Connor Hulla is a regular DART rider and president of the Dallas Area Transit Alliance, a group that formed with the sole aim of saving the agency from budget cuts.
“We don't want people's commutes to be made worse," Hulla told KERA. "So we're trying to protect the agency from these cuts.”
But several of DART’s member cities want to cut their contributions – and they might look to the state to do that.
A couple of months ago, Hulla’s group posted documents online it obtained in an open records request, including draft legislation calling for a reduction in DART’s funding by 25 percent.
“Because DART is not going to cut their own funding, they want to go to the state and have the state change the law that governs DART,” Hulla said.
The debate with Plano
The group posted the draft bill on the DART Reddit page, where dozens of community advocates and riders discuss public transit in North Texas.
It’s unclear who wrote the bill, but Hulla said the push to cut DART’s funding is primarily coming from Plano.

In a December letter, Plano Mayor John Muns requested the agency return a quarter of the city’s contributions from 2024 and 2025 – totaled at $55 million dollars – or the city would pursue legislation at the state level to amend a section of Texas' transportation code related to how DART operates. He also requested city-wide GoLink ride service and more "a-la-carte options for service" in the city.
KERA reached out to several for Plano in the state Legislature including Reps. Jeff Leach, Candy Noble, Matt Shaheen and Sen. Angela Paxton, but most didn’t respond.
Democratic state Rep. Mihaela Plesa said she supports DART and she’s heard from constituents about the issue, but she doesn’t plan to file any legislation about the agency.
“We are always open to working with those willing to work with us on advancing and advocating for legislation that helps Texans travel across North Texas with more ease and safety,” Plesa said.
Meanwhile, DART leaders are in talks with member cities to avoid the budget fight from going to the Legislature. The agency gets most of its funding from the 13 cities it serves. For every city sales tax dollar, DAR T gets one cent. That adds up to millions of dollars.
“The service area cities see that as their sales tax," said Jamie Adelman, chief financial officer for DART. "DART sees that much differently. It's ours."
Adelman said those cities are feeling a pinch in their budgets from changes in property tax laws a few years back.
“Because of that, they're looking for new and additional revenue sources to support economic development and just overall city services,” Adelman said.
In a meeting Tuesday, directors voted to require a two-thirds majority to add or remove services in a member city.
Director Randall Bryant, who represents Dallas on the board, said the unanimous vote was an effort to show cities that DART is willing to work with them.
Not all board members are on the same page about what to do about Plano's requests.
Director Mark Enoch said in a committee meeting Tuesday that board members M. Nathan Barbera and Paul Wageman had been talking to cities about filing legislation.
"[We had] an 11 to 1 vote to protect the penny and then you guys go to Plano and you suggest otherwise," Enoch told directors, referring to DART's legislative agenda.
Wageman shot back, saying Plano's concerns go back several years.
"My city has no confidence DART will address their concerns," Wageman said, "and they're well placed."
Regional leaders respond
Not all cities are trying to cut DART’s funding. Leaders in Garland, Richardson and Dallas — which carries the most representation on DART's board — have all expressed their support for the agency.
“We're going to stand on the business for the people who need us the most," Dallas City Council member Carolyn King Arnold said during a council meeting last fall. "We're going to stand for the working poor who contribute to the growth and development of the city of Dallas."
Dallas leaders also pledged voted to include support for DART’s current funding in the city's legislative agenda.
The issue has also caught the attention of regional leaders.
Transportation director Michael Morris said if DART doesn’t update its services to please member cities, the consequences will have a ripple effect in North Texas.
“If we can't develop a more comprehensive, more direct and indirect way to deliver very, really cool transit, we're going to fail this region," Morris said.
The Regional Transportation Council gave DART and member cities a February deadline to resolve the funding debate or else it would pull its support for DART in its legislative agenda.
“I am pleading with you," Morris said. "Solve this problem within your own house.”
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.
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