By George Slaughter
Janet Corte (photo courtesy Janet Corte)
Janet Corte is a retired IT consultant. She is making her first run for the Katy City Council, where she is facing incumbent Ray Boothe, an insurance executive, for a Ward A council member seat.
For polling times and places, including absentee voting information, see the city’s election page.
1. Why do you want this job?
I have lived in Katy for 29 years and I love this town! My husband and I raised four children here that were educated through great KISD schools. This is an exciting time for Katy as the dynamics of Katy are changing not only physically due to growth but in its citizenry. More young families are moving here to raise their children and Katy is becoming culturally diverse. I want to help steer Katy in a direction that is beneficial to all residents while still keeping Katy’s charm and small town feel. I have knocked on doors and talked with many of the Ward A residents and have heard their concerns. I want to be their representative, their voice to the city. I’ve recently retired, so I am able and excited to focus all my energy on the needs of the city and its residents.
2. If elected, what would your top three priorities be, and why?
Flood mitigation has to be the top priority for the city to remain prosperous. A house is the biggest investment most people will ever make but it soon becomes a home and needs to be protected. The bonds are a good start but there is still more work to do. I will work with our city leaders and engineering experts to identify other areas within the city that need to be addressed. I will help the city build relationships with entities outside the city limits. We need meaningful and productive discussions with these entities to develop additional flood mitigation plans that will help both the residents of Katy and surrounding areas.
Secondly, I want to ensure there is responsible management of the changes that come with continued growth. Commercial growth needs to occur in the appropriate designated zones and not in the midst of our residential neighborhoods. It’s important that the mayor, city administrator, council members and other city leaders work together to develop a vision for Katy and work as a team to bring that vision to fruition. Our actions today affect the future of Katy and I want that future to be one that we can be proud of.
A few years ago I maintained a booth in one of the local antique stores, which leads to my third priority, the revitalization of the downtown area. Through my conversations with many residents I know this is of great interest to them as well. With the development of the Boardwalk it makes sense to offer visitors another place to visit that is reminiscent of what Katy was in the past. I envision a family friendly town square with a greenspace and park benches surrounded by a mix of quaint eclectic shops and restaurants. It would be a place where families and visitors come together and a place that our children and grandchildren will enjoy for years to come. Katy’s downtown area is the heart of Katy and should be something special.
3. Would you encourage citizens to vote for or against the bond proposal, and why?
I have encouraged citizens to vote for the bond proposals. The flat Katy area is prone to flooding and in recent years has experienced some extreme flood events. Flood mitigation has to start somewhere and bond Propositions A and B are a good start. Our retention pond on Pitts Road definitely needs to be expanded. The more water that can be retained and managed to the north of town benefits all of us. I am very pleased that Katy is the first city affected by Harvey to offer any flood mitigation bonds on the ballot thanks to the hard work of the mayor and city administrator. However, there is still more work to be done.
Proposition C includes improvements and expansion to the municipal waterworks and sanitary sewer system. With all the growth in and around Katy these improvements are crucial to continued quality city services.
4. Is Katy handling growth properly? If yes, why? If no, how would you, if elected, change that?
Katy has definitely grown in the last few years and will continue to grow in the years to come. The city is at a crossroads where this growth can adversely overtake Katy, or we can embrace growth in a responsible manner. We need to manage growth to ensure the old and new work together, to improve and modernize our town while still maintaining Katy’s small-town feel. I will look for ways to increase our tax base without raising personal property taxes to ensure our city leaders, city department heads, and first responders have the appropriate personnel, training and equipment, as well as the funds to maintain and build needed infrastructure in order to provide quality services to all Katy residents.
5. Is there anything else about your candidacy that Katy News readers should know?
My campaign slogan is “I want to be YOUR voice.” But I can’t be anyone’s voice without the voters’ support. I hope the residents of Ward A and throughout the City of Katy exercise their right to vote. Past elections have been won by as few as three votes so everyone’s vote does count.
It will be an honor to represent the residents of Ward A on city council. I want the readers to know that I will work hard for all of Katy. Katy is growing fast and our city leaders are facing a lot of work in the near future. I will work hard to support our city leaders, assist in building relationships that will be beneficial to the entire Katy community, and ensure that Katy remains a place that we are proud to call home. I have knocked on many doors, visited with the residents, and I hope I have gained the voters’ trust and confidence that I am the right person to represent them at city council.