CITY& COUNTY
News from the city of Katy, Harris County & Fort Bend County
Katy City Council begins building 2020 40 comprehensive plan
BY ASIA ARMOUR
Dang asked the council to identify what were the city’s most recent accomplishments. Council Member Janet Corte and other o cials mentioned the $33 million worth of mobility bonds, drainage projects, expanded detention ponds, increased green space and increased public safety as some of the city’s most recent works to be proud of. But Commissioner Jason Ward of the planning and zoning commission noted many of the city’s initiatives have been more reactive than proactive. “Listening to that list, there has been a lot of focus on getting where we need to be and not on going where we want to go,” he said. “I’m excited to be going forward instead of trying to x.” Over the next year, the city and the KKC will host public workshops to get feedback and determine top priorities for the comprehensive plan. City Council plans to adopt the plan in spring 2023.
POPULATION GROWTH Since 2010, Katy’s population has grown signi cantly.
2020 2010
KATY Members of Katy City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission called a special meeting Feb. 24 to discuss their vision for Katy’s next 20 years. The city’s last comprehensive plan was created in 2000 and spanned 20 years. The new plan will address all the development in the pipeline, sus- taining the tax base, livability and public safety, and parks bond implementation. These city o cials met with Meredith Dang, practice leader for community planning at Kendig Keast Collaborative, to discuss the data the company collected in 2019 to construct Katy’s next compre- hensive plan and to gain an understanding of the city’s most pressing issues and needs. Kendig Keast Collaborative found Katy’s pop- ulation increased by 55% between 2010-20 from
+55.2%
14,102
21,894
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER 5K 0 25K 10K 15K 20K
14,102 to 21,894, according to census data. The data also suggested housing still is not attainable for everyone: 51% of renters pay more than 30% of their income in housing costs, a barometer to show housing a ordability, Dang said.
Katy’sMay election canceled; newmayor runs uncontested
Electionsadministrator announces resignation
report votes by the statutory deadline of 7 p.m. on March 2. Longoria said she believed this lawwas outdated and did not re ect the increased votes or the technological and accountability standards. Additionally, about 10,000 ballots were found after the nal count. The votes were scanned into the elections computer but were not transferred and counted. Longoria attributed the mistake to her sta ’s exhaustion, who had worked through the night. Longoria took her position in mid-November 2020 after serving as a special adviser on voting rights to former County Clerk Chris Hollins.
the position, replacing Mayor Bill Hastings, who did not seek re-election. The last day to le for a spot on the ballot
BY DANICA LLOYD
HARRIS COUNTY Following several issues in the March 1 primary elec- tions, Harris County Elections Admin- istrator Isabel Longoria announced her resignation, e ective July 1, at the March 8 Harris County Commissioners Court meeting. Just after the polls closed at 7 p.m. March 1, the Texas secretary of state’s o ce said in a news release Harris County would not be able to count and
BY LAURA AEBI
Dusty Thiele
KATY The city of Katy canceled its May election after the mayoral race—the only race on the ballot— went uncontested. City o cials saidWilliam “Dusty” Thiele was the only candidate who led for the mayoral race, which was set to take place May 7. Without any other candidates, Thiele will take
was Feb. 18. Thiele’s swearing-in ceremony will happen in May, per the city’s website. Thiele was appointed to City Council in November 2020 to ll a vacancy inWard A but did not seek re-election in the 2021 race.
Primary election results name area county judge candidates
Fort Bend County had a slightly higher voter turnout for the Texas primary election that took place March 1 at 17.37% than Harris County at 13.74%, when compared the total population. Turnout Total for County VOTER RESULTS
BY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER STAFF
Alexandra del Moral Mealer and Vidal Martinez are headed to a runo election May 24. In the Democratic race, Hidalgo received 70.32%, or 113,845 votes, followed by Erica Davis— the next-highest vote-getter—with 14.74%, or 23,878 votes. In the Republican race, del Moral Mealer received 29.50%, or 50,435 votes, followed closely by Mar- tinez, who received 25.86%, or 42,126 votes. If no candidate receives 50% of the vote, the candidates with the two most votes head to a runo election. According to a March 3 Harris County news release, over 350,000 total ballots were cast in the March primaries with 14.29% of eligible registered voters casting ballots. In Fort Bend County, almost 87,600 ballots were cast, representing about 17.37% of registered voters.
FORT BEND&HARRIS COUNTIES The Texas primary elections took place March 1, and incum- bents for county judge races in Fort Bend and Harris counties held their bids in their parties. Trever Nehls won the Republican primary election for Fort Bend County judge with 92.36% of the vote, according to Fort Bend County election results. Nehls received 38,617 votes, while 3,195 votes, or 7.64% of the votes, supported Max Alalibo I. Meanwhile, incumbent KP George won the Democratic primary for Fort Bend County judge with 69.49% of the vote, or 25,523 votes. Opponent Ferrel Bonner received 30.5% of the votes, or 11,202 votes. In Harris County, incumbent Lina Hidalgo earned the Democratic nomination in the race for Harris County judge, while Republican candidates
Fort Bend County
504,151
17.37%
Harris County
2,498,570
14.29%
SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY, FORT BEND COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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