City of Farmers Branch Mayoral Race

Terry Lynne

Posted Monday, April 6, 2026 10:34 am

Editor’s Note: The Branch Herald sent identical questionnaires to all candidates in this race. Responses are published in full and have not been edited for content, clarity or length, except for minor formatting.

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1. Name: Terry Lynne

2. Occupation: President, Time-Out Sports, Inc. dba Time-Out Media

3. Education: Bachelors of Business Administration, University of Oklahoma, 1980

4. Campaign Phone: 214-244-1615

5. Email: terry4farmersbranch@gmail.com

6. Website: www.electterrylynne.com

7. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Terry4FarmersBranch

8. YouTube:

9. Other Social Media:

10. Length of residency in the City of Farmers Branch: 27 years

11. Why are you running for mayor, and why now? I have served as Mayor for the past three years and prior to that I served on City Council for six years. During that time, I brought businesses to our city which add to our tax base. I am running because my work is not finished. Our city needs experienced business leaders who have the skills to work with business owners and decision makers and get them to consider Farmers Branch. We need leaders who know and understand the concerns of residents and how local government works. I am not running to promote any personal agenda other than to keep investment, reinvestment and redevelopment at the forefront of our city.

12. What specific experiences have prepared you to serve as the mayor of Farmers Branch? I didn’t just decide to run on a whim. I served our city on three boards prior to running for City Council. That gave me time to learn about the city in great detail. I also invested my time to take the Citizens Police Academy and Fire Academy because as someone who would have a say in the budgets of these departments, I wanted to have a better understanding of how the departments worked. I served six years on the City Council. That was great preparation for taking the next step to run for mayor. Having served three years as mayor, I know how local government works, I have the relationships with our neighbor cities, County officials and State Representatives to get things done. I also work closely with our congressional representatives which is extremely important and valuable to the city. Finally, I am business owner. I know how business gets done.

13. What distinguishes you from the other candidates in this race? I am a business owner. I have worked in corporate America for over 40 years for some of the largest broadcasting companies in the country both selling and managing sales teams. I started three companies and operate them under the Time-Out Sports, Inc. umbrella.

14. How many Farmers Branch City Council meetings have you attended or watched online in the last year? I have attended every meeting in person. As the mayor, I am expected to be at all meetings. I wish more residents would come to watch their local government in action. Most of the time there are just a handful of people in attendance.

15. What do you see as the three most important responsibilities of mayor? (a) Being the Chief Brand or Marketing Ambassador for the city, (b) Being the Chief Emergency Management Official for the city, and (c) Being a visionary for the city and helping the City Council to work and move in a positive direction.

16. The mayor’s role requires significant time beyond council meetings. How many hours per week do you realistically expect to devote to this position? Presently, I spend between 25 and 45 hours a week working on city business. Far more than when I was just a council representative. Being mayor is a full-time job and demands flexibility in scheduling so you can attend all of the meetings you need to be at to represent the city.

17. Have you served on any City of Farmers Branch boards or commissions, which ones? Yes, I served on a Charter Review Committee, I was Chair of the Building & Standards Commission and I served on Planning & Zoning.

18. What other civic responsibilities have you undertaken? What other offices have you run for? When? I serve on other boards including the Metrocrest Hospital Authority, the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, as an alternate on the Regional Transportation Commission, and I am on the Alumni Board for Thomas Jefferson High School. I have also served on the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association board and the St. Monica Dads Club Board.

19. What do you see as the steepest learning curve if elected? I experienced the steepest learning curve when I was first elected three years ago. Serving as mayor was vastly different and much more involved than serving as a City Council representative. It requires exceptional time management skills which I have being a business owner. It also requires being well connected with other elected officials at all levels, local, county, state and nationally, which I am very fortunate to have. This is NOT a job for a beginner or someone without local government experience.

20. How do you build consensus among council members with differing viewpoints? As mayor, you do not vote but your input should serve as a guiding light for the council. As mayor, I bring experience having served as a council representative and on multiple boards. I have invested to learn about the city. Those experiences allow me to bring value to the council as they vote on the important business matters of the city. The voting decision belongs to the council and I am prepared to support the outcome even if it was not what I would have wanted. You have to be part of the team!

