On April 24, Herriman City announced the resignation of District 4 City Councilman Steven Shields, though Shields had already announced plans to leave on Facebook in late March. 

“Some things precipitated last summer that led to some career changes for me… [and] I have a really incredible opportunity in the Houston area,” Shields said. “But once you move outside of the district boundaries, it’s kind of a forced resignation… I have very mixed emotions.”

Shields, who works in sales strategy, business coaching and business development, has been working with his family to transition to Texas since March.

Nearly six years ago, the former councilman was a reluctant contender for a spot on the city council. “I’d never aspired to become a city council person or to be an elected official. I honestly didn’t really give a lot of attention to things that were going on in the city.”

Until he got wind of the Olympia development, that is. 

Dismayed, Shields heard about the project only three days prior to the original county vote. “It was kind of a crisis of conscience, and I felt like I needed to be more informed and more involved,” he said. “And frankly, if you talk to most of the council members, that’s how they ended up getting to where they are today.”

After the Olympia vote, Shields began attending community and city council meetings and speaking with city council members to stay informed. But it wasn’t until his neighbors suggested he run for city council himself that the idea even occurred to him.

“At first, I dismissed it out of hand,” he said. “And then eventually, I had the opportunity to throw my hat in the ring.” Shields began his first term in January of 2020 and was reelected in 2024.

When he took office, approximately 35-40% of the city’s general fund budget was supported by one-time fees, such as building permits, and relationships between the city council, city management and the development community had broken down. “There was a lot of contention… and the budget was kind of out of whack,” Shields said. 

This all took place just as Herriman emerged from a period of tremendous growth. “From 2010 to 2020, Herriman was the fastest-growing city in the United States,” Shields said. “It was unparalleled.” Over 30,000 new residents settled in Herriman over 10 years—and then COVID hit, further complicating everything.

Satisfied with his part in bringing the city to where it is today, Shields has worked to repair relations between the city, the council and the community, attract highly-qualified city personnel, including police officers, and find more long-term revenue sources.

“The city’s finances have been separated so that ongoing expenses are funded only with ongoing revenues. And vice-versa—one-time expenses are funded through one-time revenues,” Herriman Communications Manager Jonathan LaFollette said. 

“I’m super proud of what we’ve done in the past five and a half years,” Shields said. “I feel like I’m leaving it in good hands, and I can say that I feel like I did something good during the time I was here.”

With just one month to appoint a replacement after Shields’ resignation, the city collected appointee candidate applications, which were due May 8. The city council then interviewed candidates at a public meeting on May 15 to fill the vacancy for the duration of 2025. Long-time resident Terrah Anderson was appointed as the interim council member.

Only appointee candidates who live in Herriman’s District 4, are registered to vote in Herriman, are free of felony and other convictions and have lived in the city for the last 12 months were considered. Candidates also paid a $25 filing fee.

The city’s general election in November will include a special election for Shields’ seat for 2026 and 2027; his term continues through 2027. “The candidate filing period [for the special election] begins June 2 during regular business hours and ends on June 6 at 5:00 p.m. Declaration of Candidacy Forms or Nomination Petitions must be filed in person with the City Recorder at 5355 W. Herriman Main Street, Herriman,” the city’s website says. λ