For residents of Katy, Fulshear and the surrounding communities, knowing which government office handles a particular problem can save time and help residents make their voices heard.
Local government affects many of the issues people encounter every day — roads, drainage, development, police services, parks, permits, utilities, code enforcement, public safety and neighborhood growth. But not every issue is handled by the same government.
One of the most important things to understand is that the greater Katy area is not governed by a single local government. The City of Katy, City of Fulshear, Harris County, Fort Bend County, Waller County and local school districts all have different responsibilities.
City of Katy
The Katy City Hall at 901 Avenue C is the central location for the City of Katy’s municipal government. The city provides services including planning, permits and building, code enforcement, parks and recreation, public works, police, animal control, municipal court and utility billing.
Residents should generally contact the City of Katy when an issue is located inside the incorporated city limits of Katy and involves a city service or city ordinance.
For example:
- Building permits, inspections and construction questions — contact Permit & Building Services.
- Zoning, development and planning questions — contact Planning.
- Potholes, drainage concerns involving city infrastructure or other municipal infrastructure issues — contact Public Works.
- Property-maintenance or ordinance violations — contact Code Enforcement.
- Police matters inside Katy city limits — contact the Katy Police Department.
- Animal-related issues handled by the city — contact Animal Control.
- Parks, recreation facilities and city programs — contact Parks & Recreation.
- City utility billing, trash and recycling questions — contact Utility Billing.
- Municipal tickets and Class C municipal matters — contact the Katy Municipal Court.
The city’s main telephone number is 281-391-4800.
Who leads the City of Katy?
As of September 2026, the City of Katy’s elected leadership includes Mayor William H. “Dusty” Thiele and a City Council consisting of one at-large councilmember and four ward councilmembers. The city identifies Paul Follis as the current At-Large councilmember, Johnston Dietz and Paula Taylor as Ward A representatives, and Michael Meihls and Gina Hicks as Ward B representatives. Gina Hicks is serving as Mayor Pro Tem.
The mayor and council make decisions concerning city ordinances, budgets, municipal policies, development matters and other responsibilities established by the city’s charter and state law.
Residents who want to influence a city issue can contact their council representative, the mayor’s office or the appropriate city department. Residents can also attend City Council meetings and participate in the public-government process.
What about political parties in Katy?
Katy’s municipal offices are generally nonpartisan.
Under Texas Election Code Section 143.002, candidates for city office generally appear on the ballot without a political-party designation. Texas law does allow a home-rule city charter to authorize partisan municipal elections, but the general rule is that city candidates appear without a party affiliation on the ballot.
That means readers should not assume that a Katy mayor or councilmember is officially representing the Republican Party, Democratic Party or another political party simply because the individual may personally have a political affiliation.
For a local-news publication, it is more accurate to identify the officeholder’s documented political affiliation separately, when that information is publicly established, rather than placing a party label next to the person’s city office as though the city election itself were a partisan election.
City of Fulshear
The City of Fulshear is a separate municipal government from the City of Katy.
The City of Fulshear City Hall, also called the Fulshear Municipal Complex, is located at 6611 W. Cross Creek Bend Lane.
Fulshear’s municipal government handles city services including planning, code enforcement, public works, utilities, police, municipal court, emergency management and economic development.
Residents should contact Fulshear city government for matters such as:
- Development and construction within Fulshear city limits.
- Planning and zoning questions.
- City streets and infrastructure.
- Code-enforcement concerns.
- City utilities.
- Parks and city facilities.
- Municipal ordinances.
- Fulshear Police Department matters.
- Municipal court matters.
- City economic-development questions.
For emergencies, residents should call 911. For non-emergency police matters, the city lists 281-346-2202.
The Fulshear Police Department provides municipal law-enforcement services for the city.
Who leads Fulshear?
As of September 2026, Don McCoy is Mayor of Fulshear. The City Council includes Mayor Pro Tem and District 1 Councilmember Sarah B. Johnson; At-Large Councilmembers Camron K. Miller and Kimberly Bow; District 2 Councilmember Abhijeet “Abhi” Utturkar; District 3 Councilmember Omar Peña; District 4 Councilmember Richard Russell; and District 5 Councilmember Randy Connor.