21. How do you handle public criticism? I am open and accessible. There has never been a shortage of criticism, either of the city, of council members or of me. Part of serving is listening and knowing when and when not to respond. People are passionate and they deserve to be heard. I will always let residents speak at meetings. They can criticize and vent, as long as they are respectful and not demeaning of council members, staff or any group.

22. What steps would you take to build public trust? I have always been open and accessible. My cell phone has been on my newsletter for the entire time I have served. I have held more town hall meetings than anyone in order to build trust with the community. I put out a monthly newsletter to let folks know what is happening in our city. I answer emails and take calls. All of these, I believe, help build trust and a relationship with residents.

23. What is your vision for Farmers Branch over the next five years? I am hopeful that we will continue to see strong residential and commercial redevelopment. I hope that we can develop more attainable housing to support middle income families. Housing in Farmers Branch is expensive. We are not the affordable bedroom community we once were many years ago. Additionally, I am hoping that more residents commit to using public transportation, DART, to help ease road and highway congestion. I would like our city to build a better relationship with our faith-based community and partner with the many churches in the city on their events. I’d also like to see our city come together more and be more welcoming of the growing Hispanic and Asian populations in the city. We share our city with many diverse groups of people. Let’s welcome and celebrate that.

24. What is the biggest opportunity facing the city right now? It’s hard to narrow down to just one but I believe that redeveloping key areas of our city is probably the biggest opportunity. Specifically, the Four Corners or Valley View and Josey area. That is the center of our city and it is one of the most run-down. Residents want better retail shopping options but until we have homes that surround the area with higher incomes we probably are not going to see much in terms of development. It is a process which takes developers and property owners buying into a vision for the future. Unless developers see and understand where we are going then they are not going to invest their dollars. The city has to be more deliberate in selling its future vision and residents have to buy-in and be excited about it.

25. What is the biggest risk or threat facing the city? It’s a tie… aging water/sewer infrastructure and the impending closure of our city-owned landfill. The unseen part of our city infrastructure, aging water and sewer lines, are what need the most immediate attention. Many of our neighborhoods were developed right after World War II and thus have water and sewer lines that are failing. We need to ensure our water is safe for consumption by eliminating line breaks or the possibility of contamination. We started a program to line and/or replace water lines to ensure integrity for the foreseeable future. The same goes for the many aging sewer lines throughout the city. Second, would be extending the life of our city-owned landfill. The landfill has a finite life, we need to be careful about what goes into the landfill and, at the same time, plan for its closure, which we will have to manage and maintain for 30 years after it closes. It is estimated that the landfill only has 18-20 years of useful life. The City will need to have $40 million, in today’s dollars, set aside to manage the closure.

26. What are the biggest issues you have concerning DART that you think residents should know about and consider, even though the city cancelled the election giving residents the vote on whether or not to withdraw from the transit agency? Residents should know that membership in DART costs the city a little over $2 million a month. Use the system. Residents need to know that as mayor, I am continuing to have meetings with DART to help them better market their system and communicate the benefits of public transit. Use the system. Residents need to know that they can get to their destinations safely. Use the system. Residents need to know that I am having ongoing meetings with DART to hopefully get to a point where cities will be able to pick and choose what they want from DART to further lower costs. We are not there yet but we are in discussions.

27. What principles would guide your decisions on property tax rates? Fairness and equity balanced with the business need to run the city. The city is a business. It buys equipment, goods and services, employs people and must provide salaries and benefits. It also provides amenities to its residents which don't necessarily pay for themselves. It’s expensive to run a city and residents and businesses have to pay those costs. Elected officials must have a strong sense of fiscal responsibility in order to make the best decision as to how city operations get funded. Having experienced city management and council members who have dealt with these issues will help in projecting future needs and minimizing service impacts on taxpayers when capital needs arise. I have dealt with this as a council representative and mayor and am clearly the most experienced candidate in the race for mayor.

28. What areas of the budget deserve closer scrutiny or potential reduction? The city runs a very lean budget. Any reduction in funding will come with a corresponding reduction in service. So, the question should really be, what services would you like to cut? If you say none, then you need to trust that your City Council is making wise budget decisions and not including “pet projects” or self-serving items that don’t benefit the whole city. I think we have been good stewards to present a very efficient and realistic budget to the taxpayers.

