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Following passionate testimony from more than a dozen residents and workers who depend on public transportation, the Farmers Branch City Council voted Tuesday to place a referendum on the May 2, 2026, ballot asking voters whether the city should withdraw from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
The vote came despite a plea from DART's newly appointed Board Chair Randall Bryant, who requested a 30-day delay to allow for more negotiations. A motion to table the ordinance for 30 days failed before the council approved Ordinance No. 3977 in a split decision.
Farmers Branch has been a DART member city since 1983, when citizens voted to join the regional transit system by levying a 1% sales tax. The city previously held a withdrawal election in 1985, which failed.
Mayor Terry Lynne said Tuesday, the Nov. 4 vote was not a decision to leave DART, but rather to give residents the power to decide the city's transit future.
"We're not voting tonight to get out of DART," Lynne said before public testimony began. "If the city council does authorize a vote, that vote would take place in May of 2026. And it would be the taxpayers, the residents of Farmers Branch that would make the decision."
At the heart of the city's frustration is the financial arrangement with DART. Lynne said that Farmers Branch contributes approximately $25 million annually, half of its sales tax revenue, to be a DART member. Over 42 years of membership, the city has paid nearly $500 million into the system.
Council members also expressed frustration over governance issues. The city shares a board seat with Plano, meaning it lacks a full vote on DART's Board of Directors.
"We have been faithful since 1983, and we don't have a full vote," said Council Member Elizabeth Villafranca. "And I don't think that's appropriate. I think that we need to have a seat at the table."
Safety concerns on trains and at stations have been a persistent issue. Villafranca noted that two people have been killed on DART in the last month and called for police officers on trains and better fare enforcement.
"This isn't months. This is years of no movement," said Council Member Tina Bennett-Burton. "My residents must be safe. The people coming to my city must feel safe getting on those buses and that rail to get here and to go home from here."
Council Member Roger Neal said he has been frustrated by the lack of progress in discussions with DART. "We've been having months and months of discussions with very little movement," Neal said. "I'm a supporter of democracy and if it's what our residents desire, then I think they should have a say as well."
More than a dozen speakers addressed the council, most defending DART's importance to the community.
DART CEO Nadine Lee highlighted the system's economic impact, noting that development around DART stations since 1999 has generated more than $18.1 billion in direct economic impact. Between 2022 and 2024, projects within a quarter mile of DART stations created $1.9 billion in total economic activity and supported over 9,400 jobs, she said.
Lou Celli, vice president of Envision Dallas, which employs more than 70 blind workers in Farmers Branch, told council members that DART represents "freedom, access, dignity and the ability to earn a paycheck" for employees with visual impairments. Many take multiple segments of the DART system daily to and from the facility using subsidized transportation.
Several residents shared personal stories of relying on DART for essential needs. Aniya Robertson, a Dallas College Brookhaven student pursuing her paramedic degree, explained that without a car and with being a single mother working 8-to-5, DART is her only reliable way to reach evening classes that start at 6 p.m.
James Davis, an 80-year-old longtime resident who no longer drives, implored the council, "Don't pull the rug out from the citizens that need the service so intently."
Sharon Metesana spoke on behalf of the special needs community, including her 28-year-old son who relies on DART paratransit to attend day programming, work and medical appointments. She noted that Plano, with which Farmers Branch shares a DART board seat, is home to the largest special needs day program in the metroplex, serving over 700 families.
Despite voting against the measure, Villafranca noted that the decision doesn't finalize a DART exit. The city has until March 17, 2026, to remove the item from the ballot if negotiations prove fruitful.
"My colleagues and I are committed to public transportation," Villafranca said. "We have voted in favor of this ordinance, but that does not mean that it must go to a public vote in May."
However, Council Member Omar Roman voted against the measure, saying he couldn't support it without a concrete alternative plan in place. "It's just not something that I can support at this time, especially since we don't really have an alternative," Roman said, noting particular concern for lower-income residents in his district who could be disproportionately affected.
Lynne said he remains committed to providing transportation options regardless of the election outcome, particularly for vulnerable populations like Envision Dallas employees.
The council directed City Manager Ben Williamson to continue negotiations with DART while also exploring alternative transportation solutions and developing a resident survey on public transportation needs.
Farmers Branch joins Highland Park, which also voted Tuesday, Nov. 4, to place a DART withdrawal question before voters, as well as Plano and Irving, which approved similar measures recently, making four North Texas cities that will ask voters in May to decide their future with the transit agency.
Editor's Note: Branch Herald receives advertising revenue from DART. However, our advertising policy is that advertisers do not influence our editorial coverage and that Publisher Kate Bergeron does not cover DART stories.
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