When I ran for Council there were always questions and topics I wished “people” would ask about. By people, I refer to various organizations that sent out questionnaires with city related topics. Most questionnaires I replied too, some I chose not to because the questions were unrelated to the position for which I was running. In any case, I put together some questions that I was interested in and I thought the public may have been interest.
On December 8th I sent the following email to both candidates for Frisco City Council Place 1. Since I have known both candidates for years, I also texted them to let them know I sent the email, in the event it may have gone to SPAM. Emails were sent to the ones listed on their campaign websites.
With the launch of my new website entailing all things Frisco, I’ve decided to send questionnaires to candidates addressing a variety of Frisco subjects. Attached is said questionnaire. I am sending this to both candidates for Place 1 in the special election. All questions are identical, save one, that is specific to each candidate. If you would like to respond to these questions I will post your answers verbatim, no changes. You are welcome to answer some, all, or none, your choice, but I believe these questions encompass a broad spectrum of Frisco related topics.
Assuming I receive responses from both candidates I will post the responses to each question side by side on the website. For social media each candidate will get a separate post with just their answers.
I plan to publish the middle of next week. If you choose to respond please have your responses back to me by Monday December 15th by Midnight.
Mr. Piland did not respond to my email or initial text message. I reached out via text again on Dec 16 and let him know if he needed additional time, I would extend my publishing by a day so he could complete the questions. He responded back that he did not need additional time. Since I did not receive responses to the questions, I take that to mean he will not be responding.
Ms. Anderson confirmed receipt of the questions and provided responses prior to my publishing deadline. Her responses are presented as she sent them to me.
As mentioned in my email, had I received both responses I would post them side by side. Since I only received one response below shows only Ms. Andersons responses. The specific question addressed to Mr. Piland is at the bottom of the list.
What motivated you to run for council and what experiences do you believe best prepare you for this role?
Frisco has been my home for more than 20 years. I raised my family here, built a small business here, and have spent thousands of volunteer hours serving this city through schools, nonprofits, boards, and civic organizations.
I’m running for City Council because Frisco is at a pivotal moment. We are approaching build-out, dealing with increasing traffic and infrastructure demands, and navigating growing state mandates. I believe the best decisions are made by leaders who understand Frisco from the ground up — not just from inside City Hall.
My preparation comes from years of hands-on service: working alongside residents, staff, and fellow volunteers, understanding budgets, and seeing how policy decisions affect real families. City Council needs people who listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and put the community first — that’s how I’ve served Frisco, and that’s how I’ll serve on Council.
Quality of life and density: What is your specific strategy for balancing new residential and commercial developments with the need to maintain a high quality of life? How will you address resident concerns about the increasing density of new housing, given Senate Bill 840? (Note: Senate bill 840 allows apartments to be built in any commercial zoning, reducing local control over our development. I did not provide an explanation of SB840 as I wanted to understand if the candidates had knowledge of the bill)
Growth is inevitable, but losing Frisco’s quality of life is not.
My approach is simple:
• Demand development that fits its surroundings
• Push for strong design standards and buffers near existing neighborhoods
• Ensure new density comes with traffic solutions, utilities, and open spaceState law limits some local control, but it does not remove the responsibility to advocate for residents. I will always use the tools Frisco still has to protect quality of life.
Infrastructure capacity: Given the persistent traffic and mobility challenges cited by residents, what is your plan for ensuring the city’s infrastructure—including roads, public transit, and utilities—keeps pace with new construction?
Traffic and mobility are consistently one of the top concerns I hear from residents. Frisco cannot solve traffic challenges by working in a silo. Many of our congestion points involve regional corridors used by residents of neighboring cities, commuters, and visitors. Addressing those issues requires partnership.
My approach includes:
• Ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with development inside Frisco
• Partnering with neighboring cities, counties, and regional planning agencies to coordinate roadway improvements and traffic solutions
• Supporting data-driven mobility investments that improve flow, not just capacityRegional problems require regional cooperation, and Frisco must be an active leader at that table.
Controlling urban sprawl: With the city approaching build-out, what is your long-term vision for Frisco? Do you support efforts to reinvest in existing areas or favor further expansion on the city’s edges?
Frisco is approaching build-out. Our future is not endless expansion, but thoughtful reinvestment.
I support focusing on:
• Reinvestment in existing areas
• Redevelopment of underutilized properties
• Maintaining strong neighborhoods
Downtown: There were over 100 open meetings since 2018 when the downtown master plan was updated that included opportunities for public input. How many of those planning meetings did you attend and did you ever speak in support of or against the project at any of those meetings? Moving forward, what, if anything, would you do differently on large-scale city-initiated improvement projects like the Rail District Revitalization plan?
