Plano City Council Approves DART Funding Agreement, Rescinds May Withdrawal Election

Plano City Council approved a new interlocal funding agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and rescinded the planned May 2026 withdrawal election, voting 8-0 at the Feb. 23 evening meeting. With the rescind in place, the next opportunity to ask Plano voters about leaving DART will not occur until 2032, and other cities have until March 18 to rescind similar withdrawal measures.

Under the agreement, DART will return a growing share of its 1 percent sales tax to member cities - 5 percent in year one rising to 7.5 percent by year six - while the Regional Transportation Council has approved $75 million in regional funding that, combined with DART contributions, would amount to roughly 10 percent for member cities by year six. A separate accounting projects $360 million returned to all 13 member cities over six years; Plano officials have said the city stands to get more than $60 million back over six years, with a related figure of more than $61 million cited through 2031 when regional funds are included.

The vote followed intense public comment that lasted more than an hour, with a few dozen people in the council chamber and pages of stickers in support of maintaining DART service. Mayor John Muns framed the council action as a negotiated gain for Plano, saying, "Plano pushed for meaningful change, and we achieved it. This agreement guarantees a minimum funding return and creates a stronger framework moving forward. While it is not everything we initially proposed, it represents real progress for our community and the region."

Plano's financial stakes informed the debate. A 2024 EY analysis cited by city staff shows Plano contributed more than $109 million to DART in fiscal year 2023 while DART spent about $44 million on services inside Plano that year. City staff noted the municipality spends millions annually on DART, more than the combined budgets for police and economic development in the current comparison cited to council.

The interlocal deal also includes governance changes to expand city representation on DART's board and reduce the City of Dallas's dominant voting weight; Plano's council adopted a resolution requesting state legislative action to implement a new governance structure. DART Board Chair Randall Bryant called the settlement a regional win, saying, "This solution is a victory for North Texans." DART CEO Nadine Lee warned the agency will need to find other revenue streams to maintain operations under the reallocation.

Not all council members or city representatives said the package finished the work. Anthony Ricciardelli, Plano's representative on the DART board and a former council member, voted in favor but argued the agreement does not go far enough. Council member Maria Tu said she had not seen comparable progress toward solutions in years and highlighted the money returning to Plano over six years. Council member Bob Kehr said the plan gives him hope.

At the same meeting, council approved a contract with Via Transportation to launch "Plano Rides" microtransit this spring, an initial six-month contract not to exceed $4 million, with three automatic one-year renewals that carry an estimated annual cost of $8 million if exercised. Some residents urged more community involvement and called the service duplicative; resident Corey Reinaker asked the council to table the microtransit decision.

Advocates and riders pushed for rider representation in the new governance structure. Alex Flores warned, "There's one member of this compromise that is still missing and that's us, the riders." Embher Chaffin of Keep DART in Plano urged appointing a board representative who understands the system, saying, "The board at DART should include someone who rides regularly. With Plano being one of the most diverse cities in Texas, we should utilize that strength."

With other DART cities such as Addison, Farmers Branch, Irving and Denton scheduled to review the same proposal, the March 18 rescind deadline and the unresolved details of payment schedules and Via operational plans set the agenda for regional follow up and potential further negotiation.