LR: While much of our response to COVID-19 was determined at levels that are well above our city’s authority, I did appreciate that Frisco clarified and went with the stricter requirements when Denton and Collin counties did not clearly align.

As a member of my company’s Crisis Management Team, I have been focused on minimizing the negative impact, putting business continuity plans in place, and ensuring we can still achieve our growth plans in the midst of the pandemic. We also strived to ensure the safety of our employees and partners. My priority would be to do the same for Frisco. We will still be feeling the economic impacts for months, and we still do not really know when this will end, so we will need to continue being extra conservative with our spending. Ultimately, we need to get our businesses back open, but we need to do it safely, and we need to allow for new revenue concepts to help make up the losses. I applaud and support companies that have been able to pivot from their core business and creatively transition to new ways of serving their customers.

LR: I have been considering serving Frisco in this capacity for a few years, and after attending the City’s Winter Work Session in January, I knew that now was the right time. While Frisco has several Vision 2020 goals where I know I can contribute, my experience working for a successful financial technology startup creates a perfect fit for me to help us achieve our goal of building a world-class innovation and entrepreneurship center. I am intimately familiar with what would attract those types of businesses to launch their journey in Frisco, as well as the things along the way that would help their company succeed. I believe attracting small business jobs to Frisco is important to our economy, and I want to help contribute to doing just that. Additionally, I believe that I would bring an underrepresented diversity of thought to the Council, especially around some of my passions like preserving our greenspace and creating a strategy for our pets.

LR: Over the past 20 years, I have worked at and led groups for multiple Fortune 500 companies like Newell Rubbermaid, Kraft-Heinz and American Express. I have also spent time with smaller, privately owned organizations, like my current role at PayNearMe. I have managed difficult situations, including a major outsourcing project while at AmEx, and more recently helping to navigate through the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic as a member of my company’s Crisis Management Team. My ability to lead when times are tough has been tested and proven. I have also had the privilege of leading multiple nonprofit organizations in a variety of capacities. I have a broad knowledge base on my own, but I have also learned the tremendous value of working together with cross-functional teams, peers, and partners who have all helped educate me in ways that helps us all to make the best decision possible. I have designed strategies and I have entrusted the committees to operationalize the vision. My experience directly correlates with how the council works with city staff, the different committees, and especially Frisco’s citizens and organizations. I know that this experience and knowledge, combined with my passion and dedication for service, will greatly benefit our city over the coming years.

LR: The economic expansion of our city is certainly a blessing, but our growth needs to be managed carefully, especially as we work towards build-out. Balancing the financial burden of what we need to do in support of our existing infrastructure, while aggressively laying the foundations for our future growth, is our biggest issue. As in business, we have a budget to adhere to, and we do not have infinite funding available. Our priorities must include things like keeping up with our roads, staffing and supplying our public safety departments with the tools they need, and ensuring we have a sufficient water supply. As a result, and in order to stay on budget, sometimes we don’t get to do things like mowing our parks as often as we would like. I want to create additional opportunities for Frisco that increase the overall sales tax revenue coming into our city, helping us to fund more services that put more back into our community. Once it’s safe to do so, I would encourage gatherings like conferences, sporting events, and entertainment to come back to Frisco. Special events would create even more opportunities for all participants, both residents and visitors, to contribute to our city.

LR: The metroplex is expanding north so we need to proactively plan for a population increase that impacts the entire surrounding area. While Frisco is currently 20% under our usual traffic patterns as a result of the pandemic, things will eventually return to normal. Attracting more employment opportunities, entertainment options, and service destinations to Frisco will allow for shorter trips for our residents that currently have to meet those needs by going to other cities. Getting businesses to move here will not only contribute to the taxes we collect but will also allow our residents to work in their own community. Now that many companies have been forced to shift to work-from-home setups with their employees, that type of arrangement is becoming more widely accepted. We should be working with employers to offer alternative work arrangements like flexible hours and remote opportunities, both of which would help reduce traffic during peak hours.

LR: Housing prices continue to rise, now averaging over $500K. While that increase in value is great for most existing homeowners, it does create a challenge for our retired residents on a fixed income. I would continue to support the senior citizen homestead exemption that helps our retirees afford the increases in property taxes that come from their home value going up.

Like our current Council, I would not support adding any new multi-family zoning in Frisco. We currently have thousands of apartment rights owned by landowners that have simply not been developed yet. Those rights were granted years ago to enable the city to build our major roads. I would like to work with the developers when they do finally decide to build, to ensure that their proposals for that location are in the best interest of Frisco and our existing residents. If an apartment complex is being proposed, it cannot be at the expense of creating a negative impact on the surrounding area. At a minimum it needs to meet our height and capacity requirements to avoid creating too much of a strain on our infrastructure. I would also like some of these multi-family developments converted to townhomes, duplexes, or zero lot line communities. These create affordable entry options into Frisco without the density of apartments. Areas like The Star and Main Street Square make sense for apartment communities because they have walkable access to dining, work, and entertainment, as well as easy access to the highways.

LR: I pride myself in being a strong collaborator and proponent of inclusion, qualities I believe are necessary in the position I am seeking. Not only do I want to hear other opinions, but I want to understand why people have them. At my core, I am a fiscal conservative who wants the government to play a minimal role in our lives. I want to maintain our tax rates without sacrificing the high standards that we have come to expect from Frisco’s city services and public safety departments. I have a relentless focus on continuous improvement through strategic and analytical thinking, both personally and professionally, and I would bring that same tenacity as your next City Councilperson.

RM: Regardless of your COVI-19 politics, I think we can all agree that there is a great deal of fear in our daily interactions. As someone who contracted and survived COVID-19, I believe that we must break free of the fear that governs our daily interactions with our community and its businesses. COVID-19 is here to stay, but it must not rule our lives. We must protect the vulnerable. At the same time, those of us who are low risk must do our part in restarting the economy.

