Two women with careers in education are running in a special election for Plano City Council at a high-stakes time for the future of the region’s public transit as Plano nears an election to potentially exit the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system.
Colleen Aguilar-Epstein and Shun Thomas are running to replace Julie Holmer, who resigned this fall to run as a Democrat for Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 4.
Aguilar-Epstein, a retired school teacher, and Thomas, an educational specialist at Children’s Health Plano, filed to run for the Place 7 council seat, which is elected at-large. The unexpired four-year term ends in 2027. Plano’s eight council members are limited to two consecutive terms.
Election Day is Saturday, Jan. 31, and early voting will take place between Wednesday, Jan. 14 and Tuesday, Jan. 27. The last day to register to vote for the special election is Wednesday, Dec. 31. Residents can check their voter registration status on the secretary of state’s website.
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Thomas seeks to ‘collaborate with DART’
Thomas, 49, was previously an educator at the Plano Independent School District and now coordinates educational plans for children who are hospitalized. Originally from South Oak Cliff, Thomas has lived in Plano for nearly a decade and holds a doctorate degree in human services from Capella University, she said.
Thomas said she’d prioritize supporting first responders, strengthening reliable transportation options and offering more comprehensive and consolidated support services for residents in need if elected to the city council.
Plano’s future with DART is in the hands of voters as the city nears a May election to consider withdrawal from the transit agency. The council members have until 45 days before the election to call it off, should they come to a compromise with DART.
“I’m prepared to provide support and make the right decisions to help us collaborate with DART,” Thomas said. “We have the opportunity to be a model system for transportation for other cities around the country. We just have to be able to sit down and collaborate.”
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Thomas is president of the Junior League of Collin County, a leadership and volunteer organization for women that she said prepared her to run for office. She previously served on the city’s Community Relations Commission and currently serves on the Texas Health Resources Foundation’s Philanthropy Cabinet.
“I’ve always been out in the community, serving and volunteering,” Thomas said. “I figured that running for public office would be a great way to give back and serve my community.”
Aguilar-Epstein and “suburban character”
Aguilar-Epstein, 63, has lived in Plano for three decades and hopes to “direct decisions that ensure quality” if elected to the city council. The former educator plans to vote to leave DART.
“DART seems to not be offering us a fair solution,” she said.
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Plano council members say the city is paying too much to DART for the service it’s getting. Aguilar-Epstein said she’d want to explore contracting with the agency for specific services and using bond funding to pay off debt owed to DART if voters choose to exit. The city could use sales tax it would no longer give to DART to provide alternative transportation, she said.
Aguilar-Epstein also hopes to preserve Plano’s “suburban character” if elected to Plano’s city council. While the city needs big business, she said, development should be the right fit for the community.
If elected, she also hopes to reverse what she sees as a shortage of affordable homes in Plano that has contributed to declining school enrollment. She also hopes to reform local tax rules for seniors to make it easier for older residents to downsize.
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“I see a Plano where it’s more affordable for families to move here or to stay here, and an opening for senior citizens to be able to stay in Plano, too,” she said.
Aguilar-Epstein has run for Plano City Council unsuccessfully twice before, in 2019 and 2023. She has served on Plano’s Board of Adjustment and serves as the Secretary of Council at St. Paul Lutheran Church. She is also a board member of the Collin County Republican Assembly.
Email tips on all things Collin County to lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com.