I have attended numerous meetings where the downtown master plan was discussed but I can’t quantify the exact number of those meetings. I did not speak in support or against the project.
As the Rail District continues to evolve, success will depend not just on the physical space, but on how it is activated.
The 4th Street Plaza must be programmed intentionally and consistently, with events and activities that:
• Draw people throughout the entire Rail District, not just the plaza itself
• Support surrounding small businesses before, during, and after events
• Encourage walkability between shops, restaurants, and gathering spaces
• Create a sense of place that reflects Frisco’s community identityThat means coordinated, district-wide programming — festivals, markets, performances, family-friendly events, and partnerships with local businesses — rather than isolated activities that end at the plaza’s edge.
Moving forward, large city-initiated projects should pair capital investment with clear programming strategies, early business engagement, and measurable goals for economic and community impact. A great space only succeeds if it brings the whole district to life.
Property tax relief: While the city has increased the homestead exemption, property values continue to rise. What steps will you take to provide further, sustainable property tax relief for residents, especially seniors on fixed incomes, without negatively impacting city services?
Frisco has taken steps to increase the homestead exemption, but rising values still strain household budgets, especially for seniors.
I support:
• Continued evaluation of exemptions and relief programs for seniors and vulnerable residents
• Conservative budgeting that prioritizes core services
• Growing commercial revenue so homeowners aren’t carrying the full burden
State mandates vs. local needs: How will you navigate the increasing number of state-imposed financial restrictions that limit local control? What trade-offs are you willing to make if state preemption forces reduced service levels or deferred infrastructure maintenance?
State mandates increasingly limit local decision-making. When that happens, council owes residents transparency. My approach is pragmatic:
• Advocate at the state level for local control
• Make trade-offs transparently when mandates force hard choices
• Protect public safety and infrastructure as top prioritiesCouncil must clearly explain what is constrained by the state and where local discretion still exists.
Large-scale projects: The $160 million arts center bond failed in May 2025. How do you interpret this result from the voters? Do you support alternative funding models, that don’t raise property taxes, for large community projects, or do you believe the city should focus on other priorities? Explain your position.
I believe residents are fatigued by the number of big projects over the past several years and want the city to pause, absorb what we’ve already built, and make sure existing investments are manageable from an infrastructure standpoint before taking on any other big projects.
Frisco has grown at an incredible pace. With that growth comes the responsibility to finish and stabilize current projects and ensure infrastructure and services keep up. Right now, many residents want reassurance that the city is being careful, not aggressive.
Leadership isn’t just about vision — it’s also about timing. Sometimes the responsible choice is to slow down.
Unions: Do you support Collective Bargaining, Civil Service, and/or Meet and Confer. Why or why not? Will you vote for or against all of those should they be presented to council in the future? Explain.
- Note: Lack of a response to this question will be received as a response that you do support these items. I will publish any lack of response as support, and I will advise the public that you were given notice that a lack of a response would be received as support and you were given the ability and opportunity to respond and chose not to do so.
I want to be very clear on this issue.
I fully support Frisco’s police officers and firefighters, and I believe they deserve competitive pay, strong benefits, safe working conditions, and leadership that listens and responds to their concerns. However, I am not in favor of collective bargaining, civil service, or meet and confer.
My position is not about opposition to public safety employees — it is about what I believe is the best governance model for Frisco.
I do not believe inserting unionized processes improves service delivery, operational flexibility, or long-term financial sustainability for our city. In many cases, these systems can limit responsiveness, increase costs, and reduce the city’s ability to manage staffing and resources effectively.
If any of these items are presented to council in the future, I would vote against them, while continuing to strongly support police and fire through fair compensation, proper staffing, and responsible budgeting.
Supporting our first responders and preserving effective, flexible city operations are not mutually exclusive — and I believe Frisco can, and should, continue to do both.
Staffing for a growing city: As Frisco’s population increases, so does the demand for police, fire, and emergency medical services. What specific actions will you take to ensure public safety staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of a growing community?
Public safety must grow with the city. I will ensure staffing decisions are guided by data — including call volume, response times, and community growth — while maintaining strong, ongoing communication with department leadership and frontline staff so council clearly understands the needs and challenges our first responders face. I will also support competitive pay, retention, and long-term workforce planning to ensure Frisco continues to deliver the high level of public safety our residents expect.
Animal services: The city has been exploring a public-private partnership for an animal facility. Frisco PD Chief Shilson has consistently presented statistics to the council and residents that Frisco’s animal intake doesn’t warrant a full-scale animal shelter. Do you agree with the data provided by Chief Shilson and the PD and support the staff’s recommendation for the public-private partnership currently proposed? If not, why not?
