Community Impact Newspaper contacted Rob Cox, Hava Johnston, Ram Majji, Josh Meek, Ruan Meintjes, Laura Rummel and Dan Stricklin with questions about their campaign priorities for the city.
The candidates and their answers are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot. Minor edits have been made for formatting.
The last day to register to vote in the May 2 election is April 2. Early voting for the election is slated to run from April 20-28.
Laura Rummel
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
Frisco is a wonderful place to live and I want to contribute to making it even better. I’ve wanted to serve Frisco in this capacity for a few years and I am now in place both personally and professionally that I can dedicate the time necessary to take on this position. I’m excited to take on the responsibility and the challenge to serve alongside the other Council members as we lead the city through the next few years.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on City Council?
Over my 20-year career, I have worked for multiple Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller, privately owned organizations and have had the privilege of managing high-performing teams. I have a broad knowledge base, and I have learned the value of working with a variety of cross-functional teams, peers, and partners who have all helped educate me so that together we made the best decisions possible. I’ve also led multiple volunteer organizations during their growth stages where the leadership designed the strategy and entrusted our committees to operationalize our vision. These examples directly correlate to how the Council works with city staff, the different committees, and Frisco’s citizens and organizations. My experiences and knowledge combined with my passion and dedication for service will greatly benefit our city over the coming years.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
Our economic growth is a blessing, but that growth needs to be managed carefully. Finding the balance of what we need to do to support our existing quality of life alongside our long-term goals are will require creative thinking. An example is no property taxes are collected on newly built and occupied homes until they are paid the following year. As is business, we have a budget to adhere to and there isn’t infinite funding to maintain everything in our existing infrastructure (keep up with our roads, staff and supply public safety, maintain parks, etc.). We simply can’t do everything that we should do. Instead of all of our infrastructure being funded by property taxes, I would propose we fund some of it through sales tax. This would allow all users, both residents and visitors, to contribute to the budget earlier and allow us to keep the high standard we’ve come to expect from our city.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
The Metroplex is expanding north so we need to proactively plan for a population increase both here and in the surrounding areas. Traffic will continue to get worse if we don’t consider alternatives to address congestion on the roads. Attracting more employment, entertainment, and service destinations to Frisco will allow for shorter trips for residents who currently have to go to other cities to meet those needs. Getting businesses to move here that offer our citizens career opportunities in our community will not only benefit our tax base, but allow residents to work in their community. Additionally, we should be working with employers to offer flexible work arrangements (flexible hours or work from home opportunities) which will also help to reduce traffic during peak hours.
Additionally, I would like to see Frisco partner with our Plano neighbors for a bus route that goes through our more populated areas like Hall Park, Legacy West, The Star, and the [SH] 121/Tollway corridor to name a few. If we can provide a transportation option that is a safe and convenient way to get to work or to go out, our citizens would take advantage of it.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
The average house price in Frisco is now over $500K. I am concerned with the limited options that are available for first-time homebuyers and our retirees. Without available housing options that fit the needs of all our residents, we are creating more traffic as people come from the surrounding areas to drive into or thru Frisco to get where they want to go. I would like to see more developers consider a variety of single-family housing options, such as townhomes, zero lot line homes, and unique multi-generational planned developments to help create those options and give people who work here the opportunity to live here as well.
Many citizens are upset about apartment complexes being built near their neighborhoods. Their concern is the impact the apartments will have on the value of their homes and how the increased densities will affect traffic levels. Multifamily housing should be considered, but only in the appropriate context, with thoughtful consideration to the surrounding neighborhoods. We should consider enacting an ordinance that would cap the occupancy per land square footage in certain areas, ensuring that dense, multifamily housing is not built on every open and available lot.
To be clear, I believe apartment complexes have a place in Frisco, but they should be planned in appropriate locations, and not allowed everywhere. In areas like The Star or Main Street Square that cater to the “live, work, and play” lifestyle, it makes sense to have large apartment communities that are walkable to these areas and have easy access to highways.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
I first moved to Frisco in Dec 2002 so I have personally seen and experienced some of the significant changes we have gone through. I believe we’ve handled our rapid growth positively in most situations. My goal is for us to take a more proactive approach to supporting our future growth while maintaining what makes Frisco the best place to live.
