Katy council approves ballot language for multiple charter amendments after months of dispute over process

The City of Katy City Council voted on multiple proposed Home Rule Charter amendments on Feb. 10 and directed staff to place the approved propositions on a special charter election ballot for May 3, 2025.

Public comment dominated the meeting’s early hours as more than a dozen residents and former officials urged the council to return proposed changes to the city’s Charter Review Commission before moving them toward an election. Sherry Booth, a member of the commission, called council action “an abuse of power” and asked why the committee’s recommendations were not followed. “Why do we have these committees if it doesn’t matter what we do?” Booth said during public comment. Multiple other speakers, including Lynn Freeman, Skip Connor (immediate past chair of the charter review commission), Don Elder, Duran Dowdle and others, urged the council to respect the commission’s process and to retain term limits.

Council members debated process and substance. Several members acknowledged the commission did regular public meetings and that notices were posted, while others said calendar and election timing motivated bringing certain items forward now. Councilmember Dan Smith, who moved multiple amendments, defended placing measures before voters, saying: “This is about giving voters the final say on their government.” Councilmembers also clarified legal limits: city staff and the city…