Hal Thomas is running for Frisco City Council, Place 1.[/caption]

Hal Thomas, owner of Frisco Patent Services, has filed for Frisco City Council, Place 1, which is the unexpired seat held by council member Bob Allen. Allen is vacating the seat to run for Frisco mayor.

Thomas said being on city council would be the perfect opportunity to bring up some things he would like to see addressed in the city.

“I thought this would be a really special time to talk about some issues and some things that are near and dear to my heart that haven’t really been in the forefront of Frisco, but [that] I think are very important,” he said.

Thomas has spent 30 years in a corporate environment, starting his career in wireless communications. With that booming industry, Thomas said he spent most of his time managing growth and working through leadership transitions.

“I think that experience could really help Frisco as it’s attracting new businesses and growing as an entity and increasing the population,” he said.

Thomas has also been involved in multiple nonprofit organizations, including Miracle League of Frisco, Athletes in Action and the Dallas chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association.

One topic Thomas said he would like to address if elected to council is providing more services for adults with autism. Thomas and his wife have an adult daughter with autism.

“When I look at Frisco, there’s not anything in the community to help adults with disabilities,” he said. “We don’t have local day [habilitation] programs. … How do we serve this population and give them opportunities?”

Other topics Thomas would like to address include government transparency and involving the community in the governmental process.

Thomas and his family have lived in Frisco since 2010.

Filing for Place 1 goes through Dec. 5, and the term ends in 2018. The election for Place 1 takes place Jan. 14.

Former council member John Keating has also filed for the Place 1 seat.