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DART warns city withdrawals would halt service inside withdrawing cities; financial obligations and FTA interests create complexity
Summary
DART briefed council members that four cities have approved withdrawal elections; if voters withdraw services would cease in those cities on certification but sales tax continues until obligations are met, and DART may need to repay FTA interest tied to assets.
DART board leadership told city council that four cities have voted to place measures on May ballots permitting withdrawal from DART and that the consequences are both operational and financial.
"If voters do choose to withdraw from DART all services within those cities... will all cease upon the certification of those elections and the sales tax will be continued to be collected" until financial obligations are met, Chair Bryant said, describing statutory steps under Chapter 4 52. Bryant said deadlines for cities to call or cancel elections were approaching and that DART staff will undertake public hearings and town halls at least 90 days before any withdrawal election as required.
Council members pressed DART staff on what immediate impacts and liabilities would follow. Jamie Adelman, executive vice president and CFO for DART, said the agency could stop service "immediately," but that withdrawing cities could be required to repay FTA interests associated with assets used to operate those services; DART's Chapter 4 52 withdrawal‑obligation calculation includes FTA interests in property.
Multiple council members argued DART should provide clear fiscal scenarios and timelines. DART staff said they were conducting a rate study expected by January to quantify per‑mode costs and operational impacts and had received proposals from Plano and Irving that DART was reviewing. Chair Bryant said the board's immediate priority is to try to stop the elections and work with cities to find agreements that do not harm cities remaining in the system.
Council members also raised related political and capital concerns: whether planned capital purchases should be deferred until withdrawal uncertainty is resolved, and whether policy changes (for example a rail‑only or "a la carte" option requested by Plano) would require formal changes to existing DART policy.
