McKinney City Council convenes a bond committee for airport improvement projects

McKinney City Council has appointed committee members to consider a May 2023 bond election.

The proposed single-issue bond will focus on improvements and projects at McKinney National Airport. Projects that may be included in the bond are additional development and infrastructure on the east side of the airport; a parallel taxiway on the east side of an existing runway; and the realignment of a taxi lane, according to a presentation at a Sept. 20 City Council meeting. These proposed improvements are in line with the airport’s 2016 master plan and the city’s 2018 comprehensive plan.

Appointments were made during a Sept. 27 special council meeting. The bond committee is made up of citizen stakeholders. The committee will evaluate existing facilities and needed projects at McKinney National Airport and provide project recommendations to the council as well as recommend whether a bond should be called in May.

Subcommittees for this bond include community stakeholders; government and regional stakeholders; business and industry subcommittees; development and infrastructure subcommittees; and finance subcommittees, according to a presentation at a Sept. 20 City Council meeting. Subcommittees are expected to meet at least three times throughout October and November to discuss the bond, Director of Strategic Services Trevor Minyard said at a Sept. 20 City Council meeting.

Although a committee is formed, it does not mean a bond election will be called, Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton said in his presentation at the Sept. 27 meeting.

Instead, upon evaluating the airport’s needs, the committee will make a recommendation to the council in early 2023. Then the council will decide whether to accept that recommendation and call a bond. The deadline to call a bond is March 7, 2023, to appear on the May ballot.

At McKinney’s last bond election in May 2019, voters approved a $350 million general bond to fund the new McKinney City Hall, street improvements, and facilities for public safety, public works, and parks and recreation.