The Plano City Council is the governing body of the City of Plano, Texas, United States. The council operates using the council-manager government. They hold regular meetings at the Plano Municipal Center on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. During the month of July, the meeting dates are revised.[1]

Plano City Council
Type
Type
Term limits
No more than 2 consecutive terms
Leadership
John B. Muns
since 2021
Structure
Seats8
Length of term
4 years
Elections
Two-round
Last election
2021
Next election
2023
Meeting place
Plano Municipal Center
Website
www.plano.gov/180/City-Council

The Plano City Council is composed of eight members from four administrative districts. Each Councilmember serves a four-year term, extended from three years by the passing of a charter amendment in 2012.[2] All Councilmembers, including the mayor, serve staggered four-year terms, and are limited to two consecutive terms. Plano City Council elections are held in odd-numbered years, with Places 2, 4, 6, and 8 beginning in 2013, and Places 1, 3, 5, and 7 beginning in 2015. A person who has served two consecutive terms as a city council member, is not eligible to stand for election to city council again until one year has passed. All Councilmembers are elected by popular vote of the entire city of Plano using the Two-Round system. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, the top two candidates compete in a separate runoff election.[3] Plano City Council races are officially nonpartisan.[4] Those running for Places 1 through 4 must reside in the district that corresponds to that place number. Places 5 through 8 do not have residency restrictions. Place 6 is always the mayor.[5] [1]

Powers

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The powers and duties invested in the Plano City Council are governed by the Texas Constitution and the Plano Home Rule Charter. Given Plano has a population larger than 5,000, it is given home rule by the state of Texas, and is thus permitted to enact and amend its own city charter. This city charter must not contradict, and may be limited by Texas state law.[6] Plano's was first granted home rule and enacted its charter in 1961,[7] and continues to be governed by this charter today.

Compensation

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The Plano Home Rule Charter grants city council the power to set the compensation that city councilors receive for attending their meetings.[5] As of 2014, this compensation was $1,000 per month for city council members, and $1,400 per month for the mayor.[8]

Taxation

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The Texas constitution permits home rule cities, such as Plano, to levy, assess, and collect taxes according to their city charter.[6] However, state law does impose limitations on what taxes may be collected, as well as how high those taxes may be. Texas allows cities, counties, transit agencies, along with other special-purpose districts to levy sales tax, but limits the total local sales tax rate at 2%. Plano is a member of the DART, which levies a 1% sales tax on its member cities, therefore Plano may only levy a sales tax of up to 1%, which it does.[9]

City council members

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Leadership:

  • Mayor: John B. Muns
  • Mayor pro tem: Kayci Prince
  • Deputy mayor pro tem: Anthony Ricciardelli
Place Member First Elected
1 Maria Tu 2019
2 Anthony Ricciardelli 2017
3 Rick Grady 2015
4 Kayci Prince 2017
5 Shelby Williams 2019
6 John B. Muns 2021
7 Julie Holmer 2021
8 Rick Smith 2017

Standing Boards, Commissions, and Committees

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Each year the city council selects a certain number of citizen-applicants to serve on a board, commission or committee, as themselves or a Plano representative. An applicant must have been a resident of Plano already for at least 12 months, and they may not be chosen to serve more than two terms on a board, commission, or committee.[10]

Notable former Plano Councilmembers

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Mayor and City Council". The City of Plano, Texas Official Website. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  2. ^ "Plano City May 2005 Election Issues". Dallas/Fort Worth Asian-American Citizens Council Website. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved 2006-10-31.
  3. ^ "Municode Library". library.municode.com. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  4. ^ "ELECTION CODE CHAPTER 143. CANDIDATE FOR CITY OFFICE". statutes.capitol.texas.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  5. ^ a b "Code of Ordinances City of Plano, Texas". The City of Plano, Texas. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "The Texas Constitution, Article 11". Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  7. ^ Blodgett, Terrell (2010). Texas Home Rule Charters (PDF). Austin, Texas: Texas Municipal League. p. 117.
  8. ^ Beattie, Chris (4 May 2014). "McKinney voters to decide on mayoral, council compensation cap". McKinney Courier-Gazette. Star Local Media. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  9. ^ Heleman, John (May 2016). "Texas Local Sales Taxes, Part I". Comptroller.Texas.Gov. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Board and Commission Overview". The City of Plano, Texas Official Website. Archived from the original on 2006-09-30. Retrieved 2006-10-31.