Local elections are briefly drawing near, and 3 Frisco citizens are operating for mayor.
This 12 months’s Collin County election is May 6, 2023, however electorate should sign in through April 6 to take part in vote casting. From April 24 to May 2, citizens can vote early, as a substitute of ready till the sixth to vote. Early vote casting places may also be discovered at the county’s website. Election Day polling places may also be discovered here.
Mayor Jeff Cheney is operating all over again for Mayor of Frisco. The local Texan used to be elected Mayor of Frisco, Texas, in May 2017, and reelected in November 2020.
Why are you operating for mayor?
Since my younger circle of relatives moved to Frisco in 2003, we began a industry and sought after to speculate in the neighborhood that may form our lives. That is why I first of all ran for town council in 2007.
When I become mayor in 2017, I had a daring imaginative and prescient. Since then, Frisco has endured reaching remarkable good fortune. I’m happy with my file and need to proceed serving Frisco for one ultimate time period. Being the mayor of Frisco is the best process on the earth.
How lengthy have you ever been concerned with town?
Frisco City Council Member, 2007 – 2016
Frisco Mayor, 2017 – Present
What makes Frisco stand out?
All of Frisco’s many awards and honors generally tend to catch other folks’s eye, like #1 Best City to Live, #1 Safest City, #1 Best Place to Buy a Home, #1 for Highest Job Growth for Mid-Sized City, #1 Recession-Resistant City and plenty of extra. However, it’s the other folks of Frisco who’ve made us primary. We are a town of dreamers — our citizens have prime aspirations, expectancies and effort. They also are engaged and enterprising.
Yet regardless of how briskly we develop, in inhabitants and variety, the “Frisco experience” appears like a smaller town the place citizens are the center and soul of the neighborhood. I will’t consider calling anyplace else house.
If elected, what adjustments do you hope to put in force?
Frisco is wealthy with proficient individuals who serve our town via elected positions, on forums and commissions, and dealing as town team of workers. For the following 3 years, all of our groups might be running to proceed executing the plans that had been advanced. One of the ones spaces is public protection. Frisco has been named the Safest City in America for two years in a row — this isn’t unintentionally. Half of our funds is going towards investment public protection. This closing 12 months, we employed probably the most law enforcement officials within the historical past of Frisco. We are these days construction Fire Station No. 10, with plans for quantity 11. Frisco desires to carry directly to our #1 standing. Public protection should all the time be a town’s best precedence.
What’s mistaken with Frisco these days? What’s proper?
No group is very best. However, at Frisco, we try to be the most efficient in all spaces to offer our voters the most efficient town to are living in, lift a circle of relatives, experience eating places and leisure, play in our many parks and open areas, or even aesthetically enjoyable industrial workplace structures to paintings. Frisco council and town team of workers paintings to give you the perfect town for our citizens.
One of the largest surprises for other folks is once they notice that even with all our town facilities, we have now probably the most lowest tax charges within the area. We have a dwelling house tax exemption, senior tax exemption and a senior tax freeze. Frisco has earned a AAA bond ranking from S&P and Moody’s. Frisco can stay your taxes not up to different communities as a result of we increase the tax burden via tourism and attracting companies. This closing 12 months used to be Frisco’s greatest 12 months for attracting company headquarters, together with a Fortune 100, TIAA, this is relocating to Frisco. In 2022, the Frisco Economic Development Corporation introduced 16 huge firms to our town. Since covid, Frisco’s tourism is hastily construction. Next month, the PGA Frisco will open, and they’ll host their first KitchenAid Seniors Golf Championship and Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks might be web hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards on the Ford Center at The Star. All of this works to cut back the tax burden of our house owners.
How will town alternate within the subsequent 5-10 years?
In the following 10 years, our buildout will in all probability, be virtually whole. By diversifying the tax base, Frisco is making a sustainable financial system the place we will keep and give a boost to older trends and infrastructure. In 10 years, we will be able to have hosted 5 PGA primary tournaments, operated as a bunch town for the World Cup, and plenty of of our higher trends might be constructed. The subsequent 10 years might be thrilling, with many openings, celebrations and achievements.
What makes you other from the opposite applicants?
I’ve been serving on town council and as mayor for 15 years so I’ve the crucial enjoy this is had to run a town the scale of Frisco. But, much more than enjoy, the massive distinction is my imaginative and prescient for our town. When I used to be first elected I sought after to deal with the density issues as a result of I heard the citizens say that they didn’t need to are living in a dense town of over 400K other folks. By running with our builders to institute at least flats in step with acre, requiring 10% significant open house in all trends and requiring phasing of development in mixed-use trends, we had been in a position to decrease our density numbers. These requirements weren’t simply new to North Texas however first within the country. Frisco leads the best way. Through those efforts, we had been in a position to decrease our long term inhabitants estimates to roughly 325K at complete buildout.
What makes you certified for the placement?
I’ve been effectively serving because the Frisco mayor for the closing 6 years.
What is the largest problem Frisco is going through? How will you navigate that?
Being the fastest-growing town in America for greater than a decade naturally makes staying forward of infrastructure wishes our greatest problem. Providing high quality infrastructure is significant to serving Frisco’s citizens and industry house owners. Currently, town of Frisco has $300 million in street development initiatives underway, with $200 million of it basically in northwest Frisco, getting ready for the expansion across the PGA. In the previous, town would wait till there used to be a ache level after which would upload a lane or any other arterial street. Now, we don’t seem to be ready however shifting aggressively ahead to complete the development within the northern a part of Frisco. This will alleviate the visitors within the central and southern sectors of Frisco.
How do you now give again to the neighborhood?
Currently, I paintings as your mayor in just about a volunteer capability. Before that, I served as a town councilman for 9 years. My spouse, Dana, and I’ve all the time been dedicated to taking part in our youngsters’s schooling via supporting their faculties, PTA and serving at the Frisco Education Foundation board.
My spouse and I are the co-founders of Cheney Group. Through our native industry, we make use of Frisco citizens and we’re proud to beef up many native charities that serve our neighborhood.
What are you maximum having a look ahead to if elected?
Finishing the small handful of initiatives that I’ve began and need to see to of completion. The Rail District is these days being redeveloped and town is making an investment $50 million in infrastructure, roads and sidewalk enhancements making it extra conducive to a historical downtown enjoy that may draw in extra small companies. Another mission is Grand Park which has simply entered the design segment. Council and I are having a look ahead to finalizing the designs this Fall. In a couple of weeks, we will be able to be celebrating the hole of our crown jewel within the north of Frisco, the Omni PGA Resort. This is the largest hotel being inbuilt America and is already profitable awards. Finally, I knew the appearing arts middle will be the maximum tough however we haven’t given up. I consider Frisco merits a world-class appearing arts middle.
Why will have to electorate elect you?
As your mayor, we have now completed remarkable good fortune in combination. Even despite the fact that we have now checked off lots of the authentic targets when I used to be first elected, I consider that we will push the bounds to prevail at a better degree. I consider that Frisco is the most efficient town in America. Let’s proceed pushing the bounds on what a town can accomplish. I’m proud to function your mayor and need to proceed serving one closing time period.
Local Profile reached out to the opposite two applicants, Jonathan Spencer and Mark Piland, however didn’t obtain responses previous to publishing.
For extra information in this 12 months’s native election seek advice from the 2023 voter information.