Questionnaires were sent to all candidates based on publicly available information on their websites. I gave three weeks for responses. I followed up with all candidates approximately one week before my requested deadline. Responses below are exactly as written by the candidates.
Candidates for Place 5 are
(in ballot order)
Sreekanth Reddy (did not respond)
Vijay Karthik (did not respond)
Laura Rummel (responses below)
Personal Connection
What motivated you to run for council and what experiences do you believe best prepare you for this role?
- Laura – When outlining the 2040 Strategic Vision in 2020, I realized my background and experience could support the goals of the city. I am running for re-election to continue delivering results for our residents through experienced, stable governance. My love for Frisco drives me to ensure our city remains innovative, safe, and fiscally responsible. My experience and aptitude for understanding long term consequences give me a unique ability to anticipate risks and take advantage of the right opportunities.
Growth, development, and infrastructure
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?
- Laura – If our property tax value could be closer to 50% residential and 50% business, not only would it diversify our property tax base but it will reduce the burden our homeowners currently feel. By recruiting top tier companies looking for high end office space, we can bring high value properties to Frisco. Regarding SB840, as the Legislative Committee Chair, I have already been speaking to our State Representatives and Senator about making changes this upcoming session. They all understand the need and many of them didn’t vote for it in the first place. We’ll need and rely on their influence with their peers to impact changes to the bill.
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?
- Laura – As an advocate for emerging technologies, I have specifically pushed for testing with an AI company that specializes in improving traffic flow, and we have now expanded that test to some of our most congested areas. For public transit, I do not support buying into major infrastructure like DART. Instead, microtransit focused along the Tollway and Preston business corridors makes more sense for Frisco, connecting our business parks, entertainment districts, universities, and apartment complexes. We must also finish our major roads to provide more travel options and ensure they are well maintained.
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?
- Laura – My vision is for Frisco to be a world class city known for being an innovative and welcoming community, with a balanced tax base of at least 50% coming from businesses. As we approach build-out, I favor using the General fund to reinvest into the aging areas of the city. While expansion is inevitable, even without the City’s involvement, I am in favor of using Economic Development funds to attract top tier businesses to build high quality business parks.
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?
- Laura – All of my comments regarding the Rail District have been made while serving on City Council and are available on public record. While I attended work sessions prior to being on Council, I did not speak about this particular topic. In hindsight, and for future considerations, I would have tried to implement utility improvements separately from the road work in order to limit disruptions. I also would have dedicated more marketing dollars earlier in the process to help businesses communicate with their customers during construction. It was one of the first things the businesses cut, but they needed marketing initiatives to communicate to their customers during this time.
City finances and budget
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?
- Laura – I am proud of the fact that we have increased the homestead exemption from 10% to 20% and implemented the Senior Tax Freeze during my time on the Budget and Audit Committee, but there will always be more that we can do. I will continue to lean into tourism, which currently reduces the average annual household tax burden by approximately $2,500. Additionally, prioritizing the completion of commercial and office parks increases the property tax contributions from businesses. The more we increase tourism revenue and bring in businesses to contribute to our property taxes, the more tax relief we can provide to our residents.
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?
- Laura – I am strongly against any removal of local control. Frisco knows what is best for its own community. We are not Houston, nor are we Lubbock. We do not need outside entities dictating how we govern our local neighborhoods. As Chair of the Legislative Committee, I have fought these mandates because the Council should be accountable to its citizens (who can vote us out) rather than Austin. With that said, when bills are passed, we have to adhere to the requirements of the law. It is possible that adhering to a State-driven mandate could require a tax rate increase (something we have not done in my 4 years on Council). That tax rate would go to our voters for approval, and if the initiative fails, then we would have no choice other than cutting services within the budget we have.
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.
- Laura – While there are a number of reasons that residents may have voted against this, one of the most common I heard was a feeling that the proposal was too risky because it was in the concept phase rather than a final plan. If any large scale project is considered in the future, especially if it uses an alternative funding model or needs to go in front of the voters, it would need to be a fully formed plan with clearly established private financial support already behind it.
Unions: Do you support Collective Bargaining, Civil Service, and/or Meet and Confer. Why or why not? Will you vote for or against any or 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.
- Laura – I signed a publicly available document stating that I am against Civil Service and Collective Bargaining. I believe we can operate highly effective public safety departments with competitive pay and benefits without those structures in place. Even with differences of opinion on this topic, I am supportive of our public departments and have and will continue to advocate for what they need to be successful.
Public safety and services
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?
- Laura – I will continue to support competitive pay and benefits for our public safety employees to ensure we attract and retain top talent, but will also do the same for all city employees. I will also continue to support our public safety having the resources they need to be actively involved within the community, not just when you need them for an emergency. Our public safety departments have extremely qualified and capable leaders managing them, and they submit their requests for headcount through the budget process and ultimately to Council. We will continue to monitor response times, and the standard of care being provided, to identify areas for improvement.
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?
- Laura – I am supportive of the public-private partnership currently being investigated. This model significantly increases our community’s animal services offering and reduces unproductive time for our officers (driving to Mckinney), all while maintaining the same cost impact to our budget. As an animal advocate myself, I believe this innovative approach is a win for everyone.
Community engagement and governance
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?
- Laura – I will continue to advocate for more communication avenues to increase participation in elections, utilize existing print opportunities for broad reach, and enhance digital resources to ensure meetings and publicly available information are easily accessible online. It is especially important that we present complex or contentious topics in a clear, transparent manner so citizens can stay informed and engaged in the process.
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?
- Laura – As we select members for Frisco’s Boards and Commissions, it is imperative that Council chooses individuals who are the voice and representatives of our community. I am a responsive Council member and I am intentional about being in the community as often as possible so people understand how accessible I am.
Professionalism. Several times at recent council meetings individuals have spoken in a hateful and/or disruptive manner. How would you propose improving local discourse?
- Laura – While freedom of speech is a fundamental right that I strongly support, I can and will call out comments for being hateful. I believe in maintaining a professional environment and focusing on the facts of the issues rather than engaging in negativity.
Form of Government: What do you believe is the role of council? What do you believe is the role of Staff?
- Laura – The role of Council is to serve as representatives of the people, govern the laws of Frisco, and cast a long term strategic vision for the city. Staff executes on that vision and manages the daily operations of the city to ensure high quality services are provided.
Summary Question:
What is your vision for Frisco?
- Laura – My vision is for Frisco to be a world class city that is recognized globally for being an innovative and welcoming community. As we move toward build out, I want to ensure we maintain our reputation for excellence by protecting our open spaces, delivering on the potential of Grand Park, and staying the best, and safest, place in the country to live, work, and play. By balancing our commercial growth with resident needs, we can protect our unique suburban character while continuing to be a leader in technology and quality of life.
For Fun:
What should the plot line be for the new “Frisco King” TV show?
- Laura – I am going to trust the creative geniuses behind “Tulsa King” for that. But I hope the plot has Samuel L. Jackson, in his unique way, discovering why Frisco is “where greatness grows”.
