May 9, 2009 Plano City and ISD Election

The Dallas Morning News: Plano city and ISD elections will be held on May 9th with backdrop of economic downturn.

Yet this is hardly a typical year to run for Plano City Council. Tax collections are down. Property values are flat or even falling. And service cuts and tax increases could be in the city's future.

That is the dour backdrop as one of North Texas' largest, most affluent suburbs prepares to choose a new mayor, a new City Council and the fate of a nearly $130 million bond package. The election is May 9.

Cuts of all kinds – from park upgrades to middle school police patrols – are already on the table. Even with those reductions, the City Council may choose to increase the property tax rate, raise city fees or both as they seek to craft a new budget by Oct 1.

Municipal elections typically draw low voter turnout. But with the next mayor and council set to decide the course of a mega suburb that is both cash-strapped and aging, voters have much at stake.

Plano City Website Election Info Page: Click here

For the City of Plano the mayor's office and two of the City Council's seven seats are contested. The mayor and council members serve three-year terms.

Plano Mayor (Place 6)

1. Phil Dyer Age: 57
   Occupation: bank executive
   Community highlights: former City Council member; former planning and zoning commission member; former parks and recreation board member; former board chairman of Plano Chamber of Commerce
2. David W. Fincannon Age: 48
   Occupation: CEO of pest control firm
   Community highlights: community volunteer; involved with Preston Meadow Homeowners Association

Plano City Council Place 2 - two former members of Plano's parks and recreation board compete in this race: Ben Harris, a pharmaceutical sales agent, and Susan Plonka, a former publisher and founder of her own Web business.

1. Ben Harris Age: 30-something
   Occupation: pharmaceutical sales
   Community highlights: former parks and recreation board member; board of directors, Plano Youth Leadership
2. Susan Plonka Age: 51
   Occupation: owner of Web business
   Community highlights: former chairman of parks and recreation board; former chairman of Plano Metro Rotary Club

Plano City Council Place 8 - incumbent Lee Dunlap, an architect who is finishing his first council term, has drawn two challengers: Greg Myer and Imran Khan.

1. Lee Dunlap (I) Age: 58
   Occupation: architect
   Community highlights: City Council member; former chairman of planning and zoning commission; former chairman of transportation advisory committee
2. Imran Khan Age: 27
   Occupation: teacher
   Community highlights: community volunteer
3. Greg Myer Age: 37
   Occupation: information technology manager
   Community highlights: former chairman of library advisory board; Republican Precinct Chair; Self describes as a Conservative Republican
   

Plano City Council Place 4 - Lissa Smith, who serves as district director for state Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, is running unopposed in Place 4.

The Plano City Ballot includes several bond propositions totaling nearly nearly $130 million:

• Proposition no. 1 - The issuance of $11,368,000 general obligation bonds for public safety improvements
• Proposition no. 2 - The issuance of $8,000,000 general obligation bonds for renovations to municipal facilities for technology services purposes
• Proposition no. 3 - The issuance of $34,754,500 general obligation bonds for street improvements
• Proposition no. 4 - The issuance of $1,750,000 general obligation bonds for library facilities
• Proposition no. 5 - The issuance of $48,650,000 general obligation bonds for parks and recreation improvements
• Proposition no. 6 - The issuance of $24,100,000 general Obligation bonds for recreation centers
• Proposition no. 7 - The revocation of $3,500,000 general obligation bonds for an overpass project to provide grade separation at preston road and legacy drive

For the Plano Independent School District two places for the seven member Board of Trustees will appear on the ballot:

Plano ISD Board of Trustees Place 6

1. Marilyn Hinton
2. Nathan Barbera
3. Steve Navarre
4. Rama Lavu

Plano ISD Board of Trustees Place 7

1. Missy Bender (incumbent)
2. Robert Canright

The Dallas Morning News:

• Plano elections held with backdrop of economic downturn
• Voter Guide: Compare the Plano City Council District 2 candidates
• Voter Guide: Compare the Plano City Council District 6 mayoral candidates
• Voter Guide: Compare the Plano City Council District 8 candidates