WALLER COUNTY, TX (Covering Katy News) – Waller County Judge Trey Duhon delivered his State of the County Address in an airplane hangar at the Houston Executive Airport on Thursday. The venue was a fitting symbol of the economic jet engine blasting the county into a new realm.
Duhon revealed that Waller County's net taxable property value grew 25 percent to $ 8.6 billion, $2.2 billion more than the previous year.
With higher taxable values, the Commissioner's Court decreased the tax rate to what Duhon says is the lowest since the 1980s.
Commissioners court recently adopted a $65.5 million budget.
"The county has more than 360 employees. The new budget funds 25 new positions, 12 of which will work in the Sheriff's Office.
"Without safety and security, there is no quality of life," Duhon said.
The Commissioner's Court approved a salary survey to ensure the county is competitive. The survey resulted in a 5 percent cost-of-living increase for all county employees.
Waller County also received approval from the Legislature to create a new County Court of Law. The new court will cost $537,27 per year to operate and will help with the caseload of a growing county. Former District Attorney Elton Mathis has been appointed judge of the court.
"We're still backlogged from COVID, so he will help us dig out," Duhon said.
Duhon and the Commissioner's Court want to keep economic development coming and are adding $150,000 to the 2024 Waller County Economic Development Partnership budget.
"Growth is coming in huge waves," the judge said.
The Waller County EDP focuses on attracting companies that will share the tax burden with residential homeowners while bringing high-paying jobs to the county. The EDP is also working to ensure Waller County has a skilled workforce to fill the advanced manufacturing jobs it has attracted.
The EDP is working to bring Texas State Technical College to Waller County.
"We are very close to making that a reality," said Waller County EDP Executive Director Vince Yokom. "In the past 12 months, the Waller County EDP says it pursued 30 leads and closed 10 percent of them."
"Their job is to bring economic development to the county, and they are doing a fantastic job—especially when you look at the quality of the projects they bring in and the type of community partners we now have in Waller County," Duhon said.
On Tuesday, Waller County voters passed a $258 million mobility bond, allowing the county to keep up with its rapid growth. Duhon admits being "floored" by the support for the bond, which voters passed by a two-to-one margin.
"This is a huge step for Waller County," Duhon said.
See the list of mobility projects
The county is also replacing its courthouse, the center of county government. Inflation pushed construction costs to $43 million, but Duhon says the project will continue.
"Fortunately, because we are always fiscally conservative in this county, we had reserves on hand that we could bring to bear," Duhon said.
Waller County
A rendering of the soon to be built Waller County Courthouse.
The county purchased a new building to house employees during the two-year construction process. Almost all employees have moved to the new annex, the former Julio's Mexican Restaurant building at 425 FM 1488 in Hempstead.
Duhon showed a video rendering of the new courthouse and discussed its design.
"We are trying to incorporate some of the design elements from the original building, which was built in 1880 and preceded the current courthouse," the judge said.
Demolition of the current building begins in early 2024, and the new building will open in July 2025.
"It's about staying up with the growth,” Duhon said.