On Monday, March 29th, Dr.  Jim Joyner officially launched his campaign for
Frisco City Council Place 4 at the Newman Village Discovery Center.  Jim was
introduced by Former Frisco City Council Member, Joy West, who praised his
dedication, guidance and extensive public service in Frisco which includes:

Frisco City Council 2003-2008
Mayor Pro Tem 2007-2008
2010 Charter review committee vice-chair
Community Development Corporation 2000-2003
2002 Frisco Bond Committee Chairman
2002 Bond PAC chairman
Plus, numerous boards and committees over the last 10 years.



Dr. Joyner had been encouraged by numerous supporters to run again in order
to bring experience and leadership back to the City Council.  Jim thanked
the crowd, which included his wife, Sheila, Ms. West, former Frisco Mayor
Bob Warren, Sharon Weinberg, and Jim and Sue Minyard, amongst many others,
for trusting him, once again, to bring his hard work ethic, integrity and
proven success to guide the city of Frisco into continued growth and
prosperity.  



For more information, please visit Jim's website at
http://www.joyner4frisco.com/index.shtml

 

Editor’s Note: Realfrisco.com sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates that filed for a place on the Frisco City Council. The questionnaire is intended to help give residents a more intimate look at the gentleman running for council. A different questionnaire will be placed on the site every few days. The next candidate is John Keating who is running for Place 4. His Web site is www.keating4frisco.com

1.What is your current occupation? I am a semi-retired real estate investor and financial services consultant, providing private asset management for my existing clients.  I developed group benefit packages and executive planning strategies for tech start-ups.  I was blessed with success when times were good and put myself in a position where I didn’t have to work full-time.

 2.What made you want to run for a place on council? As an active member of the community, I have seen and heard first-hand the issues concerning the average Frisco homeowner and believe I share the same values of the families who live here.  I see issues presented to the council that affect the families of our community and the dissension that has risen among members of the council.  I believe city leaders should be working together for the benefit of everyone who lives in Frisco, not simply those with special interests. 

3.What experience do you feel that you have that makes you a good fit for the position?

I am a decorated 13-year US Army veteran.  I served as a counterintelligence agent and gained the best leadership training in the world.  I was active in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm and led deployments of counterintelligence personnel throughout three continents to evaluate special operations forces training.  I know what it takes to lead a team, motivate individuals, make a decision and take responsibility for what I believe. 

As a father and small business owner I share the same values as a majority of people who live in Frisco.  I have two sons who participate in Frisco sports, attend Frisco schools and rely on fellow citizens and city officials to keep them safe.  I have a record of serving the community in such roles as President of the Starwood Home Owners Association, Silent Auction Chair and VP of Fundraising for the Spears PTA.  My friends and peers know me as a man of both action who gets things done and integrity, promoting honesty and transparency.

4.What key issues are you campaigning on? What brings people to Frisco?  Residents move here for the business opportunities, great schools and low taxes.  Why are we raising taxes in a recession? From 2003 to 2008, the city tax rate went up 35%.  Last year, by a 4-3 vote, the city council raised our tax rate.  So in good times they raise our taxes, and in bad times they raise our taxes!  When are they not going to raise our taxes?  The federal government is not going to be cutting taxes anytime soon.  We’re being nickel and dimed to the point where we soon won’t have any nickels or dimes.  I’m campaigning on fiscal responsibility and priorities.  To me, public safety is the number one priority for this council; two, our roads and infrastructure; and three, our public-private partnerships.  Everything else follows these priorities. 

5.What issues would you like to see the council address? An acceleration of the Grand Park project, because it’s going to add so much value to the city.  Another issue is no clustered Section 8 Housing in Frisco.  Even if only 20% of a clustered development is Section 8, who would want to live in the other 80%?  Then, who’s going to want to live in the neighborhood next to the Section 8 Housing, and then who’s going to want to live in that part of the city?  We’ve seen it happen in too many other urban and suburban areas.  We need to stem the tide now!  I would also like to see more public-private partnerships like Field House USA.  City leaders did an excellent job acting as a bank, offering the developer a $12.5 million dollar loan and a 20-year lease, without impacting our tax base.  The developer pockets the profits from Field House USA, but pays all the maintenance and operating costs, AND makes principal and interest payments to the city.  At the end of the lease, the city owns the building and the dirt underneath!  What a great idea! 

