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 6 are
(in ballot order)
Brittany Colberg – (responses below)
Sai Krishnarajanagar – (did not respond)
Matt Chalmers – (did not respond)
Jerry Spencer – (responses below)
Personal Connection
What motivated you to run for council and what experiences do you believe best prepare you for this role?
- Brittany – Frisco has been my home for more than 25 years, and I care deeply about the community we’ve built together. As our city approaches build-out, the decisions made today will shape Frisco for decades. I’m running to bring steady, thoughtful, and experienced leadership that protects our quality of life while planning responsibly for our future. My experience serving as Planning and Zoning Chair and as a commissioner for the last eight years along with two decades in the title insurance industry have given me practical insight into development, infrastructure, and community engagement.
- Jerry – I have always been interested in politics and have always wanted to run for political office, but life got in the way. I remember listening to the Kennedy/Nixon election returns in 1960 as a 12‑year‑old kid. I was pulling for Kennedy! I’ve mostly been interested in national politics, but in the last few years have become more interested in local issues. I began hearing what my friends and others discuss about the need for Frisco ever promoting the city as Sports City USA and as a “destination city.” I don’t remember being asked if I wanted to live in SC USA or a destination city. Therefore, I decided to get involved and, at the age of 76, ran for City Council.
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?
- Brittany – Frisco should be intentional and selective in driving the remaining build-out of our city. We should prioritize high-quality projects and reserve incentives for select developments that bring high-paying jobs, enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and ease the tax burden on our residents by expanding the commercial tax base. The right for local municipalities to preside over local decisions is crucial. Senate Bill 840 wounded the ability of cities like Frisco to effectively plan and regulate multifamily development as residents desire. Going forward, Frisco will need to work within the law while partnering with state officials to advocate for practical local flexibility. We’ll also need to be intentional with our use of incentives to ensure that the highest quality projects remain the ones that are most attractive for developers to complete in our city.
- Jerry – Residents, and potential residents, aren’t solely concerned about increasing density, they are also concerned about affordability. We need a variety of housing types at a range of price points. It is not possible to provide housing for a diverse population by restricting new housing to large lots and low‑density multi‑family.
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?
- Brittany – Every Frisco resident understands the traffic challenges created by the rapid growth of our city. I would focus on collaboration with regional partners on long-term transportation planning, pursuit of strategic road projects, requiring new projects to address traffic problems during the approval process where possible, piloting technology and artificial intelligence in traffic management, and evaluating micro-transit options where feasible.
- Jerry – I plan to go forward with my effort to convince voters that it is time to transition from SPORT CITY USA to BRAIN CITY USA. We need to stop promoting Frisco as a “destination city” and inviting hordes of visitors onto our already clogged streets. It needs to become a thriving hub of 21st‑century, knowledge‑based, self‑sufficient local economy. When the national economy softens, local economies that are not over‑reliant on tourism suffer more than a balanced economy.
I propose that the city study the feasibility of constructing a tunnel, running from Highway 380 to Highway 121, roughly parallel to Preston Road, allowing for non‑stop flow of traffic, to reduce some of the stress on that route.
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?
- Brittany – We’re shifting into a unique time in our city’s history. We need to balance both the need to reinvest in existing areas and continue to compete for high quality commercial developments that bring jobs and increased quality of life for our residents. Frisco has always been a visionary city. We need now to also steward what’s already been built so that our city does not fade.
- Jerry – The key word for my long‑term vision is “balance.” Frisco would further diversify its economic base by focusing on 21st‑century technologies, such as robotics, AI, medical research, etc. We would de‑emphasize the current fixation on sports and tourism. I will support efforts that take a balanced approach to reinvestment in existing areas and new development.
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?
- Brittany – I attended approximately a dozen of the planning meetings while the master plan was being updated. My attendance inspired me to become more committed to serving the city and participating in city discourse. I live in the Rail District, and the business owners and residents here are my neighbors. While I and many others in the Rail District are excited about where the vision for downtown is headed, sometimes even the best-laid plans result in the need to pivot to ensure the success of the businesses affected. Going forward, I would look for the city to be more proactive in monitoring the impacts of construction on large-scale improvement projects and ensuring strong lines of communication with those impacted throughout.