From a regulatory level, this means minimizing business restrictions as expeditiously as possible. From a budgetary perspective, this means avoiding an increase in local taxes. If our citizens suffer financially, then our City should avoid increasing fiscal pain with higher taxes. If this means a reduction in non-essential services at the city-level, then so be it.

We have to decide which value is more important to us: freedom or safety. For the sake of Frisco and its citizens, I firmly believe that freedom is the most important as it allows us to protect the most vulnerable and ensures that others can choose to participate in the economy. It is for that reason that I will be supporting policies that allow Frisco the greatest amount of freedom. By restoring our confidence and opening our economy, we put ourselves on the road to recovery and a resumption of the social and economic prosperity that has come to define our city.

RM: I am running because Frisco needs calm, experienced, and clear leadership in these uncertain days. As a first generation immigrant from South Africa, I have experienced the heartbreak of racial injustice, the long road to healing, and the arduous task of building racial trust. As an experienced businessperson, I have the practical know-how to help guide Frisco through this time of economic uncertainty. I am running because I believe our local challenges, if addressed correctly, will make us stronger as a city than we have ever been.

RM: I retain a specialized skillset that makes me an ideal public servant for this time in our City’s history. We have two key issues facing us in the next three years: 1) social challenges, and 2) economic threats.

As someone whose parents immigrated from one of the most racially divided places on earth, I have a deep understanding of the challenges facing our community today. Because of my experiences, I pursued a graduate degree in conflict management and dispute resolution with a focus on community-scale conflict management. I see conflict as an opportunity, and have a deep passion for helping my neighbors lean into the conflict and transforming it into a constructive and change-driving event.

As a businessman and HOA veteran, I have extensive experience operating highly successful entities on distressed budgets. Frisco’s city government is preparing to face some lean fiscal years given our large retail industry and COVID-19’s impact on tax revenue. As a City, we must achieve the same results with less resources. These types of environments are my bread and butter, and my experiences and successes in dealing with these situations bring a great deal of value to Frisco.

Because of my ability to move the needle for Frisco in these two areas, I am the best choice on the Place 5 ballot.

RM: Three issues:

a) A long-term plan for the redevelopment of “old” Frisco. I live in the “old” part of Frisco—a part of town that is largely forgotten in the mad rush to keep up with the so-called Billion-Dollar mile and the new developments in the north. I support a future allocation of EDC funds to establish a performance-based program that incentivizes the re-zoning and redevelopment of older parts of Frisco, and the construction of cutting-edge developments that are financially accessible to students, young-professionals, and seniors.

b) Low tax burden: While Frisco’s tax rate has remained steady, the tax bill for our property and home owners continues to increase due to the market value of property in Frisco. I support efforts to minimize increases in the end-tax bill. Because we pay for what we get, I support the maximizing essential services (public safety, infrastructure, utilities, and economic development) and minimizing non-essential services (especially government sponsored social programs that are endemic to larger cities).

c) Securing our civil liberties: I have worked closely with civil liberties groups for years, and cities are some of the worst civil liberty offenders. I support proactive local legislation that protects the rights of our citizens to gather and peaceably protest, the rights of our business owners to do business in accordance with their religious convictions, and the rights of our houses of worship to hold services in accordance with their Constitutional rights.

RM: Frisco has a core traffic problem, and we have two venues through which to address that problem. The core traffic problem is that Frisco is a pass-through city, which means that our north-south roads bottleneck as commuters travel from homes north of Frisco to workplaces south of Frisco. We solve that problem through a long-term multi-tiered economic and community development policy that focuses on bringing homes and the workplaces into Frisco, thereby reducing the pass-through effect we experience on the [Dallas North] Tollway and Preston [Road] 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. In the meantime, we can address the symptoms of pass-through by investing in responsive traffic control technology and traditional infrastructure upgrades such as turn-lanes and round-abouts.

RM: I see two critical issues, and as a professional developer, I am the candidate best equipped to address them.

We must increase our commercial build-out. At present, only about 35% of Frisco’s property tax revenue comes from commercial real estate. That needs to be increased to a healthier 40%-45% for fiscal health reasons.

Provide financially accessible living options to seniors, students, and young professionals. Frisco’s unbelievable economic success (a good thing) is pricing thousands of current and future residents out of Frisco (a bad thing). The solution is not so-called “affordable housing.” Moreover, the solution is not twisting the arms of new developers to build student housing in the prime areas of Frisco—it is not financially sustainable. The solution is reinvesting in the aging parts of Frisco in an effort to minimize neighborhood blight and to revitalize older parts of the city to sustain a younger and vibrant workforce.

RM: On the serious side: I am an old soul in a young man’s body. As Frisco nears build-out, I will bring value to Frisco City Council by contributing a set of skills and expertise that are particularly suited to a city nearing late-stage growth. I understand the opportunities and challenges of the younger generation while remaining deeply rooted in the values that originally made Frisco a great place to live.

On the fun side: I’m an instrument rated pilot with a high-performance aircraft endorsement (flying since I was 17). My midlife crisis hit early, and I am the proud rider of a fantastic pearl-white Harley-Davidson motorcycle with white wall tires--in 2018 I took one month and rode across the country with a sleeping bag and a backpack. I’m an avid runner with several marathons under my belt.

RC: Overall, I think the city has done a fine job in its response to the pandemic, given the unprecedented situation and changing access to information. They worked with the top healthcare professionals, communicated in a timely fashion, and were quick to adjust as facts came to light. Frisco also worked hard to eliminate red tape and bureaucracy around the CARES Act to help get business back to work as soon as possible, to help stem the long term impacts for employees. Frisco is unique in that it straddles two counties and the offices of Collin and Denton County Health Services take precedence over our city decisions. It goes without saying that the pandemic has impacted many in our community, including some members of my family as well as some friends.

