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Mayor says Farmers Branch seeks equitable DART realignment after council lowered contribution rate
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Summary
Mayor reported the council previously approved a resolution cutting the city’s 1¢ DART contribution to three‑quarters of a cent and described ongoing talks, mediation and possible legislative action to secure a more equitable funding and governance arrangement with DART.
The mayor told the Farmers Branch City Council on April 22 that the city is pursuing a more equitable relationship with Dallas Area Rapid Transit after the council unanimously approved a resolution to reduce its 1‑cent DART sales‑tax contribution to three‑quarters of a cent.
"That resolution passed unanimously," the mayor said, adding that the change is intended to press for improved governance, greater accountability and options to direct some funds toward local economic development. The mayor emphasized the city is not trying to leave DART but seeks "an equitable solution to the situation that we're paying into."
The mayor said Farmers Branch pays about $25,000,000 a year to DART and, citing figures the mayor said are from DART and a consultant, receives about $17,000,000 of service benefit — creating an apparent gap of roughly $8,000,000 under current accounting. "So thus, we are pay we are overpaying for service by about $8,000,000," the mayor said.
He listed concerns driving the resolution cities' actions: shared representation on the DART board (Farmers Branch shares a seat with Plano and does not have an independent vote), low ridership at the Farmers Branch light‑rail station, limited local capture of rail‑station economic benefits, and a regional system that has not expanded service areas even as the region has grown.
The mayor said Farmers Branch joined five other member cities in asking the Regional Transportation Council for a study of regional transportation needs and that the group pursued mediation overseen by the RTC after initial negotiations with DART produced little progress. He said mediator talks were led on behalf of the resolution cities by mayors of Irving, Carrollton and Plano but that "after the number of mediation meetings, many hours, no progress was made."
The mayor said legislative remedies are also in play: "There are a couple bills that are working their way through the House and Senate this session," including legislation introduced by state lawmakers, and he referenced work by Sen. Tan Parker. The mayor said he continues to meet with DART leadership and that a long‑term, compromise‑based solution is the goal.
Why it matters: The mayor framed the change as a tool to secure local economic development funds and more responsive governance rather than an attempt to withdraw from DART. He said the matter affects city budgets and business recruitment because reduced access to economic‑development funding tied to transit stations undermines Farmers Branch’s competitiveness when offering incentives to attract employers.
Next steps: The mayor said he will continue to work with fellow mayors of the resolution cities, the Regional Transportation Council and DART leadership, and that the final outcome may be a mix of legislative change and negotiated adjustments at DART.
Ending
The mayor closed by saying he remains committed to dialogue and to pursuing a durable, equitable realignment that maintains regional transit while addressing what he called funding and governance imbalances.
