Brawner speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Katy's Fire Station 2 in December 2017. Brawner supported the Katy Fire Department's efforts to obtain more than $2 million in grant funds to help pay for the station and associated staffing.

Katy Mayor Chuck Brawner announced via press release today he will be seeking a second term as mayor. According to the press release, Brawner was elected in May of 2017 on a platform that focused on flood control, and he intends to continue on that platform.“We’re just staying on what I’ve done and what I’m planning to do for the city,” Brawner said.Brawner was in office during Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. Since then Brawner’s administration has worked with residents to pass a $19.5 million bond package for flood prevention, and work is currently underway in the Pine Forest subdivision and and on First Street. The city has also hired Costello Inc. to manage a comprehensive drainage plan for the city.“I’ve been working since Harvey to get things straight with all of the [flood control] projects that we’ve got going on,” Brawner said.Work has also been undertaken to improve drainage near Mary Joe Pekham Park near the intersection of Franz Road and Avenue D, Brawner said. The city has instituted a policy of ensuring construction contracts have penalties for late delivery since Brawner came into office, according to the press release.Brawner’s experience includes serving as chief of police for Spring Branch ISD for 21 years, serving on the Katy City Council from 2013-17, including serving as mayor pro tem from 2014 until his election to the mayoral seat.Financial responsibility is also one of Brawner’s priorities, he said. Prior to 2018 the city had reduced its property tax rate for each of the prior five years. However, funding the bond package, which voters passed in May of this year, did not allow the city to reduce the tax rate again. Working with the Katy Economic Development Corporation and similar organizations to continue drawing large tax revenue sources such as Amazon and Bucc-ee’s would be one of his priorities in a second term, Brawner said.“I think the important key to that is first of all, we sold bonds to help with the flood projects,” Brawner said. “Those bonds have got to be paid for, but we did not raise taxes like some of the counties and cities have.”Only one other candidate has come out for the Katy mayoral race next year: Katy Police Chief Bill Hastings, who confirmed today he will be retiring Jan. 15 and will also be seeking a first term as mayor.Hastings said he is running for mayor as an opportunity to continue to serve the city. For more information see Community Impact Newspaper’s coverage of Hasting’s retirement.