of a segment of the Medical Complex Drive extension and adding sidewalks to the 200-400 blocks in downtown Tomball are expected to begin in 2014, she said.
"2014 is going to be a pretty big year for Tomball," Fagan said.