The City of Katy’s city council convened in special session at City Hall, 901 Avenue Ci, on May 13 to welcome its newly elected council members, who were sworn in following the certification of the May 2 election results.

After being sworn in by City of Katy Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Brashear, Paul Follis became the At Large city council member while Johnston Dietz and Michael Meihls assumed their seats as representatives for Ward A and Ward B respectively. Each thanked their families, friends and supporters in remarks following the ceremony before taking their seats on the dais.

The trio replaces outgoing members Mayor Pro Tem and At Large Councilmember Chris Harris, Ward A Councilmember Janet Corte and Ward B Councilmember Rory Robertson, all of whom are term-limited. Each outgoing member was honored with special recognition from Mayor Dusty Thiele.

Harris, who served as Mayor Pro Tem for more than six years for Mayors Thiele and Bill Hastings as well as representing Ward B from 2018 to 2026, was praised by Thiele for his exceptional level of dedication and commitment to the city and its citizens. “I couldn’t have asked for a better Mayor Pro Tem,” Thiele said. During his tenure, Harris maintained a record of perfect attendance, never missing a single city council meeting, Thiele said, in addition to attending many other city meetings. Harris received a special “Above and Beyond” recognition for his attendance – a record which has not been achieved by any previous council member during an eight-year term, Thiele said. In his closing remarks, Harris shared some funny incidents – and lessons learned -- from his years on council, and noted the completion of 16 major drainage projects, METRO road projects, parks and green space expansion and improvements to the fire and police departments, among other achievements during that time.

Corte served from 2018 to 2026 “with unwavering dedication, thoughtful leadership and a sincere commitment to public service,” Thiele said, lauding her preparation in approaching every issue, inquisitive nature and attention to detail. In lieu of listing accomplishments during her time in office, Corte thanked the many city employees who “kept things on track,” her family and City Administrator Byron Hebert.

Robertson served from 2020 to 2026 “with integrity, conviction and a strong sense of responsibility,” Thiele said, calling him “direct and transparent in expressing his views” and responsive to the concerns of the residents he represented. Robertson, in his farewell remarks, noted that the city had passed more flood mitigation measures in the past six years than at any time in its history and that the city had made significant progress with its Animal Services department.