By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
Candidates for mayor, Frisco City Council, and Frisco ISD school board gathered Friday evening at the Frisco Islamic Center for a multi-race forum focused on growth, public safety, taxes, and community tensions.
The event featured candidates across multiple races and included moderated questions and audience-submitted topics.
Mayoral Race: Leadership, Growth, and Unity
Mayoral candidates Shona Sowell, John Keating, and Mark Hill focused on leadership, public safety, and managing Frisco’s continued growth.
Public safety was repeatedly framed as the top priority. Sowell said, “The number one priority is always public safety… because if we don’t get that right, nothing else will matter,” adding that maintaining competitive pay for police and improving fire staffing would be early priorities.
Sowell also emphasized community engagement as part of leadership, saying unity comes from meeting residents “where you are” and building relationships through direct conversations.
Keating emphasized experience and continuity.
“We have an incredible track record here… we’re just going to keep getting stronger,” Keating said, adding, “You have to be able to bring everyone together… the community, the council, the staff.”
Hill focused on governance and tone.
“Without decorum and professionalism, you don’t get any local governance done,” Hill said, calling for “fresh new leadership” as the city grows.
Audience questions also reflected concerns about division in the community, including rhetoric directed at religious and ethnic groups. Candidates largely responded by emphasizing unity and engagement.
Mayoral candidate Rod Vilhauer did not attend the forum. His recent podcast remarks and rhetoric became an underlying part of the discussion. Off record, one candidate told TX3DNews that the rhetoric “should be disqualifying.”
The exchange underscored a clear contrast in tone—while candidates on stage focused on governance, public safety, and unity, the broader race continues to be shaped in part by rhetoric outside the forum.
City Council Races: Growth, Taxes, and Development
City council candidates, including Laura Rummel, Brittany Colberg, Vijay Karthik, Sai Krishnarajanagar, Jerry Spencer, and Sreekanth Reddy, focused heavily on growth, infrastructure, and the city’s financial strategy, with Frisco’s rapid expansion driving much of the discussion.
Laura Rummel said, “Residential is going to grow no matter what we do,” emphasizing the need for long-term planning and infrastructure investment.
Traffic remained a consistent concern, with Rummel adding, “If you’ve been here for any amount of time, you feel like traffic is painful.”
Candidates also pointed to the city’s limited remaining land. Brittany Colberg said, “We have 13% undeveloped land left, and we need to be super strategic” about future development.
Tax policy and spending transparency drew clear contrasts. Vijay Karthik said, “We need to make extremely smart decisions,” referencing debt levels and the need to attract more commercial development.
Sai Krishnarajanagar questioned how revenue is being used, asking, “Where is that money going?”
Rummel defended current economic development strategies, stating, “For every dollar… the city gets a return of $3.44.”
Additional candidates also emphasized change and public safety. Jerry Spencer said, “You need to give a chance for new people,” while Sreekanth Reddy said, “Public safety is at stake… we need to make sure public safety, security, and smart growth are happening now.”
Zoning decisions highlighted the tension between development and property rights. Rummel said, “We cannot override a property owner’s rights… without getting sued.”
Candidates also differed on transparency and communication. Krishnarajanagar said, “We need leadership that is… communicative,” while also arguing, “There is no transparency.”
Frisco ISD: Safety, Enrollment, and Classroom Issues
School board candidates, including Misty Wamhoff, Babu Venkat, Sree Mouli Majji, and Muni Janagarajan, focused on safety, enrollment, and teacher retention, with largely consistent responses.
“I think we have a great partnership with the city of Frisco when it comes to the police, fire, and emergency management,” said Muni Janagarajan.
Misty Wamhoff emphasized communication with families, saying, “Every parent… wants to have peace of mind that their child is safe at school.”
Enrollment and funding were also raised.
“It only matters because 90% of our state funding is based on enrollment,” said Sree Mouli Majji.
Teacher retention remained a concern, with Wamhoff adding, “These teachers… want to stay in Frisco, and we really need to try hard to keep them.”
Candidates also split on classroom issues like technology. Babu Venkat said, “I am for the traditional way of learning… reading the books, writing,” while another candidate said, “To me, it’s up to the parents.”
An audience question on allowing prayer in schools drew mixed responses, ranging from “religion is out of the school” to allowing it “as long as they can do it… without disrupting” instruction.
Closing
Across all races, candidates returned to common themes of public safety, growth management, and community engagement.
“We need to make sure that our residents feel that their voice matters,” one candidate said.
The forum highlighted both the scale of challenges facing Frisco and the broader conversation around unity and governance as the election approaches.
