CITY OF KATY (Covering Katy News) — The Katy City Council is expected to cancel the May 4 municipal election because the two incumbents, who would be on the ballot, drew no opponents.
In May, Ward A Council Member Dan Smith and Ward B Council Member Gina Hicks will take the oath for their second three-year term. Term limits will keep them from running for a third consecutive term.
Both Hicks and Smith were pleased. Hicks rhetorically asked, "When you've got a good thing going, why change it?"
"The current council has been together the last three years," Hicks said. "We work well with each other, the mayor, and city staff. I have really enjoyed serving the residents of Katy this past term."
Hicks noted that the city is in the middle of a $30 million mobility improvement project, infrastructure improvements, and improvements to the city's parks.
"I am thankful we won't have the distraction of an election and can keep the ball rolling on these big projects."
Smith said he was humbled and honored to serve another term on the council.
"The fact that Council Member Hicks and I were both unopposed is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire city council and staff," Smith said. "It reaffirms that we are serving the city well in addressing residents' concerns. The progress we have made in public safety, infrastructure, drainage, parks, lowering the tax rate, and more are clearly the things residents want prioritized by their city council."
The lack of contested races for council positions has become a pattern in recent years. Four of the five members of the incumbent council, along with Mayor Dusty Thiele, faced no opposition in their most recent bids for office.
Last year, Council Member-at-Large Chris Harris, Ward A Council Member Janet Corte, and Ward B Council Member Rory Robertson were up for re-election; Harris and Robertson drew no opponents, so the city council canceled those elections. Corte defeated her challenger.
In 2022, Thiele filed to run for mayor to succeed retiring Mayor Bill Hastings. He drew no opponents, and the election was cancelled.
While Smith and Hicks drew no opponents this year, they both won contested races in 2021. Smith defeated a candidate who had previously run for Corte's Ward A seat, and Hicks defeated an incumbent council member.