6.What would you like to change about the council? What does it mean when a candidate says they want to keep taxes low?  Frisco’s tax rate is .465 cents per $100 of assessed value, and McKinney’s tax rate is .58 cents, so McKinney’s tax rate is about 25% higher than Frisco’s.  If our taxes are raised to a point just under McKinney’s, can we say we kept our taxes low?  They’re still lower than McKinney’s, so possibly we could.  What I’m saying is, for the next 12 months, no tax rate increase!  We will protect jobs and cut services before we raise taxes.  I will not be party to what the current administration is doing in Washington.  I will not tax and spend, and spend and tax!  Let’s say “Yes” to true public-private partnerships like Field House USA, “Yes” to projects like Grand Park, which over the long-term, will add value to the Frisco community and increase our property values.  The last tax rate increase passed by a vote of 4-3.  If I were to win, our conservative council members would have a fourth vote to ensure these priorities are fulfilled.  We need a fourth council member who is decisive, with fiscally conservative convictions.

 7.What would you like to stay the same about the council? I honor all those who serve, because they are all volunteers and they are not getting paid.  Even though there are some on this council I disagree with philosophically and politically, they do put in their time and they do work hard. I’d like to see that same work ethic remain.   

8.What will you do to ensure that the council makes fiscally responsible decisions? I’ve lived in Frisco for 11 years and we can’t go back to 2003.  We do not have $13 million in permit fee revenue anymore to cover our costs.  Our permit fee revenue will be gone when we reach build-out.  Every resident-homeowner moving into Frisco uses some of the city services, such as police and fire, sewer, water, waste, roads, etc.  Houses valued at roughly $350,000 and up generate a proportionate amount of revenue for the amount of services they use.  Homes with a higher value create excess revenue.  The average home value in Frisco is about $290,000.  We need to attract more executive-level homebuyers to help sustain the city’s growth.  Meanwhile, residents with homes valued at or below $290,000 will pay less tax, but will enjoy the same benefits.  We’re all on the same team here in Frisco!  We’re all in a partnership!  It’s not an “us and them,” it is a “we.”  We need to continue to grow, but we need to do it responsibly. 

9.What do you feel is the most important issue facing Frisco? The economy, the economy, the economy!  One of my fellow candidates is very enthusiastic about selling a $16.4 million bond, right now, or in the very near future, for the Arts of Collin County (ACC) project.  As lovers of the arts, my family has donated our own money to the project. That was a personal decision, but I am not prepared to commit millions of tax-payer dollars to the project without solid proof of significant economic returns to the three-city region.  As a council member, I am not going to make it compulsory for the good citizens of Frisco to surrender their hard-earned money right now, during a recession, for a single project that will cost Frisco an estimated additional $7.5 million over the next 20 years.  Do I want to see it happen eventually, some day?  Quite candidly, yes, I do, but in a recession we must focus on “necessities” not “niceties”! 

10.Are you for or against raising taxes and why? I wish the question was, “Are you for or against cutting taxes and why?” The TLOTA Bill, which some of our council members supported, provided the option for residents in cities like Frisco to raise their own taxes.  I would have supported the bill if it allowed citizens to vote to lower their taxes!  Will any candidate running for office say they are going to raise taxes?  I don’t see why, in the near future, we should have to raise taxes in Frisco.  We have one of the lowest tax rates in the region and we’re going to work to keep it that way because it attracts new residents.  You have to use innovation and ingenuity to survive in tough economic times.  As recent as 2008, of all the new jobs created in the entire country, 70% of them came from Texas.  Other states look to us as the economic standard.  California, the “Golden State,” once an economic powerhouse, is the example we should shy away from. 

