CITY OF KATY (Covering Katy News)—After backing away from a proposal to eliminate term limits entirely, the Katy City Council voted Monday to ask voters to change the city charter to allow council members to double the time they can serve in office from six to 12 consecutive years.
The May 3 ballot measure, if approved by voters, would extend individual term limits from two consecutive three-year terms to four consecutive three-year terms. Prior service will count towards the four-term limit. The council rejected a similar proposal for the mayor which will remain two consecutive three-year terms.
The public vote will coincide with the mayor's race between incumbent Dusty Thiele and challenger Michael Anthony Payne. More candidates could still come forward. The filing deadline for the mayor's race is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14.
Council split on decision to send proposal to voters
The charter change proposal passed the council 3-2. Ward A Council Member Dan Smith, Council Member-at-Large and Mayor Pro Tem Chris Harris and Ward B Council Member Rory Robertson voted for the plan, while Ward A Council Member Janet Corte and Ward B Council Member Gina Hicks voted against it.
Concern over mass exodus of council members said to drive the proposal
Smith, who introduced the proposal, cited concerns about what he sees as an impending leadership vacuum, as all five council seats will turn over within a 12-month period in 2026-27.
"The community feedback on that was pretty overwhelming, and what I heard over and over again was along the lines of, we really like our council members, and we definitely don't want 100% forced turnover of council," Smith said.
Former mayors oppose extending term limits
After facing pushback on his initial proposal to eliminate term limits entirely, Smith crafted the new plan.
This proposal, and how it went to the council for discussion without first going through the city’s charter review commission, drew sharp criticism from Katy's former mayors. Hank Schmidt, Doyle Callender, Don Elder, and Chuck Brawner all spoke against extending terms at Monday's meeting. Former mayor Bill Hastings sent a letter opposing the proposal.
Mayor questions bypassing charter review process
While Mayor Dusty Thiele said the council could proceed as it did, he expressed concerns about the process because it bypassed the charter review commission.
"Having served on both the CPZ and CTB, I recognize the importance of boards reviewing and advising what comes before the council," Thiele said. "It is a system that has worked very well for the City of Katy."
Additional charter changes on May ballot
Three other proposed changes are on the ballot and were unanimously passed by the council.
One change would grant department heads the right to appeal if the mayor terminates him or her. If approved by voters a terminated department head could appeal to the city council and council members could overturn the mayor's decision to terminate. If approved, the charter change sets up the possibility of having a department head working for the mayor even though the mayor wants him or her fired.
Those who support the change say it gives department heads the same rights of appeal that rank-and-file employees have.
A second proposal would permit elected officials to remain in office while seeking another elected position, modifying the current requirement for immediate resignation.
A third proposal would allow the mayor pro tem to retain voting rights when acting in the mayor's absence, though without veto power.
History of term limit changes in Katy
The special election marks Katy's second major revision of term limits since 2017. In that year, voters did not change how long officials could serve—keeping the six-year maximum — but altered how terms were structured. The change replaced three two-year terms with two three-year terms, reducing the number of elections while maintaining the same length of service. Now, eight years later, voters will decide whether to extend that six-year limit to 12 years per position.
Charter Review Commission reports zero public attendance
The charter review commission, chaired by former Mayor Skip Conner, recommended no changes to the city's charter after holding several meetings since December.
"No one outside the community except the mayor, city staff and city attorney attended any of the meetings. No one," Conner said.