Tomball, Texas
City in the United States in Harris County
About Tomball
Tomball ( TOM-bawl, locally [ˈtʰɑmbɒʊ̯]) is a city in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, a part of the Houston metropolitan area. The population was 12,341 at the 2020 U.S. census. In 1907, the community of Peck was renamed Tomball for local congressman Thomas Henry Ball, who had a major role in the development of the Port of Houston.
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How Tomball is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
1 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Tomball
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
- Lori Klein Quinn per Wikidata
The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- ci.tomball.tx.us
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Population over time
From 10,753 in 2010 to 12,341 in 2020 (+14.8%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 12,341 |
| 2010 | 10,753 |
History
European settlement began in the Tomball area in the early 19th century, where newcomers found an open, fertile land that received adequate rainfall—perfect conditions for farming and raising cattle. It was on a land granted in 1838 to William Hurd's heirs. In 1906 the area began to boom. Railroad line engineers often noticed that the Tomball area was on the boundary between the low hills of Texas and the flat coastal plains of the Gulf, making it an ideal location for a train stop. The railroad could load more cargo on each car, because the topography gently sloped toward the Galveston ports and provided an easier downhill coast. Thomas Henry Ball, an attorney for the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad, convinced the railroad to run the line right through downtown Tomball. Soon after, people came in droves to this new train stop. Hotels, boarding houses, saloons, and mercantile stores all began to spring up in the area. At first, people called the area Peck, after a chief civil engineer of the railroad line. However, on December 2, 1907, the town was officially named Tom Ball, later to be shortened to one word, for Mr. Ball.
Tomball was the subject of considerable scandal during the 1914 Texas gubernatorial primary election; Thomas Ball, the town's namesake, ran as a Prohibitionist Democrat, but was defeated by the Constructionist Democrat James Ferguson. Some of Ferguson's supporters visited Tomball and found it to be a town littered with alcoholics; they brought back photos of Tomballians staggering out of at least four saloons. The Ferguson campaign publicized these pictures to show the supposed contradiction between the town's prohibitionist namesake and its decidedly non-prohibitionist behavior; Ball resigned from the race as a result and later stated, "If they had not named that town after me, I would have been the next governor of Texas."
Geophysical prospecting predicted the discovery of the Tomball Oil Field before the discovery well was drilled on 27 May 1933. Production was from the Cockfield Formation at a depth of about 5,000 feet (1,500 m). The discovery produced an oil boom with many oil companies subsequently showing interest in the area. By 1935, 2,750,000 barrels of oil had been produced from 200 wells. Humble Oil Company, struck a deal with the town through which they would provide water and natural gas free of charge to the residents in exchange for rights to drill on the land. This agreement lasted until 1988.
Tomball incorporated in 1933. Because of the 1933 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Tomball's territory into its city limits.
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