11. What would you like to accomplish while in office or what would you like to be remembered for? The City of Frisco is far more important than any one individual.  I have two young boys who are 9 and 12.  The Great American Dream has always been to do better than the generation before you.  I want my boys to have that opportunity, but when the federal government rings up $12.5 trillion in debt, what chance do they have?  I don’t want to see city governments doing the same thing.  Increasing debt in a recession is irresponsible.  I want to be remembered as somebody who loved his wife and was a great husband; somebody who loved his boys and made them a priority in his life; somebody who was a great father.  I want to be remembered as someone who never compromised their morals and ethics.  If I were to be remembered by my fellow citizens, I would want to be remembered as a man of my word, who worked hard for the good citizens of Frisco. 

12. What are your accomplishments and other organizations that you are involved in? 

Decorated veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm 

President of “Keating Financial Services” Preston Trails Community Church 

Leadership Frisco, Class XIII 

Spears Elementary PTA Silent Auction Chair, Carnival Chair,

VP of Fundraising Starwood HOA Board President, Village Representative, New Construction Committee Chair, Modifications Committee Chair,

Traffic Enforcement Committee Chair 

Frisco Heritage Foundation, Lifetime Member

 Bachelor of Science, Mass Communication, Towson University, Maryland 

Associate in Applied Science, Criminal Justice, Central Texas College, Texas  

 

Editor’s Note: Realfrisco.com sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates that filed for a place on the Frisco City Council. The questionnaire is intended to help give residents a more intimate look at the gentleman running for council. A different questionnaire will be placed on the site every few days. The next candidate is Jeff Cheney who is running for Place 2.

1.       What is your current occupation?

 ·         Realtor, Keller Williams Realty Frisco Stars

·         Owner, Frisco-Online.com

·         Owner, Northstar Property Management

 2.       What made you want to run for a place on council? 

My wife and I have a great deal of passion for the city of Frisco and we became very active in the community immediately when we moved here over 7 years ago.  Frisco is such a dynamic and exciting city that I found it very natural to aspire to serve the community in this fashion. I feel honored to have the opportunity to serve the community that has been so good to our family and we will continue to do our part long after my City Council service is complete.  I feel in this stage of Frisco’s development it is critical that we elect experienced leadership. I feel this opportunity is a privilege and I take that responsibility very seriously through my dedication to the position as well as assisting the Mayor in my role as Mayor Pro Tem.   

 

 

3.       What experience do you feel that you have that makes you a good fit for the position?

My professional background and experience as a business owner has trained me for the large skill set required to serve on City Council.  Through my career I have learned many important skills relevant to this position including the importance of proper operational checks and balances, financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, negotiation, and management.  In addition, my entire career has been in professional services acting as a role as a fiduciary for my clients, meaning I must always place the interests of my clients above my own. As a fiduciary for Frisco, I will represent the city in a professional manner, I will maintain a high level of integrity and ethics, and I will be dedicated in serving the needs of our community.My three years of experience on Council have allowed me to develop many relationships with our residents, throughout the business community, and with our surrounding cities and regional partners.  With the high amount of turnover we have had over the last three years, electing experience is more critical than ever.Since I work in Frisco, I am easily accessible for our citizens. Through my business networking and profession, I constantly hear the concerns and opinions of our local business owners and our residents. My accessibility and day to day interaction with the citizens of Frisco helps me keep my finger on the pulse of the City.

4.       What key issues are you campaigning on?

Experienced Leadership – Frisco has undergone tremendous turnover over the last three years.  I have served with nine Council Members and two Mayors. In addition, there has been turnover in many of our regional representatives.  Developing relationships with our business partners, regional leaders, and other stakeholders takes time. Electing experience is crucial at this time in Frisco’s development.  In addition, the complexities of the budget can take years to fully appreciate, even for CPAs such as myself.  Managing the budget over the coming years will require experience and expert knowledge to position Frisco where we need to be.

Fiscal Conservatism – I believe Frisco should focus on core priorities first (Police, Fire, and infrastructure).  In addition, I believe in a diversified tax base through retail, business and commercial growth.  These types of strategic investments through our Economic Development Corporation as well as other public/private and FISD partnerships is what has led to being able to deliver such quality city services at a low tax rate.