My priorities have been to do what I can to help lower the long term financial impacts locally by 1) assisting those who lost their jobs find new work; 2) assist in the grant and PPP processes and 3) inform friends of options for testing and getting necessary medical services. It is imperative when working through the complexities of dealing with health offices of two counties that we gather information as it becomes available and take smart action as needed. As we move forward, we must get businesses fully open in a way that keeps employees safe. We must also share best practices and ideas with our business and employee communities.

RC: When I moved to Frisco in 1997, I was thrilled to be met with, what I later termed, “The Promise of Frisco.” The community spirit and pride the citizens had in their growing town was palpable. As I met more and more people, I could sense the excitement for the next phase of Frisco’s tremendous growth. Frisco ISD had already committed to an opportunity/engagement model for its high school build-out and our city leaders were thinking big—like the Preston Road expansion, Stonebriar Mall and a minor league baseball stadium. Our residents had unprecedented opportunities for living, working and playing—we were able to stay within our city line and achieve a high quality of life. Our city leadership had a bold vision and achieved their goals, all while keeping our tax rate at lower levels than surrounding communities.

As for me—fast forward to 2020. The Promise of Frisco is still alive! Our residents have more opportunities, have a better quality of life and higher expectations in academics, athletics and, yes, the arts! With continued growth, there are unprecedented challenges in front of us, which I will discuss here, and throughout my campaign for city council.

In my 22-plus years living here, The Promise of Frisco has been very evident in my life. Three of my children have graduated from FISD high schools. I’ve enjoyed numerous employment opportunities, and my wife has loved her 10-plus years as a teacher in Frisco ISD.

With that background, extending the Promise of Frisco to future generations is my primary driver in seeking a seat on the city council. My vision is to help Frisco to complete the cycle of migrating from a small commuter suburb to a modern, self-sustaining city. Frisco will be home to major employment centers and have a diversified economy which removes much of the tax burden from the backs of homeowners. We will be a city where a university campus (UNT) works side by side with technology companies in creating an applicable curriculum for the next generation of professionals. High paying jobs will be created locally, allowing residents to stay home to enjoy the city’s great amenities while eliminating long commutes and stemming the flow of traffic from residents outside of Frisco.

RC: I have a blend of professional experience and a proven track record of local volunteering, on both city and FISD committees. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained give me a unique skill set which will greatly benefit the city, as I serve on the council in a manner that fairly represents all of our residents.

From a professional perspective, I have over two decades of solution focused roles in software development, management, and technical sales. I currently serve in an executive management role at a software applications firm. My professional experience has given me experience in information gathering, needs analysis, vetting potential solutions, and communicating the value of solutions to participants and stakeholders.

My job experience has led to dealing with clients domestically and internationally. As a result, I’ve traveled around the globe and have learned the ways of many varying cultures. As examples, I’ve traveled to and worked with, people in countries such as India, Brazil, Malaysia, and Singapore. During my travels around the globe, I’ve learned to further appreciate what a world-class city Frisco has become.

Over the course of my 22 years as a Frisco resident, I have really enjoyed giving back to my city by volunteering in the community. Whether by serving the Purple room (youth) at my church, leading a men's group, coaching PSA/club volleyball, or leading the tunnel team for the Frisco HS booster club—I love to serve others!

As a long-time supporter of Frisco ISD, I wanted to ensure FISD had a solid long-term growth plan, so as to remain the great school district it is. Therefore, for the last three years, I have volunteered to serve on the District of Innovation and Long Range Planning committees. On these committees, I advocated for our students by encouraging district leaders to introduce numerous initiatives, including AI technology; 4k cameras; ROTC; expansion of CTE options, usage of scorecards to track TRE and Bond components; and add/improve communications to students, families, and residents. Serving on these committees has given me insight into key functions, such as security, transparency, and communication, which will greatly benefit me as a representative of Frisco City Council.

In 2015, I was selected to serve on the Frisco Planning and Zoning Commission. I have been honored that my fellow commissioners have voted, unanimously, three times for me to represent them as chairman of this commission. In my time on P&Z, I have invested over 1,000 volunteer hours to understand the life cycle of a city. This includes attending events (using personal/vacation time) such as National American Planning Association (APA) conferences, State APA conferences, ULI events, and other training sessions. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to travel to look at great developments such as Verrado, outside of Phoenix; Stapleton in Colorado; and Mud Island in Memphis. These experiences have provided me great insight into optional housing options that could help in affordability in a booming market.

My background as a software professional, combined with my city and FISD volunteer record, provides a unique perspective that will help me in working with my fellow councilpersons in solving difficult problems our residents face. Over time, I have become a resource that residents have sought in getting resolution on complex issues such as Allen Substation; Lawler Park HOA/Edgewood; and the Lone Star Ranch HOA issue with the Tributary at Teel/Lebanon (which I voted against—I thought it was a bad development.)

On council, I will continue to use my experience—listening to residents, understand the needs of the city and creating win-win solutions when possible.

RC: In a fast-growing city like Frisco, several of the major issues are intertwined. However, the biggest issue that impacts a city like ours, is the tax burden placed on the back of homeowners. Due to rising property values, and with no policy changes, this burden will continue to increase. In my opinion, we can leverage short term tactical budget decisions to help alleviate higher taxes. Specifically: expanded homestead exemptions; increased senior exemptions; and managing budgets. These will all help in the short term, but they don’t completely provide a long-term solution.

Smart growth is the best way to solve the homeowners’ tax burden in the long term. Frisco must continue to court employment centers along its highway spine. This will generate billions of commercial tax valuations, resulting in lower tax rates for homeowners. Commercial growth will also enable us to diversify our economy with a variety of industries, such as high tech, financial services and biomedical, which will create a more sustainable balance of tax sources. In this scenario, we will not be totally reliant on homeowners or tourism sales tax in the revenue column of our budget.

As a councilperson, I will bring experience in dealing with C level executives at Global 1000 companies and have the understanding and ability to help get these employment centers to Frisco. This will allow us to attain our goal of long-term sustainability while reducing the tax burden on homeowners.

