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As Farmers Branch prepares for a May 2 referendum that could reshape public transportation across North Texas, Mayor Terry Lynne says the city has reached a breaking point with Dallas Area Rapid Transit after 43 years of membership.
"This is probably the biggest decision that this council" will make, Lynne said at the State of the City on Thursday, Jan. 29. "Over two and a half years, I've been sitting in these meetings and nothing has happened. We didn't just decide to do this. This has been building up for years."
The city has until late February to finalize ballots asking whether Farmers Branch should remain part of DART. If voters choose to withdraw, all DART transit services, including buses, trains and paratransit, would cease immediately after the election is canvassed. But the financial obligations would continue for at least five years to cover outstanding debt.
Farmers Branch contributed approximately $24.3 million to DART in 2023 while receiving about $20.8 million in services, according to a 2024 Ernst & Young study.
Lynne sent a three-page letter to DART leadership on Dec. 17 outlining conditions for recommending continued membership. The demands include redesigning the Green Line station with improved safety, returning a portion of sales tax for local transportation initiatives, and giving Farmers Branch its own board seat instead of sharing a half-vote with Plano.
More than six weeks later, the mayor said he has received no response. During the State of the City, Lynne described frustrating interactions with DART leadership, including a recent meeting where Board Chair Randall Bryant said he didn't understand what Farmers Branch was asking for despite more than two years of discussions.
"Our ask and the asks of the other member cities has not changed," Lynne said. "So I don't know what more we can say. There's a disconnect."
The mayor's concerns extend beyond finances to representation and service quality.
"Farmers Branch does not have an actual voice at DART board meetings. We share a representative seat with Plano," Lynne said. "We're seeking one seat for every city so we can all be heard."
He highlighted paratransit services where nearly 90 disabled residents experience lengthy commutes. "It shouldn't take them three hours to get to work and three hours to get home after they've worked all day," he said. "So we need more reliable transportation."
The situation reflects a broader suburban revolt. Six of DART's 13 member cities, Farmers Branch, Highland Park, Irving, Addison, Plano and University Park, have scheduled withdrawal elections for May 2. Together, these cities contribute more than $265 million annually to DART's $850 million budget.
City Manager Ben Williamson confirmed the city is developing contingency plans regardless of the election outcome.
"The council has made it very, very clear that our residents won't lose that access point," Williamson said. "Regardless of any election outcome, service must be maintained."
The city is currently conducting a formal request for information to evaluate potential transit providers, studying models in Arlington, Grand Prairie and other cities operating independent systems. Williamson said the city expects to complete that process soon.
"In the event that happens and if it were to happen here at Farmers Branch, we will have transportation options available for our residents," Lynne said. "That is what the staff is working on right now."
Transportation company Via brought a demonstration vehicle to the State of the City meeting so residents could see what an example of an alternative company serving Farmers Branch could look like.
Farmers Branch voters twice rejected similar withdrawal measures in the past. A November 2025 poll found that more than half of Farmers Branch voters oppose withdrawing from DART.
But Lynne said this time is different. "DART's problem is they haven't sat down with all of us in a room and said, okay, we hear you," he said. "Right now, the DART answer has been all or nothing. One cent, all or nothing."
The mayor noted that while Farmers Branch and five other cities passed resolutions in late 2024 to lower contributions from one cent to three-quarters of a cent, DART has not engaged with the proposal.
As the late February deadline approaches, negotiations appear stalled. Lynne said he talks weekly with mayors from other cities considering withdrawal.
"We could all walk away saying we did a good job to preserve something for the region," Lynne said. "But they're not talking with everybody. This is a problem with what is happening right now."
Cities have until late February to finalize ballots with Dallas County Elections, though they retain the legal right to cancel the elections until March 18. DART has scheduled a public hearing for March 24 to discuss potential service changes if any cities vote to withdraw.
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