Transparency in Government - When a few people are making the decisions for the city as a whole, it is crucial that all interested parties have their opinions and concerns heard.  By constantly having my finger on the pulse of Frisco, I am able to bring a wide range of perspective to the City Council for consideration in our decision making. Through my work on the technology committee, I advocated the introduction of live streaming of council meetings as well as new communication methods such as social networking.  I serve on many organization and boards outside of Frisco City Council and I am dedicated to being available to listen to our citizens.  I have found the best way to hear from the people is to go directly to them. You will continue to see me at nearly every public event in Frisco to be available to answer any concerns the citizens have.  In addition, I am constantly networking within the business community as well as many other organizations throughout the city.  Also, I have consistently met with many neighborhood groups or any citizen who wants to learn more or express a concern.  I will continue these efforts to bringing city government closer to the people.

Quality Growth – With Frisco not even 50% developed yet, many of our decisions center around development.  My experience in real estate provides a unique perspective to these discussions.  Frisco needs to continue to focus on high quality sustainable residential and commercial development by maintaining our high building standards.  We will continue to seek partnerships to attract businesses and projects that lead to economic growth.

 5.       What issues would you like to see the council address? 

Developing a Central Core – I feel it is crucial for Frisco to have a strong central core.  Pizza Hut Park and Frisco Square are a great start.  The development on Grand Park, the Frisco Junction, the Train Museum, and ultimately tying it into old downtown, will give us the very strong central core that we need.  This area will eventually be the signature location in Frisco that continue to make Frisco a destination city.

Retail Bleeding – Stonebriar mall was a very big win for Frisco many years ago.  Today we are already starting plans for the next frontier along 380.  Frisco needs to be aggressive in developing infrastructure and being prepared to win the next mall destined to be built along 380.  In addition, much work has been done to deliver needed services along 423 and Custer road where tax dollars were leaving to go to neighboring cities rather than staying in Frisco.  The Wal-Mart on Eldorado and the Super Kroger on 423 are great examples of keeping tax dollars in Frisco.  We need to continue to look for opportunities along our borders to provide additional services where residents are currently visiting other cities to get what they need.

Economic Development – The Frisco EDC is getting more inquiries than ever.  Many businesses are seeing Frisco as a great place to do business and executives see the community as a great place to relocate their employees.  A primary goal we have is to attract a Fortune 500 company as well as continued growth in the technology sector.  Providing opportunities for our citizens to work in the community they live in, is a core advantage we have by funding our EDC.

Destination City – Frisco lowers the tax burden on our residents by generating tax revenue from visitors from outside of the community.  One of our main goals is for Frisco to be a destination city.  We have many great venues, great shopping, and many activities to bring people from all over the metroplex and outside of the region.  We would also like to recruit a destination style hotel and other destination opportunities to continue on this success.

Quality of Life Components – One of my biggest passions in serving on City Council is the sense of community our residents feel. Providing family friendly activities in our community helps bring our residents together. This Council takes great pride when our residents tell us they do not need to leave Frisco to get their family entertainment.

6.       What would you like to change about the council?

I feel strongly that a city is not just a collection of buildings, roads or houses, but is predominantly defined by its citizens.  We currently spend a great deal of time each year interviewing candidates for our boards and commissions.  Each year, we are amazed at the level of talented people in Frisco willing to serve the community.  Due to the limited number of positions open each year, many talented citizens are not appointed each year.  We need to continue to find ways to keep these citizens plugged in and contributing to our city.   

7.       What would you like to stay the same about the council?

 Every Council member truly has a passion for doing what they feel is best for the citizens of Frisco.  While we do not always agree, we always show each other respect and when an issue is done and we move beyond it with a collective voice.  We travel the State meeting Council members from many other cities.   Frisco is always complemented on its level of professionalism and ingenuity.  At a State Mayor’s Conference this year, the Mayors were polled to vote on the model cities across the State.  Frisco was one of the Top Three Cities selected by our peers.  That is quite a compliment!No Council Member can accomplish anything alone.  It takes a shared vision between Council, staff, and the citizens to reach our goals and I want this Frisco First team attitude to continue.

