Fiscal Responsibility
• Plano has maintained a low tax rate. As a fiscal conservative, I pledge to work with our staff and Council to maintain that low rate.

• Circumstances, however, can change and city services must be maintained. If the rate needs to be adjusted I’ll do my homework and talk to all sides. I’ll make my decision based on the recommendations from the city staff and citizen input.

• Plano has the lowest tax rate (with a homestead exemption) compared to neighboring cities of Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, and even Dallas. With that tax rate we’ve come to enjoy (and even expect) first class parks, libraries, emergency services, etc. Plano has the lowest effective tax rate (when you include our 20% Homestead Exemption) of any of the cities in our area that offer comparable services. Our effective tax rate of 37.88 cents means a $250,000 house in Plano pays $947 in city taxes. A house of the same value in Frisco would pay $1,125 in city taxes; in Richardson--$1,437; in Allen--$1,392; in McKinney--$1,463; in Dallas--$1,498.

 

Maintain Infrastructure
• The city has $10 million in capital reserves to repair and replace our aging infrastructure. This reserve is extremely important as the city continues to mature.

• Maintain the city’s infrastructure (water and sewer systems, roads, etc.) through proactive maintenance. Continue the “pay as you go” format which helps ensure the high bond rating that in turn helps us save money when we do have to issue bonds for projects such as fire stations, recreation centers, etc.

 

Preserve the Integrity of the City’s Neighborhoods
• I have four years as president of the Plano Homeowners’ Council, as well as 10 years on my own HOA board. I am committed to continuing the positive dialogue that I established between the Plano Homeowners’ Council and the City Council. I know firsthand the importance of maintaining the integrity of our neighborhoods and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council to help our neighborhoods retain their vitality as our community matures.

• Active and proper code enforcement will play a big part in maintaining neighborhood integrity and vitality.

 

Public Safety
• I support a strong public safety system. Plano has done its homework and provided first class public safety to its citizens and businesses. Funding must be maintained to keep this level of service in place.

• As the city matures, new public safety needs will surface. We must remain proactive and open minded to ensure our public safety officials have the necessary tools, training and manpower to protect our citizens and the city at large.

 

Build the Business Base
• Plano has done an excellent job in attracting and maintaining its business base. We must continue our pro-business environment.

• City of Plano property tax base is $24.51 billion. 48% of this comes from business and is what helps us offer a lower property tax than neighboring cities.

• The city still has a large amount of commercially zoned property. We should be flexible in recruiting and incentives to get it developed properly.

 

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