The Plano City Council has unanimously rescinded the withdrawal election from Dallas Area Rapid Transit \u2013 locking the city into another six years with the agency.<\/p>\n
The Plano council voted 8-0 to cancel<\/a> the DART withdrawal election scheduled for May 2, backtracking on earlier demands for the people to decide their future with the agency.<\/p>\n Member cities may opt out only once every 6 years, so Plano\u2019s next chance will be in 2032.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hard work, my opinion, is over, but the real work still lies ahead of us,\u201d said DART Board Chair Randall Bryant in the meeting. \u201cWe\u2019ve come to some great compromises and solutions for governance and funding \u2013 obviously services, that third pillar, that we still need to work through.\u201d<\/p>\n In the same meeting, the council unanimously approved resolutions for funding and governance reform \u2013 for DART to return sales tax revenue through a new General Mobility Program, and to increase member city representation on the DART Board of Directors.\u00a0<\/p>\n Members also approved nearly $28 million for a new \u201cmicrotransit\u201d plan in Plano, and took back an earlier resolution to cap the city\u2019s DART sales tax contributions.<\/p>\n Mayor John Muns thanked council members, Bryant, and the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, DART chairman,\u201d Muns said. \u201cYou set a new tone and worked with us to achieve this agreement. You\u2019ve demonstrated yourself to be an honest broker and an agent of reform. Our expectations in the next six years are high, but we look forward to working with you and the agency in this renewed partnership to better serve the mobility needs of Plano.\u201d<\/p>\n Muns previously told The Dallas Express the council would likely cancel<\/a> the DART withdrawal election, should member cities and the agency reach appropriate agreements for reform.\u00a0<\/p>\n DART member cities had been growing increasingly frustrated<\/a> with the agency\u2019s funding and governance, as The Dallas Express previously reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n This led six member cities \u2013 Plano, Addison, Farmers Branch, Highland Park, University Park, and Irving \u2013 to call<\/a> DART withdrawal elections on May 2, which would let voters decide whether to keep funding the agency or withdraw to pursue other options.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agency has been negotiating with cities ahead of their March 18 deadline to cancel these elections. DART vowed<\/a> not take on new debt until the November elections, and the agency announced on February 20 that the board approved<\/a> a new General Mobility Program to unify member cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Addison City Council is expected<\/a> to vote on canceling its DART withdrawal election on February 24, and other cities may follow.<\/p>\n Funding Reform<\/p>\n The Plano council approved<\/a> a new General Mobility Program by an 8-0 vote, under which DART would return an increasing amount of sales tax revenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n Under the existing structure, Plano gave<\/a> $109.6 million to DART but only received back $44.6 million in services, according to a 2023 study obtained by The Dallas Express. Meanwhile, Dallas gave $407.8 million and received $690.5 million in return. This prompted concerns from suburban officials about funding fairness.<\/p>\n But under the new agreement, DART would send back 5% sales tax revenue to Plano in the first year, according to city Director of Policy Andrew Fortune. This would grow until 2031, with a minimum of 10%.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s also language in the interlocal agreement to address new revenue opportunities,\u201d Fortune said. \u201cSo shared goals, going to the legislature, and seeking other revenue options would first fill up the buckets for cities, ideally to bring that revenue back to cities for transportation mobility up to 25%.\u201d<\/p>\n In exchange, the cities would agree to stop any legislative efforts that could reduce or impair DART\u2019s 1% sales tax revenue, according to Fortune. As The Dallas Express reported, then-DART Board Chair Gary Slagel offered<\/a> an earlier GMP to member cities with similar strings attached.<\/p>\n \u201cThis term would expire, as I mentioned, in 2031, and at that point it would allow for a future council in any of the DART cities to consider a withdrawal election in 2032, should they wish to at that time,\u201d Fortune said.<\/p>\n The NCTCOG RTC also recently approved<\/a> nearly $75 million to help DART\u2019s new GMP send funding back to member cities. Fortune compared the old GMP to the new option, which he said was more favorable.<\/p>\n Governance Reform<\/p>\n The Plano council also passed a measure by 8-0 to reform the DART board\u2019s makeup.<\/p>\n DART\u2019s current governance structure dates back to 1983, according to Fortune. As The Dallas Express reported, the board gives Dallas a strong majority<\/a>, while some member cities share a single seat.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe there\u2019s a shared sentiment among the cities,\u201d Fortune said.<\/p>\n