RC: I prefer to differentiate transportation needs from traffic. Frisco has been at the forefront of using disruptive innovation and technology solutions to find long term answers to transportation. The ideas of autonomous vehicles and drone-based technology are fast becoming valid solutions in solving long term transportation needs and will become reality far faster than alternative traditional solutions, such as light rail.

From an infrastructure perspective, we must continue to plan for and protect our water supplies. Our conservation efforts must continue, and education is key to the conservation of our resources. On council, I will be focused on ensuring water supply to build out, at affordable rates for our citizens.

Finally, as far as traffic and road infrastructure are concerned, we must continue to invest in completing our east/west corridors. Examples include Rockhill Road west of the Tollway; Panther Creek East of the tollway; and John Hickman east at the DNT [Dallas North Tollway] to Parkwood. I will support the continued use of emerging smart city innovation, such as the Waze integrations to notify citizens of issues, and light management and AI-based dynamic adjustments to traffic flow.

As north Plano and Frisco are becoming the center of North Texas employment, pass-through traffic from the north, east and west will remain, no matter how much concrete is poured. We must finalize employment centers, especially on the north side of Frisco to create local commuting options for residents, reverse commuting options for employees to the south and to reduce the current pass-through of our neighbors north of Frisco.

RC: I have spent the last five years immersed in the planning of our city and have gained great insight. I’ve also adjusted my thoughts as to the needs of our residents as home prices have risen. I have been directly involved in the success of Frisco, and am proud of the national accolades we’ve received, such as No. 1 city to live, No. 1 city for job growth and No. 6 safest cities. Many of the decisions made in planning over the last five years have led to this success. However, as great as the recognition has been, it is not time to rest on our laurels—we need to look forward to the next set of challenges for our city and maintain the high quality of life we enjoy.

In 2015, the majority of new neighborhoods were traditional 8.5 single family and 7 single family classifications. Over the last three years, I have supported the balance of traditional residential lots and smaller lot home choices, such as patio homes, and townhomes. These products have provided options to teachers, firefighters, young buyers, single parents and empty nesters that were not previously available.

One of the current conversations we are having in Frisco concerns multi-family developments. I will continue to work to negotiate down existing entitlements of garden-style apartments when the city has the leverage to do so, without subjecting the city to expensive legal battles. I have supported removing or reducing multi-family entitlements over the last 5 years. For example, I have supported over nine times stopping new multi-family requests that were located in the wrong area, both in meetings and work sessions. We cannot have a multi-family facility for the sake of development. The units must be the right type, in the right location, and serve a purpose for supporting job creation or entertainment venues, such as Frisco Square. I have voted for recommendation and will continue to support a balance of urban living and high rise multi-family along Frisco’s highway spine, only if it is directly tied to jobs/commercial and/or entertainment venues. I have sat at the table across from developers and helped negotiate down multi-family entitlements.

Housing cost is not Frisco’s issue to solve alone and must include a free-market approach. Cities to the north, east, west of Frisco have lower-cost housing markets, with short commuter access to the Frisco/Plano job corridor. They are essentially the bedroom communities that Frisco was 20 years ago. This proximity to jobs allows service workers the ability to live close to the employment centers, without having to pay the higher cost of housing in Frisco, while making more than they can in the cities they live in.

With rising housing costs, we must continue to attract high paying jobs to our commercial developments, and with it, support appropriate housing for the professionals that want to live close to where they work. This can take shape in the form of urban-style apartments, high rises, condos, townhomes or smaller home sites. These need to be in the commercial village along the spine, where we must balance density with seamless integration into our great world-class neighborhoods. On council, I will not support lowering the building standards to reduce housing costs or taxing current homeowners to lower someone else's housing costs.

RC: In this next election, more than ever before, experience matters. Being on council is not an entry-level job for aspiring candidates—we are far past the small bedroom suburb stage of our city’s life cycle. As you’ve seen in my previous answers, I have extensive experience in helping build our city to what it is now, and I have a vision for the city as we move forward. I welcome the opportunity to work with my colleagues on the City Council in implementing my vision.

My vision enables the arts to be as accessible as sports. It partners UNT with high tech companies to create employment opportunities, creating a city where our children want to live and work after graduation. It lowers homeowner taxes as values continue to grow. It strives to keep average household income at the top of the chart in Texas. It creates jobs that allow us to work close to home and not commute for hours each day. It allows our police and fire chiefs to hire the best personnel and give them the benefits, tools, and innovations they deserve, and to keep us safe. My vision moves Grand Park forward in the next year. It encourages all of our residents, no matter where they live or in what type of housing they live, to work, play and serve in a modern sustainable city.

I’m Rob Cox, and I have the experience and vision to get these things done, along with my colleagues, on the city council for the great city of Frisco. Please vote for Rob Cox, Frisco City Council, Place 5.

JM: Given the circumstances of COVID-19 which was an unforeseen and first time event, I would grade the city an A+ in their response to the pandemic. The internal communication and leadership of our city medical director, Dr. Gamber, and Fire Chief Piland to navigate this challenge have been on par with Frisco, the very best! Council has worked with and directed staff on handling federal CARES funds and I feel that Council and City Staff did an excellent job in responding to the challenge of COVID-19.

My priority to address COVID-19's effects on the community is to advocate to county and state officials to get our economic and societal engines moving again. The data now supports that it is time for us to move forward and get kids back into school and workers back to work. Our local Frisco economy thrives on tourism, recreation and retail, it is time to start fueling this machine and get society back to living life.

JM: I have a passion for Frisco, and I believe that I am the most qualified resident to serve on council. I am often referred to as “Mr. Frisco” by several of my friends because of my many years of volunteering and involvement with community organizations in Frisco. We need a leader to fill this upcoming open seat who has a proven track record of being involved and having a passion for serving Frisco residents and families.