Animal services is an emotional and important issue for many in our community, and I respect the advocates who have raised concerns about whether the data presented fully captures the impact in Frisco.
While staff has shared data indicating that Frisco’s intake levels do not support a full-scale city-owned shelter, I believe that given the importance of this decision for our pets and residents, an independent study should be included as part of the process.
With the Letter of Intent recently approved, we now have an opportunity to:
• Continue negotiating with the proposed partner
• Conduct an independent analysis to validate needs and capacity
• Ensure the final facility truly addresses all of Frisco’s animal service needs, not just some of themThe facility currently proposed addresses many needs, and I see value in that direction. Taking this additional step ensures decisions are informed, transparent, and trusted by the community.
Decision-making transparency: Many residents feel disconnected from city government. What concrete steps will you take to increase transparency and encourage meaningful public input on major decisions, such as zoning changes and budget allocations?
To improve transparency, I will support:
• Earlier notice and clearer explanations for zoning changes, major projects, and budget decisions
• Clearly outlining what is already decided versus what is still open for input
• Using multiple engagement methods to reach residents where they are
• Following up after decisions are made to explain how public input was considered
Diverse representation: As Frisco becomes more diverse, what is your strategy for ensuring that all community voices are heard and that governance is inclusive of the city’s changing demographic population?
Frisco is changing, and engagement must evolve with it. Some strategies I will utilize include:
• Proactive outreach
• Listening to underrepresented voices
• Ensuring advisory boards reflect the community
Professionalism. I recently spoke at a city council meeting where I was heckled for both my comments and going over time. [Mr. Piland one of those people was sitting near you. Will you publicly condemn this lack of decorum going forward and ask people around you to be professional?] How would you propose improving local discourse.
Civility matters. Disagreement is part of democracy, but disrespect is not.
I will always advocate for professionalism and respectful conduct — from residents, candidates, and elected officials alike. Leaders set the tone, and I intend to set a strong, positive, and professional one.
Form of Government: What do you believe is the role of council? What do you believe is the roll of Staff?
Frisco operates under a council–manager form of government, and that structure is intentional and effective.
In this model, the role of City Council is to:
• Set policy and strategic direction
• Represent residents and community priorities
• Approve the budget and major initiatives
• Hire and evaluate the City ManagerThe role of professional staff, led by the City Manager, is to:
• Implement council policy
• Manage day-to-day operations
• Provide expert, non-political recommendations
• Ensure services are delivered efficiently and effectivelyWhen council respects this structure and staff is empowered to do their jobs professionally, the city functions best. Council should not micromanage operations, and staff should not be politicized.
My goal is to be a council member who focuses on policy, accountability, and long-term outcomes — while trusting our professional staff to execute those decisions. That balance is essential to good governance and has served Frisco well.
Ms Anderson Only: Mrs. Anderson, Your opponent points to decades of executive-level leadership in public safety, while your background is rooted in volunteer service and small business ownership. Some voters are interpreting that as a gap in experience – especially when it comes to overseeing a growing city’s budget, public safety operations, and long-range planning. Why should voters trust your type of experience prepares you equally – or better – for a City Council Role?
City Council is a governance role, not an operational one — and my experience aligns squarely with that responsibility.
For over a decade, I have served Frisco long before ever running for office, contributing countless hours across city boards, advisory committees, and community organizations. I’ve helped shape long-range planning conversations, supported arts and culture, worked with the business community, and advocated for residents through hands-on civic service.
That service has been paired with professional leadership. As a former corporate executive and now a small business owner, I’ve managed budgets, led teams, built strategy, and made difficult decisions with accountability and discipline.
Frisco needs council members who understand policy, stewardship, and long-term impact — and who have proven they show up, listen, and lead. That is how I have served this city for years, and that is how I will serve on City Council.
What is your vision for Frisco?
My vision for Frisco is a city that grows responsibly while staying true to the community we’ve built together.
A Frisco that:
• Respects the residents who invest their time and resources here
• Protects quality of life as we grow
• Plans carefully for the futureI’ve served Frisco for over a decade — and I’m ready to continue that service on City Council.
Mr. Piland Only: Mr. Piland, you previously applied for the Frisco City Manager position in 2022 and were not selected, you have run twice for elected office: for Mayor in 2023 and for City Council Place 1 in 2024. Voters chose other candidates both times. Now you are running again in the Special Election. What has changed since your earlier campaigns that should lead voters to a different conclusion this time? Also, how do you respond to concerns raised by the malfeasance investigation that confirmed you failed to tell the truth and mismanaged the Frisco Fire Department?
No response was received.
