McKinney is about to elect a new mayor — and it’s also on the cusp of building a new airport terminal, which came up at a recent debate.
The Collin County Young Republicans recently hosted a debate for the four McKinney mayor candidates. Taylor Willingham, a local estate planning attorney, talked about his concerns about how the city will be impacted by AI.
“AI is going to take or could take 50% of all white collar jobs over the next four years,” Willingham said. “It is already starting to do that. It is going to be a significant challenge for this city and what we have to face and what we have to do.”
He said his experience owning a business will help him lead the city through those challenges as mayor if elected.
Bill Cox, a local Realtor and the chair of McKinney’s planning and zoning commission, said his experience and ties to McKinney make him an ideal candidate for mayor.
“I've seen it when it was a small town, and I've seen what it is now, and I understand completely what it will take to take McKinney into the future,” Cox said.
Cox previously served on the city council. He’s also a member of the Collin College Foundation board of directors and was co-chair of the McKinney Bond election.
Scott Sanford, who served the area in the state legislature from 2013 to 2023, is also running for mayor. He’s also the executive pastor at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen.
Sanford said he’d help the city manage growth. McKinney is the seat of Collin County, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“We’re at this exciting crossroads of history in McKinney, with great opportunity in front of us, where we can embrace the vitality of the new while retaining all of the charm of the old,” Sanford said.
But Dr. Matt Rostami said it’s not the city’s responsibility to foster growth. He’s an eye surgeon that’s also running for mayor. Rostami previously ran for the state board of education and challenged Texas state senator Angela Paxton in the 2022 GOP primary.
“A government official has to represent the city,” he said. “It's not my job to grow the city. My job is to keep it safe and clean. And businesses will come here naturally.”
Airport Project
Rostami said city-backed development projects like the 20,000 person amphitheater and 35-acre water park, would harm taxpayers due to increased property values, which would drive up property taxes.
He also warned a similar issue would happen with the city’s airport expansion.
“It will bring money,” Rostami said. “It will increase the property values. That's true. But you will be paying more property taxes.”
McKinney voters struck down $200 million in bond funds for expanding the city’s regional airport for commercial use in 2023. But the city is still moving forward with the project using other funding, including sales tax dollars.
The construction of the $73 million expansion is scheduled to start in May, with the new terminal opening sometime next year. But Sanford said the expansion should be put on hold until voters elect a new mayor and city council members in the upcoming election.
“Since there is so much question and there's so much division, that it would be only reasonable for there to be a pause,” he said.
Willingham said the airport expansion will have to move forward because contracts have already been signed. He said it’s unfair that McKinney residents have to foot the bill for the project alone when the entire county will benefit from having another airport available.
Willingham said if he wouldn’t have moved forward with the airport expansion if he was in office when the bond election failed to pass.
“When the voters said no, as a council member, as a mayor, you stop,” Willingham said. “You do not continue to move forward and push something that people don't want.”
Addressing Concerns
But Cox said the council did listen to the will of the voters by not using property tax dollars like the bond proposed. The planning and zoning commission, including Cox, voted to approve the site plan for the expansion in January after the city council passed a resolution expressing its support of the plan.
Cox was also asked about a controversy that occurred while he was on the city council. A California developer accused Cox and another council member of inducement in 2008, alleging they told the developer it had to donate $50,000 to a veterans memorial fund in order to secure a project deal.
The lawsuit was settled. Cox said at the debate the accusations were unfounded.
“Don't let this story that's not true distract you from what's real,” he said. “There is no way that I would embarrass my family by doing the things they said I did.”
The other candidates were also asked about critiques they’ve faced. Sanford was asked about his vote on a bill that limited city governments’ ability to raise property taxes, which some say hurt their budgets. He said he was voting in his constituents’ best interest.
“I voted for the taxpayer,” Sanford said.
Willingham was asked about his lack of civic involvement prior to running for local office. He listed other ways he has served the community, including his involvement a scouting program and helping elderly people qualify for Medicaid.
“There’s many places where people serve, not just in politics,” Willingham said.
Rostami was asked about his understanding of how city government works based on a social media post he made about some city projects. He said his comments were taken out of context.
“I speak five languages,” he said. “Started my own business. You don’t think I understand how this stuff works?”
Looking Ahead
Another debate is scheduled for April 8 for the McKinney city council races.
Geré Feltus is running for reelection against Tammy Warren for the district 3 seat.
Five candidates have filed to run for the At Large 1 seat. Jim Garrison, who challenged Collin County Commissioner Darrell Hale in the 2024 Republican primary, filed for a place on the ballot. Ernest Lynch, a retired healthcare CEO, is also running. Taha Ansari, Derrick Tarver and Brian Magnuson have also filed to run for the seat.
Early voting for the municipal election is scheduled to run from April 22 to April 29. Election day is May 3.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For America corps member for KERA News.
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