JM: I believe that I am the most experienced candidate in this race because I have attended 41 council meetings since making the announcement to run for this position. I am a graduate of City Hall 101, Citizen’s Police Academy, Citizen’s Fire Academy and a graduate of Leadership Frisco Class XVIII. I also believe that my service as a member of the Board of Directors for many community organizations has provided me the experience needed to serve on council. Most recently I have served on the boards of the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, Visit Frisco and The Rotary Club of Frisco.

JM: I believe that the biggest issue facing Frisco today is the decisions that can not be controlled directly by city council. That would be decisions made by the state legislature that affect local control and property pricing that is fueled by market demand. My legislative plan is to work with state representation, not just in Frisco, but other surrounding North Texas communities to not only protect local control but also ensure that it thrives and prospers. My approach in handling market driven property prices is to focus on delivering a low tax rate and exemptions to home owners and Frisco families so that their cost of living can help offset high market pricing.

JM: The top transportation related concern is the movement of people throughout the city. We will conquer this issue by leveraging technology and data. Currently the city is implementing data collection equipment at intersections to enhance the timing of traffic signals which moves cars down the road faster. I believe that as we continue to accumulate traffic pattern data and implement solutions based on that data we will see significant traffic improvements. When possible I think we should implement roundabouts not only to enhance traffic movement but to also increase safety.

While Frisco feels very new, we have an aging transportation infrastructure, streets are aging and getting ready to expire. We have many areas that need to have the roads re-developed, and we need to be cognizant in our approach so that traffic patterns are not extremely disrupted during re-development.

Lastly, we must prepare the city for “future” modes of transportation. With daily drone deliveries and flying vehicles coming up on the horizon, our future developments and re-developments must be “air-friendly”

JM: The overall cost of living in Frisco is a conversation that I have had with many residents. It is not just the cost of housing, but also the cost of tollway fees that are a growing concern. The cost of housing is determined by the market and not something council can directly control. Again, referenced in one of my earlier answers, one of the biggest issues facing Frisco is market pricing. As a council member I will advocate for a low tax rate and exemptions to help offset the purchase cost residents pay by lowering their ongoing property tax costs. I believe that we need to increase our ratio of commercial property to residential property to be more weighted towards commercial property. This will help provide additional tax relief to Frisco home owners. In the development of additional commercial properties I believe that they should be mixed use properties that do include urban style apartments and retail. By developing mixed use properties we not only create a walkable environment that reduces the amount of cars on the street but we also help recession proof properties.

JM: Picture any great athlete, musician or artist. How did they rise to the level of becoming the best? They prepared. I have been preparing to serve as a council member since making my campaign announcement to run in the summer of 2018. I have attended 41 city council meetings, met with citizens, met with city staff and invested many hours of reading and research to be the best council candidate residents could vote for. In addition to all that direct preparation, I have also served in the following community roles:

• Frisco Chamber Board of Directors

• Visit Frisco Board Member

• Rotary Club of Frisco; Club President & Board of Directors

• Leadership Frisco Class XVIII Graduate

• Frisco City Hall 101 Graduate

• Frisco Citizen’s Police Academy Graduate

• Frisco Citizen’s Fire Academy Graduate

• FISD ISM program mentor

• Frisco Entrepreneur of the Year (2014)

• Frisco Style “Best of Frisco” (2017)

• Frisco Young Professionals Marketing Committee Chair

• Frisco Chamber Ambassador & Ambassador Team Lead

I believe that I am the most qualified resident to be Frisco’s next city council member. I would appreciate your support and your vote!

Learn more at VoteMeek.com.

RM: (Candidate did not respond)

RM: When I moved to Frisco 20 years ago, my wife and I had recently married. We wanted a great place to live and start our family. Like many newlyweds, we started with no money and big goals. Frisco has been good to us and allowed us to achieve the American dream. I’ve been able to balance my professional career with raising my children and participating in the community. Family is the most important thing in my life. Everything I do is to create opportunities for my children to be successful. It’s important to me that Frisco continues to be an attractive option for new families.

As a community, we face many challenges that must be addressed properly to maintain the quality of life for which Frisco is known. Consistent leadership and a commitment to conservative fiscal values have been the keys to our success. Frisco has become an incredibly diverse community. However, our leadership doesn’t currently reflect that diversity. Regardless of where we come from, we all want low taxes, better traffic, more local jobs, better education opportunities, and a sense of security. I decided to run for office because Frisco residents deserve a candidate that will listen to their needs and address their concerns regardless of age, income, race, religion, or political affiliation.

RM: I have more than 25 years of professional experience in technology management and implementation. Many of the issues we face will require technology to develop solutions. My experience in SMART technology implementation in the public sector gives me an advantage in evaluating and recommending appropriate solutions to Frisco’s unique needs.

I believe that local jobs are extremely important for Frisco. I’ve worked with multiple companies to establish a presence in Frisco and create employment opportunities for Frisco residents. I continue to work with the Frisco EDC to identify, attract, and grow new employers.

I have worked closely with many civic organizations to provide volunteer and financial support in Frisco and the surrounding area. I currently serve as a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain. I was appointed by Frisco City Council to the 2018 Citizen Bond Committee, where I studied the financial needs for the City of Frisco over the next five years and worked with other committee members and city staff to develop a bond package to fund essential city services. I also served on the Yes for Frisco political action committee that supported the successful passage of the 2019 bond package in the city election. I served as the vice-chair for Frisco Forward in support of the Frisco ISD bond election in 2018. Also, I was a founding member and vice-chair of the Frisco Indian Affairs Committee.

I have raised two children that have exclusively attended Frisco ISD schools from elementary to high school. I am committed to ensuring that the City of Frisco continues to work with FISD to develop the partnerships that have created exceptional opportunities for our young residents.

Although I have lived half of my life in Frisco, I am an immigrant like many Frisco residents. I possess a unique understanding of the role that diversity of thought plays in creating a balanced city. I am deeply rooted in Frisco and intensely committed to our success as a city and community.

