Katy Mayor Fabol Hughes swears in James "Gary" Jones to fill the Ward A council seat.[/caption]

A special council meeting was held June 12 to appoint a councilmember to the Ward A seat left vacant when councilmember William Mack “Bill” Lawton died May 28.

After a brief executive session, Mayor Fabol Hughes announced James G. “Gary” Jones will fill the seat until the next regular election. Jones, a long-time Katy resident, most recently served the city as alternate member to the City Planning and Zoning Commission.

“Those are big shoes to fill,” Jones said of his predecessor, Lawton.

“I implore the constituents of Katy to contact me with any issue they deem relevant in the betterment of Katy. I look forward to serving Katy for many years to come,” Jones said.

After the swearing in ceremony, each of the councilmembers welcomed Jones onto the council.

“Gary Jones is one of us, he has a shared vision [for Katy],” Hughes said after the meeting. “He also wants to see us grow, but grow properly and grow prosperously.”