CITY OF KATY (Covering Katy News)—Seven former Katy mayors issued a statement Monday opposing the five proposed city charter amendments on the May 3 municipal election ballot.
A city charter is the foundational legal document that establishes the framework for how a municipal government operates, similar to a constitution for a city.
Distinguished Local Leadership Voices Concerns
The former mayors are Skip Conner (1991–95), Hank Schmidt (1995–2001), Doyle Callender (2001–07), Don Elder, Jr. (2007–13), Fabol Hughes (2013–17), Chuck Brawner (2017–19), and Bill Hastings (2019–22). Hastings also served as police chief from 2009–19.
"Our beloved city has grown enormously and prospered financially over the past four decades and for a quarter of a century managed that growth with a very effective 'city administrator' form of government under the direction of the mayor who has had the management job of making sure that city departments are operated efficiently," the statement said. "We are not personalizing this, but the notion of increasing the power by doubling the term limits of individual council members (only one of which is elected citywide) while weakening the mayor's management authority is potentially a devastating idea that could harm day-to-day management."
Process Concerns: Charter Review Commission Bypassed
The mayors also expressed concern about how the proposed amendments were brought to the Katy city council for placement on the ballot without first going through a charter review commission set up for that very purpose.
Under the Katy city charter, every four years a charter review commission is appointed to review the charter and gather input for possible changes. Conner, who chaired this year's commission, told the council at its Feb. 10 meeting that the commission held its requisite public meetings with no member of the public, including members of city council, requesting changes to the charter.
"No one outside the community except the mayor, city staff and city attorney attended any of the meetings. No one," Conner said at that meeting.
Council Member Smith Defends Amendment Proposals
Covering Katy News/George Slaughter
Ward A Council Member Dan Smith, architect of the proposed charter changes, listens during the Feb. 10 Katy City Council meeting.
Ward A Council Member Dan Smith brought forth the proposals that the council approved for the ballot. In a statement, Smith said each proposed amendment was discussed at council meetings. He said they were also shared on social media with hundreds of comments from city residents.
"That's 21st Century transparency at its finest," Smith said.
Key Disputes: Term Limits and Department Head Appeals
Smith said he respects the former mayors but disagreed with their position on the issues. On Proposition D, he said, the mayors focus on denying department heads the right to appeal a termination to city council, based on Katy's form of government.
"However, they leave out a key detail: this issue exists solely because of the conflicting language in the current charter," Smith said.
On Proposition E, Smith said the mayors ignore the fact that under the existing charter, some council members currently have no term limits at all. This process, called seat swapping, enables a council member to run for another council seat if eligible to do so. He said three different Katy city attorneys have confirmed this "legal loophole" and approving Proposition E will close it.
For a summary of the amendments, with both the ballot language and the summary of what each means, see Thiele Faces Payne in Katy Mayoral Race; City Voters to Decide on Five Charter Amendments.
Current Mayor Backs Former Mayors' Position
In a recent candidate profile story published by Covering Katy, current Mayor Dusty Thiele said he was disappointed in the process because it bypassed the charter review commission. Thiele said he stood with the former mayors in believing the charter should remain unchanged.
Thiele is facing Michael Payne, an IT manager, in the only contested race on the ballot. In the same questionnaire, Payne said he had no comment on Proposition A, supported Propositions B, C and D, and opposed Proposition E.
How to Vote in Katy's May 3 Municipal Election
Absentee voting runs from April 22-29. For a list of polling locations, see the city’s elections page.