RM: I’ve talked with many residents over the years and I’ve learned that priorities are based on individual circumstances. It’s important for voters to know that elected officials are representing their concerns equally. However, there are a few issues that top the list, and traffic is number one. While traffic seems to be the greatest source of frustration for residents, I believe it is a symptom of the real issue. Frisco is lacking local job opportunities. There is an imbalance between property values and income opportunities. Many residents must find employment in neighboring cities to generate the income necessary to purchase a home and pay property taxes in Frisco. This is true for our neighbors to the north as well. Thousands of commuters travel through Frisco every day to work in cities to the south without paying taxes in Frisco to support construction and maintenance of our roads.

We must address this imbalance and seek to become an attractive high-end employment center for major corporations; small, growing businesses; and startup companies. This one objective alone will have the greatest impact on the top issues facing Frisco. More local jobs reduces traffic, lowers the tax burden on homeowners, generates more sales tax, increases income opportunities, and increases the time we can spend with family and friends.

RM: Like any city, Frisco faces a number of challenges and opportunities as we grow. Traffic is always a major concern of residents. Frisco has learned from our neighboring cities and we’ve been very proactive about designing a traffic management system to address our rapid growth. Our major roadways are already built to maximum capacity, with many intersections containing almost 20 lanes for traffic. But, we can’t solve the problem with construction alone.

In addition to traditional traffic management practices, we should explore alternative transportation options and smart city solutions. There is an abundance of research and numerous solutions are being developed by private industry. The real issue is understanding the technologies and selecting the best path for Frisco. Frisco has the best traffic engineers in the country. We need to ensure that our elected representatives understand that and give them the resources they need to develop and implement solutions. We should also continue to preserve corridors for future transportation technology and growth opportunities.

Much of Frisco’s infrastructure has been constructed in the past years. We haven’t faced maintenance issues that plague some neighboring cities. As our city ages, we will have more maintenance costs. It is important to ensure a consistent revenue stream that doesn’t rely on homeowners paying more in property taxes. Part of the solution is to increase the number of businesses operating in Frisco. This will create a more balanced sharing of the tax burden between business and residential development. Just as we’ve done with our numerous sports venues, we should continue to pursue opportunities that capture sales tax revenue from visitors.

RM: Real estate development is a complex issue in Frisco. At the core is the need to balance landowner rights with community goals of getting the best use of available land. We all want quality, safe, family friendly developments with long-lasting value and we rely on these developments to create a variety of housing, office, shopping, and recreation options. With an average new home value of more than $400,000, it’s difficult for a new family to find an affordable living option. This is a primary driver for the development of multi-family projects. There is no single solution that addresses the needs of landowners, developers, and residents. Every development project works closely with the City’s development department to meet Frisco’s strict building codes, zoning requirements, and design standards. Each project must be evaluated against the comprehensive master plan, community input, current needs, and future expectations.

RM: I live the Frisco dream and other things to know about me are below:

1. Ex-Soccer Coach for my daughter's team U-5/U-6.

2. Team Member Adult Basketball team at Fieldhouse USA.

3. Martial Arts Student (jiujitsu, kick boxing).

4. Regular 5K runner to support Frisco Local Organizations.

5. Volunteer for a lot of nonprofits in DFW area.

6. FFL Chain Gang and Scorer.

7. City Hall 101 Graduate.

8. Core founder for connecting the elected and city officials to the general population ("Cricket with Cheney," "Chai with Cheney," "Coffee with the cops," "Anti-Bullying events" etc,). These events helped the general population interact with our city employees and elected officials.

9. Regular donor and fundraiser for various nonprofit organizations in DFW area.

10. YEA (Young Entrepreneur's Academy Mentor) 2020.

11. Help the community whenever there is a problem. Example connect the student parents to the right FISD officials when in need, help with HOA issues in various subdivisions and connect them with the appropriate city engineers and planners, connect the Frisco PD and also traffic engineers with the general citizens when there are accident prone intersections, etc.

12. Corporate technology executive with vast experience helping state governments, local governments and also commercial sectors.

DS: (Candidate did not respond)

DS: I am running for Frisco City Council because the citizens of Frisco need a strong advocate on City Council who is genuinely concerned about improving their day to day lives.

DS: I honorably served in the United States Marine Corps with the 5th Marine Regiment from 1996-2000 and deployed to China, Australia, Thailand, South Korea and lived on the island of Okinawa, Japan. After the Marines I started college at the University of North Texas and matriculated with the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a Master’s in Business Administration.

In 2005, I began my career in Electronic Security and have significant international business experience working for Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian and European companies. I have held numerous senior management roles during my career including Director, Vice President and President with both private and publicly traded companies. It has been my pleasure to travel all over the world and experience many cultures and learn about their day to day lives. Frisco is a melting pot of many different people from all over the world and my years of working for international companies and living abroad give me a world view that benefits everyone.

In 2016, I was elected to the Waterstone HOA and during that time the board worked towards improving our neighborhood. One of the first things that we did was make needed repairs to sidewalk and worked with the City of Frisco to add a crosswalk across Lebanon to create a safer way for families to cross and go to the park.

In 2018, I was re-elected and unanimously appointed President of the Waterstone Homeowners Association. One of my first goals was to have Waterstone Certified as a Five Star Neighborhood by the City of Frisco. The Five Star Neighborhood Program recognizes HOA’s that take pride in their communities and membership in the program indicates an HOA’s effort to promote effective communication, management and community involvement. I’m proud to say that Waterstone was awarded the Five Star Neighborhood designation by the City of Frisco in 2019. Most importantly in service to my community I take deep pride in knowing that my servant leadership has brought people together to promote a family friendly environment.

In 2019 I was appointed to the Hosp Elementary PTA where I serve as the Parliamentarian.

I am also an “Advocate Member” of the Frisco ISD Council of PTA/ PTSAs and have joined all 65 of FISD’s PTA/PTSAs for 2019-2020.

