The county is growing fast — the population hit over one million people in 2021. Frisco and Plano are the county’s two largest cities, and residents are feeling the impact of that rapid growth.
The Frisco City Council approved the zoning permit for the Universal Parks & Resort children’s theme park in early March. The vote on the permit was delayed twice because of strong public opposition. Several residents said at city council meetings that they’re worried the children’s theme park will lead to an increase in crime and traffic.
Frisco mayor Jeff Cheney is up for reelection. He’s a broker associate and the owner of The Cheney Group, a real estate company. He has two opponents, including Mark Piland, the city’s former fire chief, and Jonathan David Spencer. Spencer listed his occupation on his application for a place on the ballot as self-employed in software, construction and fracking.
There are also two city council races. Brian Livingston, a senior vice president in commercial banking according to his application for a place on the ballot for Place 6, is running unopposed for re-election. Place 5 incumbent Laura Rummel, a vice president of financial products according to her LinkedIn page, has one opponent, Anwer Azam. He works as a certified public accountant according to his application for a place on the ballot.
The Frisco council voted 4-2 for the theme park’s permit, with Rummel and Cheney the only ones voting against it. Rummel wanted to table the issue and abstained but was recorded as a no vote.
Some residents who spoke out against the theme park at city council meetings said they’ll remember how the members voted when they vote.
“When we have elections, hold them accountable because they don't represent what the people of Frisco want,” John Pavle said.
Plano also has a local issue that could play a role in how people vote in local elections — short-term rentals. The city council is contemplating a temporary ban on new short-term rentals after ashooting in the Oakwood Glen neighborhood.
Short-term rentals have been an issue in Plano for a while. Members of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition’s Plano chapter have spent almost a year advocating at city council meetings for a short-term rental ban in residential neighborhoods.
Plano was set to vote in November on an ordinance that would require short-term rental owners to register their properties with the city, but the vote got tabled. The proposed ordinance hasn’t shown up on a city council agenda for a vote since.
The Texas Neighborhood Coalition argues that the city’s current zoning ordinance already bans short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. But City Attorney Paige Mims warned that an outright ban on short-term rentals might not fare well legally.
The City of Arlington was sued over its short-term rental regulations. The city limited short-term rentals to a specific area near Arlington’s entertainment district. The case made it to the appeals court in 2020, which ruled in Arlington’s favor. The City of Grapevine is also facing a lawsuit over its short-term rental rules. That case could make its way to the Texas Supreme Court.
Both Julie Holmer and deputy mayor pro tem Maria Tsao Tu said they also have concerns about the legal implications of a total ban on short-term rentals. Tsao Tu is an attorney.
“I certainly do not want a heat of passion to result our city spending years of our hard-earned tax dollars in litigations,” Tu said at a city council meeting.
Holmer and Tu are running for re-election unopposed. Council member Shelby Williams is also on the ballot. He’s a vice president of corporate development according to his LinkedIn. His opponent is Brett Cooper, a pediatrician that who teaches at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Williams said at a previous city council meeting that he’s in favor of a short-term rental ban.
“I would like to see, at the minimum, a temporary ban leading to a permanent ban where we get all of our ducks in a row,” he said.
Rick Grady also said he’s in favor of a ban. Grady is term limited and is unable to run for reelection. Rick Horne, the vice chair of Plano’s planning and zoning commission, is running for Grady’s seat against Colleen Aguilar-Epstein, a retired high school Spanish teacher.
Plano also has three school board races on the ballot. Those races are supposed to be nonpartisan but have become more politicized. Supporters of Katherine Chan Goodwin, who’s running for Place 7 on the Plano ISD board, have accused one of her opponents, Simon Salinas, of being a spoiler and splitting the liberal vote in the race. Goodwin works as a consultant and founded a commercial real estate company according to her campaign website.
Salinas, who’s a recent graduate of Plano ISD, referenced the issue during a speech at a candidate meet and greet.
“If someone is an experienced candidate, it's not necessary to bring someone down,” he said.
Early voting starts Monday April 24 and lasts until Tuesday May 2. Polling locations are closed that Sunday April 30, but they are open on Saturday April 29. Election day is May 6.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gifttoday. Thank you.
