Fulshear mayor outlines growth, infrastructure and fiscal priorities in State of the City

Mayor (name not stated) delivered Fulshear’s annual State of the City address at a special session on March 18, 2025, framing rapid population growth as both opportunity and challenge and announcing steps the city is taking on legislative advocacy, infrastructure and municipal services.

The mayor said Fulshear is “one of the fastest growing cities in Texas,” and told residents the city has hired a lobbyist and set legislative priorities to protect local control. He said the city has met with state lawmakers and staff, including Representative Gary Gates, Senator Joan Huffman’s office, and Representative Matt Morgan, to discuss local concerns and a TxDOT matter identified by project number “1463.”

The address outlined specific near-term public works and utility milestones. The mayor said water plant No. 1 will be fully operational by April, adding 1,000,000 gallons of storage and four booster pumps, and that the Pecan Knoll elevated storage tank is being filled and tested with an expected online date before summer. The ongoing digital water meter swap is described as “more than halfway complete”; the mayor said the program will move city meters to a cloud-based reading system. He said a water and wastewater master plan — prepared with Freese and Nichols — will be presented to council for adoption in April.

On transportation and state coordination, the mayor said meetings with TxDOT staff followed outreach to state lawmakers and that TxDOT will provide regular communications about project status. “We have a system where we will be consistently communicated with from TxDOT where we are on the project,” he said, adding that the work will be “a little tougher until we get it done.”

Fiscal and operational items included an update on the city’s finances and public-facing services. The mayor said Fulshear maintains a low property tax rate (about $0.16 per $100 valuation) and has earned budget awards for transparency and financial management. He described a shift to one-on-one live customer service for City Hall phone calls and promoted the city’s online transparency tools, including a GIS hub and a new “Fulshear Academy for Civic Training and Service” (FACS) class for residents.

The mayor listed development projects under active review or construction: H-E-B near Jordan Road, Fulshear Junction (expected to start construction later this year), and an LCISD school complex north on FM 359. He emphasized that no final commitments had been made for entertainment-center proposals circulating online and that council and staff will perform fiscal- and infrastructure-impact analyses before decisions are made.

Parks and recreation projects noted include Phase 2 work at Primrose Park (lighting, restrooms, vending, ball fields and an amphitheater), and Eagle Landing Park, with athletic fields managed by HTX Sports Association and an estimated completion in May. Downtown improvements are under way on Harris Street to widen the main downtown corridor and improve walkability; the city also received TxDOT approval to apply selected artwork to traffic-control boxes and plans a downtown mural.

On public safety, the mayor said the police department had improved average response time from 5.8 seconds to 4.6 seconds and that the department remains short about eight officers. He said the city is pursuing new recruitment approaches, including academy outreach and sign-on incentives, and highlighted community programs such as the Citizens Police Academy and rookie driver training.

The mayor recognized a local volunteer, resident Rick Crew, for regularly collecting trash in neighborhoods and invited the community to the Keep Fulshear Beautiful volunteer event on April 5.

The special session concluded with a procedural motion to adjourn. Council member Poole moved to adjourn; Council member Christina Baron seconded. The motion carried after a verbal “Aye” call.

Why it matters: The address consolidated many operational updates and confirmed the city’s priorities as growth-driven planning, utility capacity upgrades before peak demand, and active state-level advocacy to protect local regulatory authority. Several projects named require coordination with outside entities (TxDOT, Fort Bend County, LCISD), meaning timelines and final outcomes remain contingent on those partners.

Looking ahead: The council will consider the water and wastewater master plan in April, continue coordination with TxDOT on project 1463, and proceed with planned park and downtown construction and the water meter replacement program. Residents were urged to consult fulsheartexas.gov for project timelines and to participate in public meetings and volunteer events.