- Jerry – I did not attend any of those meetings. At that time, my attention was focused on my family. I started paying attention to local issues when I started hearing things like “Sport City USA” and making Frisco a “destination city,” neither of which excited me. Instead of relying on sports and tourism, I prefer that Frisco become a more self‑sufficient city by focusing on 21st‑century technologies. Moving forward, I would pay attention to the voters. For example, the voters said they were not interested in a Performing Arts Center. Now, I’m hearing whispers of introducing a “new and improved” arts center. Rather than using gimmicky financing, the city should be straight with the voters and let them know that “if you want it, you have to pay for it.” No gimmicks, just straight talk.
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?
- Brittany – 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 worked hard to implement a senior property tax freeze, a senior property tax discount, and increasing the city’s homestead exemption to the maximum allowable level in recent years. To continue to protect taxpayers, our focus should be on responsible stewardship of our budget, continuing to grow commercial and corporate investment so homeowners, especially seniors on fixed incomes, are not carrying an increasing share of the load.
- Jerry – Any increase in property tax assessments from one year to the next should be limited to the rate of inflation. Any increase in property values above the inflation rate would be considered an increase in their net worth.
As regards seniors on fixed incomes, how do we know which seniors are on fixed incomes? If we did know that, does that mean that seniors not on fixed incomes would not see any relief in their property taxes? Not sure how you would implement any such program.
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?
- Brittany – I affirm the right for local governments to drive decision making in their municipalities. It is concerning when the state steps in and impacts municipalities’ ability to take care of their residents. While we must work within state law, we should also prioritize building strong partnerships with state and regional leaders to effectively advocate for local flexibility or re-evaluation of previously past laws when possible.
- Jerry – I will work with fellow council members, city staff, state legislators and residents to ensure that the city is in compliance with all state‑imposed mandates. At the same time, I will be working with those same people to remove or adjust those state mandates that restrict the city’s freedom to act in the best interest of Frisco’s residents. I will also be looking to form alliances with other cities in our region to form a united front when approaching the legislature with requests for relief from these unreasonable mandates and restrictions on local action.
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.
- Brittany – I do believe that creating a vibrant arts culture in our city directly increases the quality of life for our residents. While my desire is to find creative solutions to deliver for the community in areas like the arts, the voters communicated clearly that they did not have confidence that the scale, scope, and structure of the proposed project was such that they were protected from the potential risks and the potential for long-term costs to be experienced over multiple decades of bond repayment. The city should be careful to remain disciplined and focused on expanding the commercial tax base and attracting another large corporate win to allow it to find those creative solutions that our residents can get behind to make additional investments in areas like the arts and culture in manners supported by the community as a whole.
- Jerry – I interpret the defeat of the Performing Arts Center to mean there was no appetite among voters for taking on an additional $160 million in debt for a dubious project. That’s the kind of government gimmickry I dislike. The city should be straight with the voters and not pretend that you can get something for nothing.
Perhaps it is time to hit the pause button on these types of projects and refocus on the everyday concerns of residents and voters. I do have to say, that a well‑thought‑out Performing Arts Center with solid funding and a clear demand would be much preferable to the endless sports/tourism‑related projects that are being pushed on the residents.
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.
- Brittany – Ensuring that our residents continue to feel safe in Frisco starts with fostering an environment where first responders feel they have what they need to be successful in protecting our city. I believe that city leadership should focus on open communication, advocacy, and support for our first responders. My focus is building relationships, ensuring competitive pay, and supporting high quality training and resources so that first responders don’t feel the need to entertain those systems. While I don’t support collective bargaining, civil service, or meet and confer, those systems aren’t needed when we execute on the priorities I’ve described above.
- Jerry – Given the constitutional right of free association, I support the right of workers to organize for their mutual benefit, if they choose to do so. That organization might take many different forms depending on the legal framework under which they organize. I think the City of Frisco is an exemplary employer and I do not see the need for Collective Bargaining, Civil Service and/or Meet and Confer.
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?
- Brittany – Public safety must always be the top priority as Frisco grows. That means long-term staffing plans tied to population growth, competitive compensation to attract and retain top talent, and continued investment in training and technology. We must ensure our police, fire, and EMS resources stay ahead of demand and not behind it.
- Jerry – I think the city needs to focus on the needs of current and future residents. To that end, I think the city needs to moderate its promotion of Frisco as a “destination city.” The increased tourism places additional burdens on police, fire and emergency medical services. The city needs to shift from further development of an economy based on sports and tourism to an economy based on the development of a vibrant 21st century technology sector that makes the city self sufficient and not dependent on the vagaries of a tourism based economy.
