CC MEETING: February 3, 2026
DATE: January 22, 2026
TO: City Council
FROM: Meredith A. Ladd, City Attorney
Title
Consider A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Carrollton, Texas, Supporting The North Texas Commission’s DART Board Governance Recommendations Pursuant To The Transit 2.0 Initiative In Partnership With The North Central Texas Council Of Governments.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The North Texas Commission (“NTC”) is an independent, neutral group assisting with the discussions regarding regional transportation planning issues in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in response to the Transit 2.0 Initiative led by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (“NCTCOG”), which is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization in accordance with the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1973. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (“DART”) was created by the Texas Legislature more than forty years ago in 1983 and has a representative attending NTC meetings along with the Member Cities of DART. DART provides regional transportation services to the Member Cities, being Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Richardson, Rowlett, Plano, and University Park.
During the September 4, 2025, regular meeting, at which representatives from DART and all Member Cities were present, NTC assigned six city managers to a subcommittee (the “Subcommittee”) to study governance issues on the DART board related to representation of Member Cities with the Subcommittee being comprised of representatives from Dallas, Garland, Irving, Plano, Richardson, and Rowlett. The Subcommittee met numerous times in September and October, and during the November 13, 2025, NTC meeting, the Subcommittee presented a unanimous recommendation, subject to Member Cities’ council approval, for proposed legislation to amend the membership structure of the DART board.
On January 20, 2026, a committee of the City of Dallas considered the Subcommittee’s proposal and, while generally favorable, requested a larger weighted vote than recommended at the NTC meeting. The Subcommittee is currently finalizing the exact weight of each Member Cities vote; however, no one Member City will have a weighted vote in excess of 49.9% and each Member City will have at least one person representing that Member City, but with a weighted vote in relation to the Member City’s population percentage of the entire DART Member Cities population.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
IMPACT ON COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY:
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff requests Council consideration of the Resolution requesting legislative action to amend the board structure of DART.