DS: The majority of Frisco residents drive to surrounding cities to go to work. As a City Councilman I will work hard to bring organizations with high paying jobs to Frisco. Attracting Fortune 500 companies to our great city is going to be one of my highest priorities.

Traffic and congestion are a constant topic of discussion, drive times to and from destinations within our growing city have increased significantly in the past few years due to the number of new residents that are moving in. To lessen traffic and congestion one of the solutions is to continue to build mixed use facilities along the DNT “Spine”, 121 and on the north side of Frisco to provide a “Reverse Commute.” Much of the traffic coming through Frisco is from Prosper, Celina and other areas to the north. If we build mixed use developments along 380 and the DNT it could provide a buffer for traffic going south. For current Frisco residents, attracting organizations that offer high paying jobs would potentially offer opportunities on the North and South side of town where commutes would be less than 20 minutes.

Public transportation, specifically for senior citizens and people with disabilities, continues to be brought up when I am meeting with voters. There is complaints about how long it takes to get picked up, go perform a simple task like getting their hair cut then returning home. My goal on council is to make the City of Frisco accessible to everyone and find better ways to accommodate those who need some extra help getting around.

DS: Making sure our Police and Fire Departments are fully staffed and prepared for the continuing growth of our city. Concerts, sports and other large events stretch out our first responders’ resources and we need to make sure we have the manpower to accommodate any type of emergency scenario.

Frisco has multiple mid and high-rise buildings that have been recently constructed which provide different types of challenges to our first responders. In the Fire Stations that serve these areas they need to work towards deploying Fire Fighting Teams with four members due to the complexity of the environment and the additional work that needs to be done to put a fire out in the most effective manner.

My plan also includes making sure the citizens of Frisco have the safest roads and the most dependable infrastructure they need to go on with their everyday lives. By continuing to implement smart road design like we are currently doing with Roundabouts makes common sense, they help save lives by helping prevent high speed, head on collisions.

DS: Density is a major topic of discussion with voters with all of the new Multi-Family and mixed-use developments that have been and will be built in the next few years. Developers should be able to offer a variety of housing products to the consumer yet I will not support the building of “Garden Style” Apartments or “High Density” Urban Developments next to existing single-family neighborhoods. However, I am not anti-apartment and will work with developers and citizens to make sure future development benefits everyone.

I strongly support economic development yet feels that everyone should benefit from the growth and excitement that new developments such as the PGA and The Star bring.

Frisco Independent School District is the crown jewel of our city, people move from across the world so their children can get an education here. This is a major reason why our housing market is so strong and commercial development is on the rise now and the foreseeable future.

DS: The Frisco Community means so much to me and my wife Kara, son Jack (12), daughter Katherine (9) and are glad to call this our home. Our family has been members of Elevate Life Church for 12 years, and Kara and I have served in numerous capacities including the Children’s Ministry, Usher/Greeter and Small Groups.

I was deeply honored to be endorsed by the Frisco Firefighters Association, their mission is to protect the health and safety of their fellow Firefighters and they felt I was the best candidate to help them.

As a Marine Corps veteran, I have the highest regard for our first responders and will do everything in my power to ensure they are taken care of so they can continue to provide the highest level of service to the citizens of Frisco and keep our community safe.

HJ: The role of the council in combating COVID-19 is multifaceted. In order to make the best decisions for our families, we all need access to timely, pertinent and accurate data on the numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Frisco and the surrounding area. We have to put politics aside, enforce safety protocols and facilitate testing as directed by the CDC.

It’s a fine line, to fully support local business while keeping everyone safe, but safety protocols, although sometimes inconvenient, will ultimately allow businesses and facilities to reopen and resume full capacity sooner. It's imperative for everyone that we follow the guidelines laid out by the experts in epidemiology at the CDC.

The government response to this pandemic has been shockingly terrible at almost every level. The denial of proven science and reluctance to take swift and definitive action has already cost more than 180,000 American lives.

The dysfunction came down from the highest levels of federal leadership, which downplayed the seriousness of the virus and deliberately undermined the CDC and WHO's early calls for a national shutdown and mask mandate.

The lack of response left state governments on their own and without clear guidance. Texas was late to shutdown, slow to test and reopened too quickly. Despite the Governor’s eventual mask mandate, there is little to no enforcement from local authorities, which leaves small business owners and their employees in the uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous position of enforcement.

Our mayor prioritized re-opening over saving lives and many Frisco officials have failed to lead by example.

HJ: I am running because I truly believe I can make a difference and I want to make our city an even better place to live for everyone. I want Frisco to be a place that embraces diversity and promotes cultural awareness, plans for an equitable future for all its citizens and takes care of its people, animals and environment. I have learned that when we focus on what makes us alike—we become friends. When we get out of our bubble and engage with people who are different from ourselves we learn and we grow. I want everyone to feel like they have a voice and are vested in the success of our city. I believe that the council should reflect the face of the city and that everyone should be equally represented. We can come together and exchange ideas and philosophies and engage in conversations that will propel us forward. A city is only as strong as its citizens and we are strongest when we work together.

I am a lifelong resident of Collin County and an active and engaged citizen of Frisco. I’m a small business owner, community organizer and volunteer, and I can offer a fresh perspective to the Frisco City Council. I have spent most of my life watching Frisco grow into the city we all love today and I hope to utilize my personal and professional experiences to bring into the fold those members of our community who have sometimes been overlooked. I will work to build bridges, seek input from a broad coalition in our city and celebrate our diversity. I have learned that when we focus on what makes us alike – we become friends. When we get out of our bubble and engage with people who are different from ourselves we learn and we grow. I want everyone to feel like they have a voice and are vested in the success of our city. I believe that the council should reflect the face of the city and that everyone should be equally represented. We can come together and exchange ideas and philosophies and engage in conversations that will propel us forward. A city is only as strong as its citizens and we are strongest when we work together.

