Chris Whittaker, Magnolia’s new city administrator, was appointed May 13 and brings more than a decade of city management experience from Rockdale and Angleton. Having led communities ranging from 5,000 to 20,000 residents, he said he sees Magnolia as being at a crossroads between small-town charm and rapid growth. In an interview with Community Impact, Whittaker shared his top priorities and vision for balancing modernization, infrastructure and community needs.
What are your top priorities as city administrator?
I think the top priorities are really modernization, dealing with growth and preserving what we have as far as our identity.
What made you decide to come to Magnolia?
My story actually goes back about six years. I was at Rockdale for five years doing the city management thing and decided it was time to move on because I wanted to be part of growth, be part of change. I actually interviewed in 2019 to be the city manager [of Magnolia], and I got accepted for the job, but decided it wasn’t for me and moved to Angleton. That was a blessing because Rockdale was my first city management job, and I didn’t have a lot of growth or development experience.
So I went and got that in Angleton and brought it back to Magnolia. In the past five or six years, this is Chris 2.0. I’m getting a better sense of what I need to do, having worked in a small town of 5,000 to Angleton, which is about 20,000. Now here I am in Magnolia, 5,000 going to be something like that, right? So how do I provide that leadership to take us from 5,000 to whatever that final number is?
How do you plan to balance Magnolia’s rapid residential and commercial growth with maintaining infrastructure capacity?
That’s a very difficult challenge right now. We’re under a development moratorium as our final infrastructure comes online to have that capacity to open the gates again. Folks have to realize we only control development inside the city. What happens outside the city limits—the state has made it very clear we don’t have a lot of say as a city.
We have to look at what the development is. Is it residential? Is it commercial? Is it industrial? What benefits do they bring to the city? Then how do we work that out? That’s what [public improvement districts] and [tax increment reinvestment zones] are for. We also have to think five to 10 years out: as developments come online, how do we maintain that infrastructure? Where do we put new buildings to support it? Those are the kinds of decisions we’re making.
What steps is the city taking to ensure long-term water and sewer reliability?
We’re creating a five-year and 10-year capital improvement program. Right now, we have our fiscal year 2025-26 budget, but that only covers through next October. What about year two, year three, year four? Do we need another water tower? Another water plant? Do we need to enlarge the sewer?
We’ll come back and brief the council with recommendations and a spending plan over the next five years. To fund that, we may need to increase water rates or go out for certificates of obligation. But as we grow, more people are paying into that, so the burden becomes less on residents.
How will you work with developers to align new projects with the city’s infrastructure planning?
Some development discussions focus on how projects plug into our infrastructure. For example, a developer might say they’ll put in a 12-inch water line. The city may pay to upgrade it to a larger line, which helps with future capacity. We do the same with roads, making sure improvements benefit not just one development but the community as a whole.
What role do you see transportation improvements playing in Magnolia’s future growth?
Everyone says we’re to blame, but I’m going to say it’s [Texas Department of Transportation]—specifically the [FM] 1488 construction. People ask us when it’s getting done, but we’re on the peripheral of that.
As a city, we need to think about how we can help. For example, Commerce Street is an older road. What if we improved it with curb and gutter, widened it, and added sidewalks? That would not only serve development in the area but also provide an alternate route during busy times. We have to think about projects like that where the city can help be part of the solution for traffic.
How will you address concerns from residents about the pace of development?
We’ve had council meetings where the room was packed—65 people seated and another 10-15 standing. We had 20 people speak for three minutes each. We have to listen to people, and sometimes they have great ideas we haven’t thought about.
There are things we can affect, like code enforcement or potholes, and things we can’t, like TxDOT projects. We just have to have strategic patience, communicate what we can control and take action where possible.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
We’re trying to take ourselves to the next level in professionalism. For example, we’re giving tablets to Public Works employees so they can receive work orders, take photos and send updates without paper. We’re also integrating technology, which allows us to monitor water towers and wastewater plants remotely. That makes us more efficient and responsive as a city.
