Today is the first day of early voting in North Texas’ municipal elections. These are races for city council and school board, often overlooked by voters even though they are frequently the elections that most affect their day-to-day lives. City council members and school trustees set property tax rates and decide how your tax money is spent. They shape neighborhoods and make decisions about the schools where you send your children.
We interviewed candidates in more than 30 races across North Texas to help inform your decisions. We also reviewed city and school bond proposals. We summarize our recommendations below.
Early voting ends on April 28. Election day is May 2.
Cities
Former Mayor Pro Tem Chris Schulmeister gets our recommendation. Before his council stint, Schulmeister served on the boards of the city’s Economic Development Corp. and Community Development Corp. Schulmeister, a retired senior financial executive, has broad understanding of the kinds of issues facing Allen as it evolves from a high-growth suburb to a mature city. He is rightly focused on the growing need for infrastructure improvements and revitalization, but not at the expense of the city’s commitment to quality of life areas such as parks and recreation. By contrast, opponent David Shafer, a former council member, has a more rigid spending philosophy…