29. What types of businesses should Farmers Branch actively recruit? First, businesses that generate sales tax. Sales tax dollars go towards the city budget and help fund operations of the city. Second, those that invest in plant and equipment as we collect business property taxes from every business. Thirdly, those who will bring jobs to our city. We have a workforce here that needs jobs. Having opportunities for our residents to be employed in the city they live in is a huge plus.

30. What is your position on multi-family housing in Farmers Branch? Multi-Family projects are a necessary evil. On one hand, I do not want any more apartments. I’d like to see what we have at the highest of occupancy levels. On the other, I believe developers know their business better than the City Council does and they should be providing information to the Council on what future trends look like. If developers see a demand for more projects, then the projects should be well-built quality projects that add value to the city. It’s nice to get the tax revenue from these projects, however, today’s multi-family projects should not be tomorrow’s slums.

31. What infrastructure priorities should the city focus on in the next five years? Again, aging water/sewer infrastructure and the impending closure of our city-owned landfill. The unseen part of our city infrastructure, aging water and sewer lines, are what need the most immediate attention. Many of our neighborhoods were developed right after World War II and thus have water and sewer lines that are failing. We need to ensure our water is safe for consumption by eliminating line breaks or the possibility of contamination. We started a program to line and/or replace water lines to ensure integrity for the foreseeable future. The same goes for the many aging sewer lines throughout the city. Second is extending the life of our city-owned landfill. With a finite life, we need to maximize what goes into the landfill and, at the same time, plan for its closure, which we will have to manage and maintain for 30 years after it closes. It is estimated that the landfill only has 18- 20 years of useful life.

32. How do you describe your leadership style? I believe in being a Servant Leader with Vision. I try to meet the needs of the whole city first, rather than one specific area. That requires balance and vision. It’s important that the mayor has experience having served the city to know or anticipate how certain decisions will be received by residents and how decisions align with our Strategic Plan. I try to bring that balance to my role as mayor.

33. How would/do you handle disagreement with fellow council members? While the mayor runs the meetings, the mayor does not control council members’ attitudes. Council members tend to get very passionate about certain items. They need to be able to express themselves in a rational and respectful way. Dialogue should be respectful. If it is not, then that is where the mayor must use his/her authority to get the group back on track or take a pause to let tempers cool. It’s a fine line and one that I put the onus on each council member to remember.

34. Describe a time when you changed your mind after hearing

opposing viewpoints. I have changed my mind on several issues after hearing group discussion. One issue in particular, involved placement of solar panels on city buildings. I was originally against it due to the cost and limited return. Why do it if we could not take buildings off the grid? However, after hearing a case presented by another council member, I changed my mind and voted for the solar panel project. My fellow council member presented a very compelling argument and thus I changed my position.

35. What is one recent City Council decision you disagree with, and why? The council voted to return $3.5 million back to the State which we received for a Valley View Lane road project. You see the work that is happening on Valley View right now in front of City Hall. We could have used $3.5 million from the State to help pay for that and reconfigure Valley View at the same time. The city would have been required to put up a $133,000 match to get $3.5 million. I would buy that all day long but three council members voted against this project based on personal politics and emotion… not business sense. The decision was made and the city moved on. It was a shame to lose the money. Council members should evaluate projects based on the business viability of the project, not because they don’t like another council person or their position on an issue.

36. What measurable outcomes would tell voters you were successful at the end of your term? I added motorcycles to the Police Department. Look at the number of citations they have issued. They are slowing traffic down. I added new business to the city during my time on council and as mayor. At least 8 that I can remember. Look at the tax revenue they have contributed to the city. I help secure grant funding for the Dallas County Housing Replacement Program which is building 10 new homes for residents for FREE. That would not have been available to us if I was not mayor. I have worked to promote Builders of Hope and to bring new attainable housing to our city. I also exposed corruption prior to first being elected when we had a council member who stole money from the city. I made sure that the “good ole boy network” was exposed and that Farmers Branch taxpayers had their day in court. Justice was served.

Terry Lynne

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