Fulshear’s council meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m., with meetings held at the Municipal Complex unless the city calendar indicates otherwise. Meetings are open to the public.
Fulshear recently changed its council district boundaries following a redistricting process. The city says the new boundaries were adopted in September 2025 in response to population growth, with all five council districts updated.
What political parties are represented in Fulshear?
Like other Texas municipal elections, Fulshear city offices generally operate on a nonpartisan basis unless the city’s governing documents provide otherwise. Texas law generally requires city candidates to appear on the ballot without a party designation.
Therefore, residents should distinguish between a candidate’s personal political affiliation and the official status of the municipal office.
This is particularly important when reading local political coverage. A person may have a documented Republican, Democratic or other political affiliation while running for a municipal office that is officially nonpartisan.
When should you contact your city councilmember?
Residents should consider contacting their councilmember when an issue involves city policy or requires attention from elected city leadership rather than simply a city department.
Examples include:
- Concerns about proposed development.
- Major road, drainage or infrastructure projects.
- City budget questions.
- Proposed ordinances.
- Changes to city regulations.
- Public-safety policy.
- Neighborhood development.
- Parks and quality-of-life projects.
- Concerns about how the city is handling a recurring problem.
- An issue appearing on a City Council agenda.
For a routine service request, however, contacting the appropriate city department first will generally be more efficient.
When should you contact the county?
This is where many residents become confused.
Living in the greater Katy or Fulshear area does not necessarily mean that a problem belongs to the City of Katy or City of Fulshear.
Some neighborhoods commonly identified with the Katy or Fulshear area are outside municipal boundaries. In those areas, county government may have jurisdiction over certain roads, law enforcement, development or other services.
For example, Fort Bend County government has responsibilities separate from the City of Fulshear. Residents in unincorporated portions of Fort Bend County may need to contact county officials rather than Fulshear City Hall.
Similarly, portions of the greater Katy area fall within Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties.
Before contacting an elected official, residents should determine whether their property is actually inside the city limits and which county and precinct they are located in.
A simple guide to who to call
If the problem involves a city service, start with the appropriate city department.
If the problem involves city policy, ordinances, major development or a matter before City Council, contact your city councilmember or mayor.
If the problem involves county roads, county government, the county sheriff or another county service, contact the appropriate county department or county elected official.
If the problem involves public schools, contact the appropriate school district rather than the city.
If the matter involves state highways, state law or a state agency, the appropriate state representative, senator or state agency may be the correct contact.
If the issue is an emergency or an immediate threat to life or property, call 911 rather than waiting for an elected official.
Why knowing your jurisdiction matters
One of the biggest challenges in the Katy-Fulshear region is that community names do not always correspond to government boundaries.
A person may have a Katy mailing address but live outside the City of Katy. A resident may identify their neighborhood with Fulshear but live outside Fulshear city limits. Different roads, police agencies, utility providers and elected officials can therefore have jurisdiction over different parts of the same broader community.
Understanding those boundaries helps residents get answers faster and ensures that concerns are directed to the government agency with the legal authority to address them.
Local government is more than election season
Local government decisions can affect residents every day, even when there is no election.
City councils vote on ordinances, budgets, development issues and municipal policies. City departments administer those policies. County governments provide services within their jurisdictions. School boards govern public education. State officials handle matters outside local authority.
Residents can participate by contacting the appropriate office, attending public meetings, reviewing agendas and minutes, submitting public comments when permitted, and learning which elected official represents their address.
Local government works most effectively when residents know who has jurisdiction over an issue and communicate with the appropriate office.
Official government resources
City of Katy: City of Katy official website
City of Fulshear: City of Fulshear official website
Texas Secretary of State — Local Elections: Texas Secretary of State local election information
For the most current information, residents should verify an official’s office, district and contact information through the applicable government website because elected offices and district boundaries can change.
