Members of the City of Katy’s city council met in regular session on September 14, with City Administrator Byron Hebert absent.

A public hearing was held on the proposed 2026-2027 budget. Council members voted unanimously to postpone the meeting to adopt the proposed budget until the next regular meeting of city council which will be held on September 28.

Mayor Dusty Thiele announced that the public hearing and meeting to adopt the 2026-2027 proposed tax rate of $0.420 will also be held at the September 28 session. Councilmember for Ward A Johnston Dietz read a prepared statement in response to recent feedback that he has received from constituents. Dietz said that the city is discussing lowering the tax rate to $0.420 from its current level of $0.425, and is not increasing it. The language is confusing, Dietz said, because, while the rate is going down, the overall total city property tax revenue is increasing over the prior year because the city is growing and many properties have increased in value.

In other action, Mayor Thiele read a proclamation affirming the week of September 17-21 as Constitution Week and extending special recognition to the Star of Destiny Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Three speakers participated in public comments. Former Katy ISD school board trustee Morgan Calhoun spoke against the city’s current use of Flock cameras, noting that there are over 40 cameras in a ten-square mile area that were never approved by the citizens of Katy. Calhoun said that 99 percent of the residents are surveilled in order to catch the one percent who are criminals and urged councilmembers to reverse their decision on the current contract with Flock. “When you see that you have made a mistake, you make it right,” Calhoun said.

The next meeting of Katy’s city council will be on September 28 at 6:30 p.m. at 901 Avenue C in Katy. A special sign ordinance workshop was scheduled for September 23, after the Katy Times went to press for this issue.