Ruan Meintjes
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
I am running because I realized it is time for the generation that grew up in and around Frisco to help lead this City. I share the values of the people who built this City, and I am deeply passionate about seeing those values enacted as our City continues its development. Implementing those values mean two things to me. First, it means bringing big-City energy, jobs, and infrastructure to Frisco. Second, it means creating a City with a small-town heart that is family-friendly, greenspace-rich, and partnering with our local nonprofits and ministries to address growing social challenges.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
My qualifications to serve on City Council stem from three areas: my history with Frisco, my education, and my business experience. First, I’ve lived in and around Frisco since 2000. I remember when Preston was a two-lane road. I grew up with the City and have a storied understanding and appreciation for its history, growth, and the challenges it has faced and will continue to face in the coming years. This matters because, if I am elected to City Council, I will have a valuable historical perspective of our City’s challenges which I will use to comprehensively address our problems. My second source of qualification stems from my education. My undergraduate and graduate research focused heavily on the science of building livable cities and healthy communities. More specifically, my research focused on developing “third places,” human-sized cities, and complex conflict management in urban contexts (think disputes between neighborhoods and commercial developers). This matters because, if I am elected to City Council, I will be equipped to address the complexity inherent in the problems facing City Council. Third, my work in the Frisco business community qualifies me to serve on City Council. I worked as the Chief Operating Officer of a subspecialty medical company based in Frisco where I managed highly specialized cross functional teams. My management tenure culminated with the successful sale of the company. I co-founded two start-ups: a specialty real estate development firm and a tech start-up. Both are based in Frisco. Additionally, I serve on the boards of my HOA and Frisco’s only pregnancy crisis center. This matters because, if I am elected to City Council, I have the background that will allow me efficiently engage with the sophisticated logistical and operational challenges involved in our City’s growth.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
Affordability. Frisco is a victim of its own success. Home values, rent, and assessed tax values steadily increase year after year. The solution is to diversify. We need a diverse real estate portfolio that provides points of access to people at various income levels. This means that we need to make sure we’re providing quality and affordable living options. Through a nuanced policy approach and by welcoming innovation, we will ensure we have a beautiful and affordable city.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
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 Tollway and Preston 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.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
Real estate product mix. This goes back to what I believe is the biggest problem facing Frisco citizens: affordability. The high-cost developments we see coming to Frisco forecast an increasingly expensive environment. While I welcome quality developments that bring jobs, as a Council Member, I will work to prioritize the development of housing options that are financially palatable for our young people (think students at Collin College and future UNT sites), families with lower-paying jobs, and our seniors whose income levels may decrease with retirement.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
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 back-pack. I’m an avid runner with several marathons under my belt.
Rob Cox
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
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.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
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.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address IT?
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.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
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, passthrough 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 passthrough of our neighbors north of Frisco.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
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 #1 city to live, #1 city for job growth and #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.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
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 lifecycle. 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.
Josh Meek
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
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.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
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.
2. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
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.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
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”
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
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.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
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.
Ram Majji
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
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.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
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.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
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.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
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.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
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.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
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 (jujitsu, kick boxing).
4. Regular 5K runner to support Frisco Local Organizations.
5. Volunteer for a lot of Non-Profits 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 non-profit 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 sub divisions 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.
Dan Stricklin
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
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.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
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.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
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.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? And how do you plan to address them?
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.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
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 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.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
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.
Hava Johnston
1. Why did you decide to run for office?
As successful as Frisco has become, I still recognize a lot of needs that aren’t being filled. I have always been a community connector, when I see a need, I try and fill it. I want to use my skills and network to help fill some of Frisco’s needs.
2. What experience do you think prepares you for serving on the City Council?
I currently own and operate a full service residential real estate business and have a strong background in small business management, residential and commercial real estate negotiations, community outreach and organization programs, non-profit formation, volunteer coordination, social media marketing and branding.
I currently serve in an elected capacity as precinct chair for the DCDP precinct 1029. And as the President of the Trent Wolf Pack Theatre Parent Booster, which I helped to form and served as treasurer in 2018/2019.
I am a recent graduate of Frisco City Hall 101 and currently serving in the FISD Insight program.
I have also served as the Social Media Chair for the Collin County Women’s Council of Realtors, and was recently named “Girl Boss 2019” by Plano Magazine for my community impact.
3. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Frisco today, and how do you plan to address it?
I feel like Frisco’s biggest issue is that it is growing too fast to keep up, and in turn we are neglecting those who have been here longest for those who will move here tomorrow. I would suggest we start giving small businesses some of the same tax breaks and incentives that we are offering corporations.
4. As Frisco continues to grow, what do you see as the city’s top transportation- and infrastructure-related concerns? How do you plan to address them?
Frisco needs public inner city transportation. With growth comes more vehicles on the roads and thus more wear and tear. we can eliminate some of that by providing inner city transportation.
5. What do you see as the city's top issues related to housing and real estate development, including but not limited to residential and commercial development, multifamily housing and the overall cost of living in Frisco? How do you plan to address them?
Frisco needs affordable workforce housing. Period. The American dream is not to rent an apartment, Frisco should have a balanced inventory of housing options to fit all of their citizens. We are full of gated communities and luxury homes, apartments, and yes mixed use... But these are not affordable to the working class. I will work with the city and developers to bring small pocket communities of smaller single family workforce housing. Starter homes, senior homes, student homes, whatever you want to call them, this is where Frisco is lacking.
6. What else do you want voters to know about you?
I am 47 years old, and am a third generation North Texan. I have been married to my best friend, Sean, for 26 years now, and together we have 3 daughters: Ash 25, Jess 23, Alyssa 13 and our son, Seth 20. I enjoy working with people and helping them realize their goals. It is such a gratifying experience to be able to add that kind of value in someone’s life. Everytime someone told me I couldn’t, I told them to sit back and watch me fly. Determination and dedication are what it takes to be successful in spite of the odds. And I am still pushing today! In everything I do, I see it through!
