HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Waller County Judge Trey Duhon told regional leaders Thursday that the county has moved beyond planning for future growth and must now focus on managing the growth already underway, warning that infrastructure investment will determine whether rapid expansion translates into lasting prosperity.
Duhon delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Waller County Economic Development Partnership Annual Infrastructure Conference, held April 16 at the Waller County Fairgrounds. The event brought together elected officials, engineers, developers, utility partners and public servants for panel discussions on energy, mobility and drainage — the three pillars county leaders say will define Waller County’s future as one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties.
“Waller County is not waiting for the future to arrive,” Duhon said. “We are preparing for it, we’re shaping it, and we’re working together to build it this year.”
Duhon noted that the county’s population grew from approximately 56,700 in 2020 to nearly 70,000 by 2025, adding that actual figures are likely higher. Waller County was recently recognized as the fastest-growing county in Texas and second fastest in the United States.
Mobility
Duhon identified mobility as the county’s most pressing infrastructure concern, pointing to an ongoing Brookshire-Pattison Mobility Study examining more than 29 miles of key corridors including FM 359, FM 362, FM 1488, FM 1489, Interstate 10 and U.S. 290.
Plans to widen FM 529 from the Grand Parkway to FM 362 — including four- to six-lane sections with shoulders, sidewalks and turn lanes — face funding timeline delays that Duhon called alarming.
“When they tell me how long it’s going to be before that road gets widened, and I know how that road actually is already right now, it can be very scary,” he said.
Duhon declared the debate over the proposed SH 36A north-south corridor effectively settled, saying residential growth in the middle of the county will soon produce majority demand for a facility connecting Interstate 10 to U.S. 290 — and keeping freight trucks off FM roads and away from school buses.
He said TxDOT is preparing to launch a public engagement phase on part of the environmental review, while the county is moving forward with hiring consultants to refine the route beyond what he called a “50,000-foot viewpoint” on a map. Duhon suggested that if built, SH 36A could become the region’s most important freight corridor given activity at the Port of Freeport.
Energy
Duhon said utility capacity concerns are already emerging and that relationships with partners such as CenterPoint Energy will be critical to sustaining growth.
“That’s why our relationship with our core partners like CenterPoint are going to be so important to make sure that we have the infrastructure there to support that growth and to support the businesses that will follow,” he said.
He highlighted the county’s rising commercial profile, saying companies from around the world are evaluating Waller County as a potential site for North American headquarters operations.
Drainage
Duhon said drainage must be treated as a core infrastructure value, not a secondary concern, recalling that his first term in office was consumed largely by emergency management following five major flood events, four of which reached FEMA disaster-declaration level.
“Prioritizing projects for long-term growth without drainage planning is all we’re doing is shifting the cost of flooding onto the families and the businesses and our local government,” he said.
He said the county’s master drainage plan must remain focused on flood risk analysis, mapping and identifying problem areas before growth compounds them further.
Growth, Limits and Responsibility
Duhon acknowledged that many residents are unhappy with the pace of growth but said county government has limited tools to control it, citing Texas’s strong private property rights framework and the absence of county zoning authority.
“People are going to expect and demand that we try to do whatever we can to make sure we keep a high quality of life,” he said, adding that preserving the county’s rural and agricultural heritage remains a priority.
He said coordination among county government, municipalities, utility districts, TxDOT, developers and the private sector will be essential, and that no single entity can solve the county’s infrastructure challenges alone.
Passing the Torch
Duhon, who is leaving office after 12 years, expressed confidence in incoming County Judge Justin Beckendorff, recounting the phone call he made immediately after learning of the county’s census ranking.
“I said, you’re going to be the judge of the fastest growing county in the state and number two in the United States. Good luck,” Duhon recalled, drawing laughter. “I knew when he hung up the phone, he’s going to be up staring at the ceiling all night.”
Duhon said the county reduced its property tax rate in 10 of his 12 years in office, including several years in which commissioners passed a no-new-revenue budget.
He closed by framing the county’s trajectory as a defining moment.
“The question before us is not whether Waller County will grow, but whether it will grow with intention, with foresight, and with the discipline to build for the future,” he said.