8.       What will you do to ensure that the council makes fiscally responsible decisions?

Through my experience as a Certified Public Accountant, financial auditor, and a financial analyst, analyzing budgets is one of my strengths.  In fact, during my employment at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of my clients was the City of Bellaire.In my first Council work session, I first expressed my concerns of Frisco’s over reliance on building permit revenues to sustain the budget.  At that time, the debt service portion of our tax rate had ballooned to nearly 50% of the rate. This is alarmingly high, even for a high growth city such as Frisco. By being fiscally conservative, we have managed that figure down to 43%.  My goal is for Frisco to get under 40%.  By reducing our debt load, it has created a much more stable financial situation.During my three years on Council as well as serving on the Budget and Audit Committee, we have accomplished much to keep our taxes the lowest in the region, while also delivering the highest level of services.  Some of this work includes installing internal control audits, 5 year budget projections, sensitivity analyses, delaying of bond sales, pricing the FAC to be self sustaining, and balancing all of our utility accounts.  In the last three years, building permit revenues have declined from $11 million to $3 million, coupled with flattening sales tax, growth, and property values.  Despite this, our efforts toward fiscal responsibility have allowed us to deliver budgets well below bond projected rates each year.  Frisco is positioned to come out of the recession in a much better position than most cities and that will allow us the flexibility to act on opportunities before us. Also, as previously mentioned, we will continue to look at reducing the tax burden on our residents by building our retail and commercial tax base, leveraging resources through private/public partnerships, reducing sales tax leakage along our borders, and generating tax from outside our borders through tourism and travel. Conservative fiscal policy is a key ingredient to maintaining financial health in good times and bad.

 9.       What do you feel is the most important issue facing Frisco?

 The most important is clearly our budget as well as setting priorities moving forward.  While we feel confident that we have developed a sustainable budget that we can operate at a high level even during bad times, there is still much uncertainty in the economy.  We have seen some positive signals with growth in our building permits as well as slight increases the last few months in sales tax.  However, commercial valuations will be released this summer and we expect possible 10% declined in those values.  We have prepared for that possibility and will continue to look at areas we may be at risk.  As the market starts to improve, managing a long list of competing priorities will be our biggest task.  In addition, Council needs to start building a long term capital reserve fund.  One drawback to the hyper growth Frisco saw over the last decade is that this infrastructure and these facilities will all start aging at the same time.  We need to be planning now so that Frisco is ready for that in 10-15 years.

10.   Are you for or against raising taxes and why? 

I would expect every candidate to answer they are against raising taxes.  Efficiency in our spending and proper internal controls should be policy at all times. Many residents moved here because of our low taxes and high quality services.Municipal government differs from most other levels of government in that the voters largely vote on their tax rate through bond elections. Managing these bond sales and resulting effects on our tax rate is one of our biggest challenges. Frisco takes great pride in always delivering budgets below the projections given to the citizens when they vote on a bond package.  Over the last three years, Council has worked very hard to tighten the belt on our budget.  As a result of the economy, we have used our discretion to reduce our bond sales so we could deliver lower budgets.  Frisco has been operating at a very efficient level so we can deliver the level of services our citizens expect at a very low tax rate.  In addition, our budget is no longer as dependent on variable income such as building permit revenues which makes it more sustainable.  As the economy improves, we can use the growth and new revenue sources to start capital projects as well as funding our long term capital reserves. My preference is to delay major capital projects until our core services, such as police, fire, and other open positions are fully funded and we can fund new capital projects without a tax increase.

11.   What would you like to accomplish while in office or what would you like to be remembered for? 

I would like to be remembered as someone that is passionate about Frisco, was dedicated to the position, listened to the citizens, and always made decisions that were in the best interests of the city of Frisco.I want Frisco to be financially stable long into the future.  This is accomplished by fiscally responsible policies. I am an advocate of Frisco’s award winning comprehensive plan and will continue the vision to develop Frisco into a “unique and sustainable” city.  I have three young children and I hope through our work today, they will see Frisco many years from now as a place they want to raise their families.

