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Tomball EDC seeks new marketing and project-management staff as it advances Legacy Square and local incentives
Summary
The Tomball Economic Development Corporation asked the council to approve an $80,000 budget amendment to add a project manager and a marketing & communications manager (net +1 position) while pursuing grants and an approved $70,500 primary jobs incentive for SMS Precision Tech.
Kelly, speaking for the Tomball EDC, told the council the EDC is scaling up to support business retention, workforce development and several strategic projects including Tomball Legacy Square.
"We're we're we're we're flailing," Kelly said, describing current staffing limits and the need to bring marketing functions in house to reduce consultant fees. The EDC proposed a staff realignment that eliminates an administrative assistant, promotes a coordinator to project manager, and adds a marketing and communications manager, resulting in a net increase of one position.
From a financial standpoint Kelly said the partial-year impact in fiscal 2026 is estimated at about $80,000 for salary and benefits, rising to approximately $160,000 in a full year. She told council the EDC expects to save roughly $20,000–$40,000 annually by reducing external professional services.
The EDC report also described program activity: 47 businesses enrolled in the summer youth employment program this year (up from 19 last year) with 92 internship positions, and recent site tours with Theater Under the Stars, Pearl Fincher and Harris County Precinct 3 to explore programming partnerships at the former First Baptist campus.
Tiffany, presenting a related item, described a primary jobs grant for SMS Precision Tech LLC to relocate to Johnson Road, build a roughly 19,980-square-foot facility and create 47 primary jobs with an estimated capital investment of about $2 million. The proposed incentive is $70,500 (calculated at $1,500 per job). Council approved that incentive on a recorded 5–0 vote.
Council members probed hiring timing and pay ranges; the marketing manager role was described in the meeting as having an approximate range of $85,000–$100,000, the revised coordinator range as roughly $60,000–$75,000, and the promotion (coordinator to project manager) as a modest increase (about $5,000 from current pay). Kelly said the TEDC used recent compensation benchmarking (participation in the city study and a 2023 compensation study) when developing ranges.
The council approved the TEDC $80,000 amendment on a recorded 5–0 vote. The TEDC will return to the board and proceed with recruitment and the planned legacy programming that includes a week-long National Youth Theatre event in June.
