Farmers Branch council rescinds May withdrawal election from DART after months of negotiation

The Farmers Branch City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 24 to approve Ordinance No. 3994, rescinding the previously scheduled special election that would have asked voters whether the city should withdraw from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system. Council members said the recently negotiated funding and governance concessions gave the city a better immediate outcome than risking a withdrawal vote that could cut off both service and planned funding changes.

The vote followed an extended public-comment period during which dozens of residents, employers and disability advocates urged the council to cancel the ballot measure. "Take the deal," said James Bagby, one of several speakers who repeatedly urged council to accept DART’s offer rather than pursue withdrawal. Speakers described reliance on the Green Line for commuting, college access and paratransit services and warned that trains would continue to pass through Farmers Branch but would not stop if the city…