12.   What are your accomplishments and other organizations that you are involved in?

·         Endorsed by Police Officers Association

·         Endorsed by Frisco Fire Fighters Association

  ·         Mayor Pro Tem (may 2009 to current)

·         Collin County Business Press 21 Leaders for the 21st Century

·         Frisco Education Foundation Board Member 2005 to Present

·         Frisco Chamber of Commerce Member 2004 to Present

·         Keller Williams Agent Leadership Council

·         Mayor’s Youth Council – Council Liaison

·         City Council Budget and Audit Committee

·         City Council Technology Committee

·         Frisco Square Municipal District Board

·         Certified Public Accountant

·         Registered Investment Adviser

·         Masters in Professional Accounting and Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin

·         CCAR Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding contributions to the promotion and preservation of the real estate profession

·         Sponsor and volunteer for numerous Frisco Charity and Community Events including Relay for Life, Frisco-Online Child Safety Day, Get Fit Frisco!, Frisco Family Services, Frisco Cares Clinic, the Storytelling Festival, Frisco Arts Festivals and the Frisco Education Foundation

·         Preston Trails Community Church

Editor’s Note: Realfrisco.com sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates that filed for a place on the Frisco City Council. The questionnaire is intended to help give residents a more intimate look at the gentleman running for council. A different questionnaire will be placed on the site every few days. The next candidate is David Prince who is running for Place 4.

1. What is your current occupation? I am a Certified Public Accountant. My firm David L. Prince, CPA has been in business for over 30 years. Our services include tax preparation, accounting, tax planning, business entity selection, Trust accounting and personal book keeping.

2. What made you want to run for a place on council? I enjoy giving back to the community of Frisco and wanted to give them a councilman who listens to their voice and represents the goals which they would like their local government to accomplish.

3. What experience do you feel that you have that makes you a good fit for the position? Being a CPA provides me with tools to assist in analyzing the financial data presented to council by the City Staff. I have over 35 years of business and life experiences which help me make difficult decisions. There is much more work I can contribute beyond the 2+years which I have already been on council and I am confident I can continue on the path tomaking this city the best it can be.

 4. What key issues are you campaigning on? My top three key issues are: a conservative fiscal policy, proactive law enforcement and open communication with citizen Involvement. 

5. What issues would you like to see the council address? I hope we can continue addressing the build out for the rest of the city, transportation and water needs. 

6. What would you like to change about the council? I would be content with less paperwork to read every other weekend.  I think it would be helpful, at the regional level if the council's terms were 3 three-year terms instead of 2 three-year terms. 

7. What would you like to stay the same about the council? I appreciate the open communication and dialogue environment provided by our Mayor. 

8. What will you do to ensure that the council makes fiscally responsible decisions? My accounting experience provides me with a great advantage in making sure the council has someone who fully understands municipal financial statements. I am the current Chairman of the Council's Budget & Audit Committee and spend a great deal of time reviewing financial documents that staff provides to the Council. I ask the detailed questions when visions for ongoing and future projects are presented.

 9. What do you feel is the most important issue facing Frisco? I feel it is the council's responsibility to keep its citizens safe and provide an environment that adds Quality to their lives. This quality of life comes in all sorts of - shapes and sizes - from roads, parks, libraries, and malls to sporting venues and entertainment. 

10. Are you for or against raising taxes and why? Living in this great country, State and City comes with a price. Reasonable citizens understand to have safety and a quality of life, we can all enjoy, there must be some form/amount of taxation. The difficulty comes in deciding what form and in what amount. As this city grows, the number of police, fire, and other city workers must also grow; as streets and buildings age, repairs must be done; emergencies must be funded, and funds need to be saved for contingencies. As all this happens – the budget must increase and yes, tax rates may go up. The trick is to balance the rate increase with the future value the citizens will receive. I am for keeping taxes as low as feasibly possible. 

11. What would you like to accomplish while in office or what would you like to be remembered for? Sound business discussions made with compassion for my neighbors.

12. What are your accomplishments and other organizations that you are involved in? One of my recent accomplishments has been to be presented with the Frisco Chamber of Commerce 2010 Chairman's award. I am very grateful to have received such an honor. I have been a proud member of the following organizations: 2006's Frisco City Bond Committee, Frisco Chamber of Commerce since 1999, Frisco Republican Men's Club, Frisco Rotary Club, Leadership Frisco Class 10, Frisco Bible Church, Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition. Frisco Family Services Center Board Member since 2002 (Treasurer from 2003-2008). Hillcrest Estates HOA Treasurer 1999-2004, Cheyenne Crossing HOA Treasurer 2004-2008.