Robin Elackatt is in his 3rd term as Councilman in Missouri City.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Missouri City Councilman Robin Elackatt was elected as the city’s Mayor Pro Tem last month, becoming the Texas city’s first-ever Indian American and Asian American Mayor.
Elackatt is currently in the midst of his third elected term as a City Councilman, having won election in 2009, 2011, and last year. He was initially elected on May 19 in a 4-0 vote – receiving the votes of fellow councilmembers Don Smith, Yolanda Ford, Chris Preston, and himself – and was re-elected on June 16 when it was found that the vote had to be re-administered because Preston had not been sworn into the City Council by a public notary, reports the Fort Bend Star.
The Mayor Pro Tem position is one that is temporary, and is meant to assume the position of the actual Mayor while he or she is absent from performing their duties. Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen abstained from voting, as did former Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Wyatt, who Elackatt succeeded in being elected.
Allen has implored the City Council of Missouri City to make the Mayor position a rotating one, with everyone on the Council becoming Mayor Pro Tem on a temporary basis in between election cycles. Instead, the Council has chosen to elect a new Mayor Pro Tem each time, rather than give everyone a chance – something that Allen voiced his disapproval of to the local media.
Nevertheless, Elackatt is now the Mayor of Missouri City, and will oversee the city’s government as its head. It is not yet clear how long his term will last, but he will need to run for re-election in 2015 if he wants to stay on the City Council. In the last two elections, Elackatt – who represents the city’s District C – has run unopposed.
“The growing population in Missouri City and the need to improve public safety initiatives, develop sound infrastructure and serve as good stewards of the business of this great City are my top priorities as a member of the City Council,†Elackatt says on his website. “As we continue to be one of the ‘best places to live in the nation,’ we must continue to develop new businesses in the City, while creating a strong base and common-sense approach to balancing the needs of Missouri City residents and opportunities for growth.â€
Elackatt is a healthcare professional by trade, and is currently a hospital administrator with the Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital, where he has been for over five years. He has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Parks Board and as a Board Member, and has been on the Colony Lakes Homeowners’ Association Board, of which he was also the President at one point.
He currently lives with his wife, Tina, who is a Physicians Assistant, and their two young daughters.