UPDATED February 8.
Wylie residents are losing a taxpayer champion on city council but gaining a fiscally conservative choice for mayor this May.
On Monday, first-term Wylie City Council Member Matthew Porter resigned his Place 2 seat:
“I believe that Wylie is in a better place now than when I was elected, but that there is still much work to be done. Therefore, I am tendering my resignation from Place 2 to pursue service to Wylie in a higher political role. Please accept this resignation effective immediately.
“Serving Wylie and its citizens has been a privilege and I look forward to doing so again in the future.”
He added on Facebook he was entering the race for mayor and collecting signatures for a ballot petition required of all city candidates.
On Friday, Porter said he had filed his paperwork to appear on the ballot for mayor but would continue to serve on city council until a replacement is elected.
Porter was elected to city council in May 2018 on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Since then, he has been a deciding vote in pushing council to adopt the taxpayer-friendly effective tax rate two years in a row.
“It is critical for elected officials to remember that citizens expect their entity to budget and make choices the same way that households have to,” Porter told Texas Scorecard in 2018 after voting down a property tax increase supported by incumbent Mayor Eric Hogue.
Hogue’s current three-year term as mayor expires this year.
The city will need to hold a special election to fill Porter’s unexpired term, which runs through May 2021.
In addition to mayor, city council Places 5 and 6 are up for re-election this May. The candidate filing deadline is February 14.
To participate in the May 2 municipal election, Wylie residents must register to vote by April 2.
