By George Slaughter
Katy City Council Members Janet Corte, Rory Robertson, and Chris Harris were sworn into office Tuesday at City Hall.
Corte and Harris were both reelected to second terms as Ward A council member and council member-at-large, respectively. Robertson was elected to his first term as Ward B council member. Their terms expire in May 2023.
In keeping with social distancing conventions during the ongoing pandemic, Katy Municipal Judge Jeffrey Brashear swore in Corte and Harris separately during the daytime. Brashear swore in Robertson during the meeting at which the vote tallies were made official.
As is expected at such events, everyone took a moment to congratulate each other and express confidence about moving forward.
“The city has a great team,” Harris said.
Honoring Durran Dowdle
To win his seat, Robertson, a registered investment advisor, defeated incumbent Durran Dowdle, a project manager, along with Sam Pearson, a retired peace officer, and Steve Pierson, a former council member. The city honored Dowdle for his service. He was first elected in 2014, and reelected in 2016 and 2018.
Dowdle, known for his handlebar moustache, had a similar, but fake, moustache put on his mask during the meeting when he was honored.
“Seek to be wise, not just informed,” Dowdle said.
He congratulated Robertson on his victory and said he’d be happy to meet with Robertson to answer questions about how things work at City Hall.
Corte, a retired IT consultant, defeated Dharminder Durgan, an engineer, and Diane Walker, a life insurance broker. Harris was unopposed.
Filling the Ward A Vacancy
The council will meet Thursday to consider a replacement for Ward A Council Member Frank Carroll, who resigned last Friday after selling his home and moving out of the city. Hastings is expected to nominate Dusty Thiele, an insurance executive, to serve out the remainder of the term, which expires in May.