By TX3DNews.com Staff |McKinney, TX – July 29, 2025
At a July 22 work session, McKinney’s City Council reopened a long-running conversation about whether to amend the City Charter to expand the number of single-member districts—a change that could reshape local representation as the city’s population continues to climb.
Currently, McKinney elects four councilmembers from single-member districts and three—including the mayor—at large. But with the population now surpassing 230,000, some city officials are questioning whether the current configuration can continue to equitably serve residents across a growing and increasingly diverse city.
“This was something we discussed a couple of months ago,” said City Attorney Mark Hauser, referring to earlier conversations among councilmembers. He noted that the Charter Review Committee had previously recommended further exploration of expanding the number of council seats.
To guide the discussion, the city invited back redistricting consultant Robert Seagquist, who has worked with McKinney through multiple census cycles. Seagquist explained that the Charter Review Committee had considered—but not finalized—proposals to add seats, either by converting the two at-large positions into single-member districts or by expanding the council to include more districts while retaining the at-large system.
Seagquist walked the council through a presentation outlining how the current district boundaries were drawn in 2022 following the most recent census. He noted that redistricting is generally tied to the decennial census but could also occur mid-cycle if population shifts create significant imbalances. “If we do it mid-cycle, we can use… data to approximate or estimate population shifts… but it’s just that—it’s an estimate,” Seagquist said. “And if you do it mid-cycle, you oftentimes just have to end up redoing it at the census again.”
He emphasized that even without changes to the City Charter, McKinney will likely need to redistrict after the 2030 Census to comply with population balance requirements. “The real impact of this is that… when the 2030 census data rolls around in 2031… if you’re out of balance and you have to redistrict, you’re going to have to do this either way,” Seagquist explained.
However, a 2023 state law added complexity to the process. Under Local Government Code Section 21.006, any city with single-member districts must hold new elections for all council seats—including at-large members and the mayor—after redistricting. “That was not the case previously,” Seagquist noted. While the law arose from a lawsuit that failed in court, the legislature implemented its remedy regardless.
House Bill 5431, introduced during the last legislative session, aimed to exempt at-large seats from this requirement. Although it didn’t advance, Seagquist predicted lawmakers would revisit the issue. “I would expect this or something like it to get through in that time frame… the political will will build behind this,” he said.
Throughout the session, councilmembers expressed interest in expanding representation but remained cautious about the timing. “It seems to me the responsible answer is to wait for the next legislature,” one said, pointing to the potential for further changes at the state level. Another added, “As much as I’d like to expand council, I think this needs to be tabled for a couple of years.”
Much of the conversation centered on how future growth—particularly in Districts 1 and 4—would affect redistricting needs. “We’ve gone from 195,000 to 230,000 in five years,” one councilmember observed. “If we stay at this pace, we’re going to be close to 250,000.”
Logistical hurdles also weighed heavily. Because councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms, aligning a structural change with redistricting cycles would be complex. Seagquist outlined possible options for syncing election schedules with the 2030 Census, including charter propositions that would temporarily adjust term lengths to avoid overlapping changes.
City Attorney Hauser confirmed that any structural revision to the council would require a charter amendment approved by voters. While the city could call an election as early as 2026, he and others suggested it may be wise to wait until after the 2027 legislative session, when the legal landscape may be clearer. “You’d be burning daylight coming up with answers that may get solved in two years anyway,” one member said.
While no decisions were made and no votes taken, the idea of expanding the council remains under active consideration. “I do have an appetite to increase council,” one member said, even as others voiced concern about disrupting governance or shortening newly elected terms.
For now, the next steps remain uncertain. But if interest continues to build—and if the legislature clarifies the rules—McKinney voters may eventually be asked whether it’s time to reshape the way their city is represented.
Related Coverage: For a look at the City Council’s previous discussions—including a session focused on homelessness and public safety in downtown McKinney—read our recap here: Downtown McKinney Homelessness Concerns.