Bankruptcy filings emerge as issue in Farmers Branch council race

Farmers Branch City Council member Tina Bennett-Burton is seeking a full three-year term in the May 2026 election. Court records show she and her husband have been connected to multiple bankruptcy cases since 2009.

The city of Farmers Branch

Farmers Branch District 2 candidates Tina Bennett-Burton, left, and Brenda Brodrick, right, attend a candidate forum April 10 at The Meeting Place. The forum was organized by Branch Vision.

Facebook - Branch Vision Candidate Forum

Posted Tuesday, April 14, 2026 8:27 pm

Lynne seeks financial accountability

Farmers Branch Mayor Terry Lynne confirmed he directed the Branch Herald to court records related to council member Tina Bennett-Burton’s bankruptcies, which have come into public view as she seeks a full term representing District 2 in the May election. Lynne is also on the ballot.

A prior city attorney told him a disclosure requirement was not legally possible, Lynne said, though he believes a policy approach could still be considered, even if subject to legal challenge.

Lynne said he does not believe a single bankruptcy disqualifies someone from holding office. “Everybody’s situation is a little bit different,” he said. But he said a history of financial difficulties is another matter. “If somebody has a history of bad financial dealings or maybe multiple bankruptcies, then that to me is sort of a red flag as to that person’s ability to manage money,” he said.

When asked whether directing the Branch Herald to the records could be seen as politically motivated, Lynne said the bankruptcy filings are public documents accessible through court databases and noted he had raised related concerns years before the current election cycle.

“I’m not telling you anything that you couldn’t do yourself,” he said. “I have no axe to grind with anybody.”

Lynne said he first heard about Bennett-Burton’s filing roughly four to five months ago and described his knowledge of her personal situation as limited. He said he does not closely follow the personal matters of council members.

Lynne said the concern is ultimately about stewardship. "Your representatives should be above reproach," he said. "We're supposed to be stewards of the public's tax funds."

Tasha Young

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Farmers Branch City Council member Tina Bennett-Burton has been involved in multiple bankruptcy cases over 15 years, including a 2024 Chapter 7 case with her husband, according to federal court records reviewed by The Branch Herald, as she seeks a full term in the May election.

Bennett-Burton, who serves as mayor pro tem representing District 2, is on the ballot May 2.

The disclosures come as voters evaluate candidates responsible for overseeing city budgets, contracts and long-term financial decisions.

Records from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas show cases involving Bennett-Burton, her husband Brian Edward Burton, or both, dating back to 2009. She has publicly addressed those matters in recent weeks in an interview with The Branch Herald, a community newsletter and at an April 10 candidate forum at The Meeting Place on Midway Road.

Mayor Terry Lynne, who is also seeking reelection, directed The Branch Herald to publicly available court records. Bennett-Burton declined to comment on Lynne’s role in raising the issue, saying, “I’m going to take the high road on this one.”

Court records show Bennett-Burton and her husband filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Sept. 16, 2024. The case was discharged Dec. 26, 2024.

Bennett-Burton said the filing followed her husband’s layoff in August 2023 and a lawsuit connected to a nonprofit she co-founded. She said attorneys advised that defending the case could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years, even if successful.

“We chose to deal with it the way we dealt with it,” Bennett-Burton said. “After careful, prayerful consideration and asking a couple of other friends who are attorneys if that was the viable option, the answer was yes.”

The nonprofit, Adolescent Sports Metrics, was co-founded by Bennett-Burton in 2017 and collects health and vital-sign data from student athletes during UIL pre-participation physicals to establish baseline health data.

She said the effort was partly driven by her family’s experience after her daughter saw numerous specialists before receiving a diagnosis.

“Did I take on hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to fix it for our kids?” she said at the April 10 forum. “You’re damn right I did. Would I do it again? Yes.”

Court records also show a 2017 bankruptcy case involving the couple, filed June 1, 2017, under Chapter 13 and later converted to Chapter 11. A repayment plan was confirmed, and the case closed April 30, 2019.

Bennett-Burton said she was referring to the case’s termination date when she previously described the matter as occurring in 2019 and said a lease dispute connected to the nonprofit was resolved within that case.

Records further show Bennett-Burton filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on May 11, 2009. The case was discharged Aug. 26, 2009. She said the filing stemmed from a divorce that became a custody battle.

Bennett-Burton said there are no other bankruptcy filings beyond those reflected in court records.

The 2024 bankruptcy filing was not publicly discussed during the campaign. Bennett-Burton said she was not legally required to disclose it.

“It just was not at the forefront of my mind,” she said.

Bankruptcy is a federal legal process that allows individuals and businesses to address debts they cannot pay and is not a criminal matter. Texas campaign rules do not generally require municipal candidates to disclose personal bankruptcy filings.

When asked whether her financial history presents a conflict of interest, Bennett-Burton said it does not and that she has recused herself from votes where she identified a conflict.

“I have been very conservative on fiscal matters,” she said. “I think I have a track record that shows that.”

Bennett-Burton previously represented District 3 from January 2023 to May 2024. After redistricting, she ran for District 2 and won the Nov. 5, 2024, special election with 56% of the vote, defeating Brenda Brodrick.

Brodrick is again challenging Bennett-Burton in the May 2 election.

Early voting begins April 20.

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