HJ: I have extensive experience in small business management and local real estate and I own and operate a successful local real estate business. I know all the ins-and-outs of residential and commercial real estate negotiations and I have a strong background in community outreach and organization, nonprofit formation, volunteer coordination, social media marketing and branding.

I have deep roots here and I am completely invested and engaged in our community. I currently serve in an elected capacity as precinct chair for the DCDP precinct 1029 and as President of the Trent Wolf Pack Theatre Parent Booster, which I helped launch a couple years ago. I am a recent graduate of Frisco City Hall 101 and I serve on the FISD Insight program.

I have also served as Social Media Chair for the Collin County Women’s Council of Realtors, and was recently named “Girl Boss 2019” by Plano Magazine for having a positive impact on the community.

I believe in forming broad coalitions and bringing people together and I learned a lot about focusing on people’s commonalities instead of differences to accomplish things for the common good after I launched Collin Creek Mall: an era gone by. The group has more than 10,000 current and former residents who are vested in revitalizing the area.

HJ: This issue of racial equality is very important to me and racial bias and systemic racism exist in Frisco just as it exists everywhere else. This is a hard thing for a lot of people to acknowledge or admit but we really can't move forward together until we do. Racism is just as much our problem as it is in the cities in the news and we should really listen to what communities of color are saying to us and believe them, acknowledge their grief and their anger and their fears and try to do whatever we can to make it right.

Frisco is quite literally one of the fastest growing cities in the country today, and with that comes a widely diverse population who are deciding to call Frisco home every day. The challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing demographic landscape of Frisco. As your councilwoman I will work tirelessly to make Frisco a place that is welcoming to all. I will work to cultivate alliances between demographic groups to promote transparency, better provide new residents with information about services available to them and ensure they are included in regular communications to inform them about happenings and opportunities within the city.

As one of the organizers for both Frisco protests, as well as marches in other surrounding cities, I was proud to march in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and help start the discussions of racial biases and social injustices affecting our black community here at home. Despite the negative publicity and propaganda we faced, both protest marches in Frisco were peaceful and enlightening. We listened to the stories of racial bias and profiling happening right here to our neighbors. We heard from black business owners, teachers, students, and allies of all races and ages sharing their experiences in Frisco. Streaming from these marches we witnessed immediate actions taken by our local PD and city leadership by means of forming an inclusivity committee and holding a town hall on race relations. This was a good start, but there is still so much to do to rid Frisco of systemic racism. When I am elected to city council I plan to further these discussions and look at ways to improve race relations and end racial biases in all city offices and positions. I will work with the FPD and city council to form a third party public oversight committee dedicated to reviewing arrest records and footage, improve training programs focusing on race relations with the public as well as within the department, improve community outreach and educational programs to minority communities and increase the number of minority LEOs within the FPD as well as other government positions within the city of Frisco.

Frisco is quite literally one of the fastest growing cities in the country today, and with that comes a widely diverse population who are deciding to call Frisco home every day. The challenge is keeping up with the ever-changing demographic landscape of Frisco. As your councilwoman I will work tirelessly to make Frisco a place that is welcoming to all. I will work to cultivate alliances between demographic groups to promote transparency, better provide new residents with information about services available to them and ensure they are included in regular communications to inform them about happenings and opportunities within the city.

HJ: As one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, smart planning has to be cultivated every step of the way. It is a delicate balance to prepare for growth without placing undue burden on current residents and so we have to be mindful, thorough and innovative in our approach to accommodating current and future residents and businesses.

I believe Frisco should pursue an expansion of public transportation across the city in two phases. The first phase would focus on inner-city transportation such as electric buses, trollies and e-cars. With growth comes more vehicles on the roads and thus more wear and tear, more traffic, more pollution. We can eliminate some of that and make Frisco a commuter friendly city by providing inner city transportation.

The second phase would be to move to light rail and connect with DART and all the benefits that come along with increasing mobility options for the residents and businesses in the city. Moving toward expansion of rail options is entirely appropriate for a city of our size that is so rapidly growing with exponential growth projected in the coming decades. In order to ease the burden on current residents the city will have to continually be thinking outside the box, and form partnerships with businesses, private entities and state and federal governments to secure funding.

HJ: Affordable workforce housing is a challenge in growing cities everywhere, and Frisco is no exception. As an experienced real estate agent, I feel like this is really a strength for me and an opportunity to improve upon our city’s existing housing options. The American dream is not to rent an apartment, Frisco should have a balanced inventory of housing options to fit all of their citizens. It’s imperative that planning keeps up with demand before it turns into a crisis. We have a missing price point for new construction housing between $250,000 and $300,000. With Frisco rapidly evolving into a destination city, we already have demand for starter homes for workers and young families.

The role of the council in city planning and housing is critical. I would work with housing authorities and identify possible grants for developments. I believe that Frisco needs to maintain a healthy balance between commercial and residential development and redevelopment. We must invest in our existing developments while we continue to attract new developments to the area through the use of smart development strategies to create that balance.

HJ: My vision for our city stems from improving on the foundations of what many of us already love about Frisco. Good people, living, working and playing in a modern city that is thoughtful and welcoming. It is my hope that we embrace changes and changing demographics and come together as a community instead of being divided over differences. Frisco should be a place where everyone feels equally welcome and respected and a sense of community is shared. A city where leadership is dedicated, honest and involved and cares most of all about all the different PEOPLE who call Frisco home. I would like to see balanced budgets that provide the maximum value to residents and provide a great quality of life for everyone here. My campaign is based on a desire for Frisco to be the best it can be. A desire for us to be a friendly and welcoming city for everyone. Somewhere that welcomes growth, but makes smart decisions about how to get there. Somewhere that police are receiving the funds they need to operate but also diversifying our response to underserved communities with investment in their future, not their incarceration. I will do my best to take care of our people, our animals, our businesses and to make important decisions with the people who live here always in the forefront.