Addison council votes to send DART withdrawal to voters after hours of public comment

The Addison City Council voted Dec. 2 to place a May 2, 2026 election on the ballot asking residents whether the town should withdraw from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system (DART), after a lengthy public-comment period in which dozens of speakers urged both sides of the question.

The council’s decision came after Deputy City Manager Ashley Shroyer presented staff findings and the ordinance language, describing a FY23 cost-allocation snapshot that showed Addison contributing $16.3 million to DART while receiving about $9.5 million in local service value in that year. Shroyer told the council the independent snapshot did not include the recently opened Silver Line and that the town’s current estimate of the repayment period for outstanding DART obligations is roughly 2.9 years. “If the ordinance passes, DART service would cease the day after the election and the town’s 1¢ sales tax would remain committed to DART until the exit obligation is repaid,” Shroyer said.

Residents and regional officials packed the meeting and spoke for and against sending withdrawal to a popular vote. Disability advocate Madison McNair said the prospect of leaving DART would remove essential, federally protected access for some residents. “DART is not just public transportation. It’s freedom,” McNair said, urging the council to keep the town in the system.

Many business and transit advocates, including DART board members, argued the system is an economic engine for Addison and the region. Randall Bryant, who identified himself as chair of the DART board, said the recently opened $2.1 billion Silver Line connects Addison to the airport and regional employment centers and said withdrawing now would risk slowing development that depends on transit access. “DART has delivered on our promises. Will you deliver it to your residents?” Bryant asked.

Opponents of the town’s current membership model and proponents of the vote framed the action as a needed lever to force changes in DART governance, funding and service choices. Council member (speaker 3) — who identified himself in the meeting as Randy — told the meeting that calling an election would give Addison bargaining power and the option to rescind the call within 45 days if DART makes substantive concessions. “If they start listening like you’re talking about, then we rescind this election within 45 days,” Randy said.

Councilors questioned staff and DART finance officers about how Addison’s exit cost could change if other member cities withdraw first. Chief Financial Officer Stephen Glickman said the town estimates that, in a worst-case scenario where several large suburbs exit before Addison, the town’s repayment burden could increase by roughly $13.5 million, or about three-quarters of a year of sales tax revenue; staff stressed that exact amounts would be calculated by DART under Chapter 452 of the Texas Transportation Code.

Council debate focused on timing and outreach. Some council members urged postponing until January or waiting until results of May withdrawal elections in neighboring cities are known; others said the six-year window to call a withdrawal makes acting now necessary. The council considered motions to postpone and to table but ultimately approved the ordinance to order the May 2, 2026 election.

The ordinance approved by the council sets the election date and authorizes staff to designate polling locations and early-voting procedures; if the council later chooses, it can withdraw the ordinance within the 45-day statutory window. The staff presentation also noted that, should the town leave DART, the agency retains the right to run trains through a withdrawing jurisdiction, and DART will calculate the town’s exit repayment amount under state law.

The council’s action sets up a public campaign and further staff work: staff said they would return with more detailed options for replacement transit service, cost estimates, and outreach plans should the withdrawal measure move forward. The meeting ended at 9:11 p.m., and the council adjourned.

The next formal steps are ordinance posting and statutory notifications to the Texas Secretary of State, the Comptroller and DART; the town retains the option to cancel the election within 45 days if a negotiated agreement addresses the council’s concerns.