As power continues to be restored statewide, questions have arisen of how high citizens’—and their local governments’—electricity bills will be after the City of Denton was hit with a power bill higher than its total electricity costs for the past year. Not all cities...
Plano is putting a check on the influence of money in local politics with a unique ethics rule designed to limit the ability of campaign contributions to impact city council members’ votes. On Tuesday, Plano City Council passed an ordinance requiring council members...
Plano citizens are a step closer to winning their lawsuit compelling local officials to acknowledge a referendum petition on the city’s comprehensive development plan. After spending nearly five years and hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars fighting their own...
After it was confirmed that an email promoting radical Marxism was sent by a Plano school counselor, a Plano city councilman is demanding an investigation. On June 12, an email was sent by Plano ISD Counselor Dianne Evans to fellow counselors, containing documents...
As some Texas cities and counties are imposing new burdens and fines on businesses already hurting from months of government-mandated coronavirus closures, officials in “The City of Excellence” chose a voluntary approach to slowing the spread of the virus. In an...
Why does the grassroots matter? What does “grassroots” even mean? It means We the People—everyday Texans standing up to demand change in our local communities. And it has made all the difference in my city. It’s no coincidence that “We the...
Plano residents are getting another chance to help shape the future of their city, after electing council members who listened to their concerns and prioritized citizens over outside developers. Last week, the Plano City Council appointed 16 residents to an ad hoc...
It’s that time of year for cities and counties across Texas to tell you how wonderful they are for lowering your property tax “rate.” Don’t be snowed! The tax “rate” is a meaningless number on its own. How many rates do you have in your...
For the first time in years, the City of Plano is not raising property taxes. Instead, the city has revealed plans to adopt a budget based on the “effective” tax rate—also called the “no new revenue” tax rate because it collects the same amount of property tax revenue...
Plano officials decided this week to delay a decision on Plano’s controversial comprehensive development plan, leaving unresolved a costly years-long legal battle with residents who petitioned for a referendum vote on the plan. At a special joint meeting with Plano...
Celebrating another victory for local grassroots over outside special interests, conservative activists once again filled the Plano City Council chamber to witness the swearing-in of the two new council members they helped elect in contentious runoff races. Shelby...
Episode 89: Brandon Waltens drops by to discuss the deregulation of plumbers. Jacob Asmussen and Erin Anderson drop by to discuss the results of some local runoff elections. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility VP Cary Cheshire sits down to discuss the 2019 Fiscal...
In a victory for local grassroots over outside special interests, citizen-backed candidates won Plano’s contentious city council runoff elections Saturday, defeating the mayor’s endorsed candidates who were bankrolled by big developer money. Challenger Shelby Williams...
Plano residents are taking notice of important local elections, turning out to vote early in the city’s hotly contested runoff races in high numbers that actually outpaced early voting totals in the regular May municipal elections. From May 28 through June 4, 15,373...
Here’s a look at the results of Plano’s May 4 municipal elections. Plano City Council Results Plano City Council Place 1: Maria Tu won the vote with a landslide victory over Daniel Long and Bill Lisle for the open seat. Tu pulled in the largest amount of votes of any...
Big money in Plano politics is again backing city council candidates who favor real estate developers over city taxpayers—including money from a political action committee bankrolled exclusively by development interests and Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere. We Love Plano...
On Tuesday, US IMPACT and DFWPAC hosted the Plano Citizen’s Forum, a chance for members of the community to hear from candidates for the upcoming Plano City Council and Plano ISD school board elections on May 4. The event was well attended, despite the entire slate of...
Special interests are once again bankrolling Plano politics, donating to “pro-developer” council candidates backed by the city’s mayor. High-density real estate developer Sam Ware donated $1,000 each to a slate of four Plano City Council candidates backed by Mayor...
Plano resident and city council candidate Shelby Williams traveled to Austin at his own expense to do something his tax-hiking city council rival didn’t: stand up for his fellow city taxpayers. Williams testified at a Texas House committee hearing in favor of a bill...
Budget hawk Shelby Williams, a longtime Plano community leader, today officially announced his candidacy for Plano City Council, Place 5. Williams said his main focus as a member of city council will be reining in Plano taxpayers’ escalating city tax burden, along...