I would support an innovative program to test the use of robots and autonomously driven police cars in the most routine police work. The robots could stop speeders and violators of traffic laws. The robots would need to be programmed to understand Spanish and other common languages. Racial bias would be eliminated in these interactions. Human police officers would not be putting their lives on the line in routine traffic stops.
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?
- Brittany – Our police and animal services departments perform their responsibilities at a high level of excellence every day. As a result, I don’t have a reason to question the data provided. That said, I believe that the city should continue to engage with the community and third-party experts to ensure that the go-forward plans are fiscally prudent, viable, and scalable to address our current and future needs. I have three rescued dogs myself and want us to get this right as our pets are important to our families.
- Jerry – As I understand it, the type of animal facility we will have in Frisco is still under discussion. My preference is for regional solutions whenever possible. In this case, given the projected size and population of Frisco, and pressure from the County for larger cities to contribute more, it may be best if Frisco has its own animal facility. If it is a public-private partnership, I prefer that it be more private. I want people who approach the care of animals as a calling not just a job.
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?
- Brittany – We need to bring communication with our residents into the 21st century where we push information out proactively rather than following state required minimum communication levels. Communication with our residents needs to be rooted in sincere invitations of partnership and not just notices about what is going on. One of the first steps I would take as a city council member would be to ask for city council work sessions to be recorded and broadcast online. Those meetings are crucial for residents to participate in as they are where the bulk of the debate and education happens on important issues in the city.
- Jerry – See my answer to the following question. That solution would apply in this situation, also.
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?
- Brittany – I will continue to do what I have done for 26-years in Frisco by building relationships and advocating for all members of our community. A rising tide lifts all boats. Frisco has always been a place of rising tides. We need to ensure everyone is welcome and thriving here.
- Jerry – To ensure that all community voices are heard, the city needs to start a conversation about transitioning from an all at large system of representation to a system of single member districts or a hybrid system of single member and at large districts. This would help alleviate the problem mentioned in the previous question with residents feeling disconnected from city government. Residents would know which council member is closest to them.
After a period of community education and a citywide consensus is reached on the preferred system of representation, and a citywide vote is taken, the necessary legal changes could be made to the City Charter.
Professionalism. Several times at recent council meetings individuals have spoken in a hateful and/or disruptive manner. How would you propose improving local discourse?
- Brittany – Public meetings should be a place where people can participate without disruption or intimidation. While I am a strong supporter of protecting free speech, I support clear, consistently enforced decorum standards that are viewpoint neutral and ensure that our residents and businesses are prioritized in the process. The voice of our residents should be held as sacred, and it’s very important that we position them to feel heard.
- Jerry – Hateful and disruptive behavior is unfortunate, but free speech gets messy sometimes. While I personally agree that some of the recent speech has been hateful, those speakers concerned about “demographic change” should be allowed to vent their frustrations. They should be allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights and others should be allowed to forcefully challenge their assertions. Free speech does not include being able to incite violence, and that should never be tolerated
Form of Government: What do you believe is the role of council? What do you believe is the role of Staff?
- Brittany – City council sets policy, establishes priorities, approves budgets and tax rates, and provides direction to the City Manager. City staff is responsible for managing day-to-day operations and implementing that direction through the city manager.
- Jerry – Through elections, council members are chosen who represent the majority opinion of the voters. By interacting with other council members, other representatives of the city and residents/voters in public meetings, public opinion is further distilled in the form of policy proposals that go to city staff for review.
That process involves further discussion, public meetings, etc. until a final piece of legislation (city ordinance) is put before the city council for a vote. The legislation either passes or fails, at which point it might be reworked and offered for a vote again or abandoned.
In brief: Council sets policy; staff implements policy.
Summary Question:
What is your vision for Frisco?
- Brittany – I envision a Frisco where my grandchildren’s generation finds a place where they can raise their families, build their careers, serve the community, and enjoy the tremendous blessings that our family has experienced in our 26 years here. Frisco was built by people with grit and a bold vision to make it a special place where their families could thrive. As we move forward in this pivotal moment in our city’s history, I envision a Frisco that honors the legacy of those who dreamed big and took risks to build this one-of-a-kind place that we call home.
- Jerry – When fully developed, Frisco would be a diverse city with opportunity for all residents to reach their full potential based on their individual ability and effort.
For Fun:
What should the plot line be for the new “Frisco King” TV show?
- Brittany – No Response
- Jerry – Elon Musk is appointed to the ex officio seat on the EDC and Frisco becomes the tech capital of the universe! Brinkman Ranch is converted into a launch facility for flights to Mars and everyone lives happily ever after!
