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City councils in Farmers Branch and Addison made pivotal decisions Tuesday night determining whether voters will decide this spring on their cities’ future in Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
Both cities previously called May elections asking voters whether to remain in or withdraw from DART, a move with major implications for transit access, sales tax revenue and regional mobility. Amid political pressure, public debate and financial considerations, the cities parted ways, with the Farmers Branch City Council voting 4-1 to rescind the May election and the Addison City Council voting 5-2 to deny the option to rescind the election, which means they will move forward with a May election so voters can decide whether to withdraw from the transit organization.
The split decisions followed hours of testimony from residents, pointed questions from council members and warnings from County Commissioner Andy Sommerman and DART Chair Randall Bryant about the financial and operational stakes.
The Farmers Branch council cancelled the May election under pressure, with Sommerman revealing he offered the city $1 million to provide maintenance for Farmers Branch roads and bridges if the council would cancel the election. He said that Council Member Roger Neal’s assessment was correct that the money would not be available if the city didn’t take the agreement offered by DART and cancel the May election. “I think you have changed the nature of what you are offering your voters,” he said.
In addition, Council Member Tina Bennett-Burton asked Bryant whether the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) had said they could stop the work at Interstate 35 and Valley View Road if the issue went to voters in May.
“I think TxDOT made that very clear at the meeting you attended, yes,” Bryant said. “I’m not making that assertion. TxDOT and TCEQ [Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] did.”
“We may have 35 under construction, for what seems like forever, but forever further. I just wanted to make that clear for everybody,” Bennett-Burton said.
Prior to the vote, Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca informed residents of another potential threat to the city if the council did not rescind the election. “Furthermore, the TCEQ, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, indicated to us that if the City of Farmers Branch withdraws and the rails go dark and the TCM, transportation control measure, cannot be replaced, we will be subject to penalties and sanctions, including fines and possibly a roadway closure on I-35.”
Farmers Branch council members have held a majority of their discussions in executive sessions, drawing fire from residents about the lack of transparency, though they pointed to the city attorney’s advice to keep DART negotiations in executive sessions.
By contrast, no one in Addison brought up such issues.
Addison Mayor Bruce Arfsten pointed out after public comments and before the council started discussions that no matter what the council voted to do, not everyone would be happy with the decision. He said that during talks before the Feb. 24 meeting, council members had discussed rescinding the May election if DART offered a deal. “There is a deal in place, and we have to decide if we want to take that. There is certainly no dispute that there are things that DART can do better. Even DART acknowledges that.”
Addison Council Member Chris DeFrancisco, who with Arfsten opposed the motion, said that Dallas’s agreement to give each city a seat on the DART board of directors was a huge concession.
According to the chart during the council presentation by Deputy City Manager Ashley Shroyer, while each city will receive one seat, they are weighted differently and will change if any of the other member cities vote to leave the system. Currently, Dallas’s five seats on the proposed 22-member board would comprise 45% of the vote. While Addison, Farmers Branch and Carrollton would all have one seat on the board, Addison and Farmers Branch would each comprise only 2% of the board, and Carrollton would receive 6.25%.
The divergent votes leave the neighboring cities on separate paths, even as both grapple with the same fundamental questions about regional mobility, concern for the most vulnerable members of the community, local control, and long-term financial commitments.
Speakers in both cities urged the councils to weigh not only DART’s shortcomings but also its role in connecting the cities to the broader region.
“This will likely be the most significant, far-reaching vote you ever take on council,” Farmers Branch resident James Bagby said. “Don’t gamble with our money. Don’t gamble with our future. Take the deal.”
“When I was 14 years old, I would take the bus,” an hour and a half each way to school downtown Dallas, said resident Christian Gomez. He said he remembered his excitement and relief when the green line opened. “It reminds me that this station doesn’t belong to one person. It belongs to the community.”
“Addison residents cannot vote to receive this negotiation,” Addison resident Zach Smetzer said. “This is a really great option that I, as a resident, can’t vote for.”
Mayor Terry Lynne said the negotiations resulted in meaningful progress, including changes to governance and funding.
“For 43 years, Farmers Branch has invested in DART,” Lynne said. “We have invested approximately $500 million for the benefit of our city to be connected in a network that expands beyond our city limits.”
The motion to rescind the election passed 4-1, with Council Member David Reid opposing, ensuring Farmers Branch will remain in DART unless a future council calls for another withdrawal vote, which cannot happen before 2032, according to state law.
In Addison, council members reached the opposite conclusion after slightly less heated debate.
Council Member Randy Smith said the stakes were too high for the council alone to decide the vote. “To be punished for exercising your right to vote is absolutely a reason to vote,” he said.
Council Member Darren Gardner used more diplomatic words to say what became an intense issue in Farmers Branch: “I think that puts a really bad look on DART, to discourage people from voting … I know the reason, but it’s a really bad look,” he said of what Farmers Branch council members called an “ultimatum” or “threat.”
The motion to rescind Addison’s election failed 5-2, preserving the May election.
Bryant said negotiations represented significant progress and indicated that more negotiations and progress would occur for cities that rescinded their elections and signed the agreement with DART by the April deadline.
“Against all odds, progress has been made,” he said.
Addison voters will now decide the town’s future in DART in May, while Farmers Branch will remain in the system under the negotiated agreement.
Together, the decisions mark a turning point in the relationship between the North Texas cities and the regional transit system, with consequences that could shape the region for years to come.
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