Addison council votes 5–2 to call May 2 referendum on withdrawing from DART

The Addison City Council voted 5–2 on Jan. 27 to call a special election for May 2, 2026 that would ask voters whether to withdraw the town from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system.

The decision capped a lengthy public-comment period during which residents, business owners and workers urged competing outcomes: many urged waiting until the November general election to give residents more time and turnout, while others urged a May referendum to avoid additional debt and begin transitioning to local mobility options.

Deputy City Manager Ashley Shore summarized staff analysis and regional developments before the council debated the ordinance. Shore said Addison has contributed more than $400 million in local sales tax to DART since joining in 1984 and that in fiscal 2025 the town contributed about $17,600,000. She described components of a local mobility plan staff would explore if the election is called: the Addison Go Link zone planned to be operational in April 2026, a potential fixed-rate circulator funded 50/50 with DART, and the General Mobility Plan which could reallocate roughly $3 million to Addison.

Stephen Glickman, the town’s chief financial officer, explained the withdrawal obligation calculations and why two different totals appeared in staff materials. He said the difference stemmed from data dates: one figure used DART’s Sept. 30, 2024 calculation and a lower figure reflected internal updates as of June 30, 2025. Council members and staff also discussed language DART provided about a pause on issuing new debt through November 2026 and how reductions in overall obligations might be 'locked' if other cities vote earlier.

Public commenters painted a divided picture. Phyllis Silver, a resident, warned that replacing DART with on-demand “microtransit” would be unreliable and inaccessible for riders who lack smartphones or cash; she told the council, “Microtransit is unreliable. Fixed routes have fixed schedules and routes, making arrival times predictable.” Others—Greg Thornberry and several downtown business representatives—argued DART and the new Silver Line station make Addison a regional destination that supports hotels, restaurants and events, and cautioned that immediate service loss could harm the local economy.

Supporters of an earlier vote said waiting to November would cost the town an estimated $8–9 million in tax collections that would otherwise begin paying the exit obligation if a May vote passed; opponents said that six more months of negotiation with DART and the ability to see other cities’ May results would better protect Addison’s interests. Guillermo Quintanilla told the council, “A May vote creates a very compressed timeline…Addison has no alternative mass transit provider in place.”

Council discussion focused on three trade-offs: the financial effect of paying the 1% local option sales tax toward the exit obligation immediately if a May vote passed (and the roughly $8–9 million difference that might be avoided by waiting), the operational risk of sudden service loss if multiple cities withdraw at once, and the town’s ability to design or pilot local mobility alternatives before DART service ends. Shore said staff would return with vendor proposals and possible pilot programs if the ordinance passed.

A motion to table the ordinance indefinitely failed. Council member (speaker 42) moved to approve the ordinance calling the May 2, 2026 ballot; the motion was seconded and carried 5–2. Shore noted the election can be canceled up to 45 days before the date and that staff expects to return to council with proposed transit options and pilots in February and March.

The ordinance does not itself change DART service; it only places the withdrawal question on the ballot. Staff emphasized that if a withdrawal election passes, DART has indicated service could stop upon certification of results and the town would then implement a mobility plan guided by council direction and contingent vendor agreements.

The council closed the meeting with community-interest remarks and thanks to staff for storm response efforts; the meeting adjourned at 9:42 p.m.