Half of Plano\u2019s City Council will change after voters cast their ballots in this spring\u2019s local election. Ten candidates are running to lead Plano as leaders transition from shepherding years of suburban growth to maintaining a nearly built-out city of almost 300,000 residents.<\/p>\n
Four council seats are contested and Mayor John Muns is running unopposed for reelection. The city\u2019s eight council members can serve no more than two consecutive four-year terms. Registered voters in Plano can vote for representatives in all council positions and council members represent the city at large.<\/p>\n
Voters will also decide on seven propositions for nearly $650 million in bonds for city projects, the largest referendum in city history, which includes funding for street improvements and new police headquarters.<\/p>\n
Voters in Collin County to decide on leaders, millions in public funding for projects<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s who\u2019s on the ballot in Plano\u2019s contested City Council races.<\/p>\n
Three men are running for the Place 2 council seat as Anthony Ricciardelli reaches his term limit on council and heads to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board.<\/p>\n
Information technology business owner Bob Kehr, nonprofit founder and veteran Douglas Reeves and real estate investor Carson Underwood are on the ballot.<\/p>\n
Kehr has had leadership roles on the Parks and Recreation Planning Board, Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club among other roles. He is endorsed by the Plano Police Association and Collin County Area REALTORS.<\/p>\n
Kehr has emphasized the importance of expanding Plano\u2019s housing stock for seniors and bringing in tax revenue and jobs by attracting and keeping businesses in the city.<\/p>\n
Reeves, a retired small-business owner, has done community work for children in the foster care system and adults with disabilities. He is the Precinct 235 chair, according to Collin County Republican Party records, and endorsed by the county GOP.<\/p>\n
Reeves supports keeping power in local government and is against building more high-density apartments in Plano. He has called for transparency and accountability in local government, saying Plano leaders have \u201cnot been upfront\u201d with residents.<\/p>\n
Underwood serves on the Collin County Park Foundation Advisory Commission and has served on the Collin County Central Appraisal District board. He is advocating for a shift toward homeownership and would support better rebate programs to renovate Plano\u2019s older homes.<\/p>\n
He also would support more restrictions on short-term rentals, Underwood said in a candidate interview with The Dallas Morning News editorial board, and is in favor of cutting Plano\u2019s contribution to DART in half.<\/p>\n
In Place 4, estate attorney Chris Krupa Downs and real estate agent Cody Weaver are running for Kayci Prince\u2019s open seat.<\/p>\n
Downs has had several community involvements, including on Plano\u2019s Cultural Affairs Commission, Collin County Historical Commission and Junior League of Collin County. She serves on the board of the Wellness Center for Older Adults.<\/p>\n
Downs is endorsed by the Plano Police Association. If elected, she said she would take a more cooperative approach to ensuring DART brings value to Plano.<\/p>\n
\u201cI value collaborative approaches versus just unilaterally going in there and saying we want to adjust funding,\u201d Downs said in a candidate interview with The News editorial board.<\/p>\n
Weaver was elected to the Plano Independent School District Board of Trustees in 2019 and lost a bid for reelection in 2023.<\/p>\n
In a candidate interview with The News, Weaver said he hopes to preserve Plano\u2019s suburban character and would support building condos and townhouses instead of apartments. If elected, he said he would consider reducing Plano\u2019s sales tax contribution to DART.<\/p>\n
Plano will hold a special election for the Place 5 council seat after Shelby Williams resigned last month to pursue a seat on the Collin County Commissioners Court.<\/p>\n
Retail executive Gary Cary and retired entrepreneur Steve Lavine are competing for the newly open seat.<\/p>\n
Cary has served on Plano\u2019s Planning & Zoning Commission\u200b and Bond Referendum Citizen Advisory Committee, which gave input on the bond referendum up for a vote this spring. He is endorsed by the Collin County Republican Party.<\/p>\n
Cary\u2019s platform emphasizes preserving Plano\u2019s suburban character and prioritizing essential needs over excessive projects, according to his website. In an interview with The News editorial board, Cary also called for transparency from DART and Plano\u2019s need for \u201cthoughtful\u201d revitalization for economic development.<\/p>\n
Lavine previously ran for City Council in 2021 and lost to Ricciardelli. Among Lavine\u2019s community involvements are leadership roles in Plano Youth Leadership and board of nonprofit Friends of the Plano Public Library. He previously served on the city\u2019s Library Advisory Board and Parks and Recreation Planning Board. Lavine is endorsed by the Plano Police Association.<\/p>\n
If elected, he hopes to keep Plano an economic powerhouse and retain businesses and their employees. He\u2019d also consider reducing lot sizes for certain senior housing options.<\/p>\n
In Place 8, technology executive Hayden Padgett and human resources executive Vidal Quintanilla are running to fill Rick Smith\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
Padgett is chair of Plano\u2019s Parks and Recreation Planning board and president of the Plano Parks Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Plano Rotary Club and endorsed by the Plano Police Association and Collin County Area REALTORS.<\/p>\n
Padgett\u2019s platform focuses on quality of life, emphasizing the council\u2019s role in supporting public safety, the city\u2019s parks and repairing aging infrastructure, according to his campaign website. If elected, he hopes to support more senior housing options and attract businesses to Plano.<\/p>\n
Quintanilla serves on Plano\u2019s Community Relations Commission and has graduated from the city\u2019s Citizens Police, Fire and Government Academies. In 2021, he ran for the city\u2019s Place 4 seat and lost.<\/p>\n
If elected, Quintanilla said he will work toward redevelopment in the city by considering economic incentives or alternative uses for retail spaces in Plano. He also supports more resources to the city\u2019s police and fire departments.<\/p>\n
Early voting begins April 22 and Election Day is May 3.<\/p>\n
The upcoming local election in Plano is an opportunity for residents to shape the future of their city. With ten candidates running for four council seats, voters have a range of choices to represent their interests. The election will also determine the fate of seven bond propositions, which will have a significant impact on the city\u2019s development and infrastructure. By participating in the election, Plano residents can ensure that their voices are heard and their needs are represented.<\/p>\n
A: Ten candidates are running for four council seats in Plano. The candidates are: Bob Kehr, Douglas Reeves, and Carson Underwood for Place 2; Chris Krupa Downs and Cody Weaver for Place 4; Gary Cary and Steve Lavine for Place 5; and Hayden Padgett and Vidal Quintanilla for Place 8.<\/p>\n
A: There are seven bond propositions on the ballot, totaling nearly $650 million. The propositions include funding for street improvements, a new police headquarters, and other city projects.<\/p>\n
A: Early voting begins April 22 and Election Day is May 3.<\/p>\n
A: Registered voters in Plano are eligible to vote in the election.<\/p>\n
Upcoming Local Election in Plano: What You Need to Know Half of Plano\u2019s City Council will change after voters cast their ballots in this spring\u2019s local election. Ten candidates are running to lead Plano as leaders transition from shepherding years of suburban growth to maintaining a nearly built-out city of almost 300,000 residents. Four council […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3770,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3769","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/WC4DBJHTSVCKNBVN3JSEZBQB4M.jpg?auth=aef4261d25a4387f8c089314a20207ebe507f6a4d5e6ade005eb2f94189337e9&height=630&width=1200&smart=true&quality=80","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3769"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3769"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3769\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3771,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3769\/revisions\/3771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}