Former councilman Loughmiller says he wants more open government if elected as mayor in May

By Brandi Hart
McKinneyUpdate.com

Created at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2009

Former District 4 City Council member Brian Loughmiller says that he wants the city of McKinney to be more open with its residents and allow the city management to run the city rather and individual council members to have less control over projects.

Loughmiller served on the council for six years and is running for mayor in May against former council member at-large Thad Helsley and local home builder George C. Fuller.

Loughmiller said his passion is to be involved in the community and as mayor and a council member you have the opportunity to do something that benefits people.

"What people want right now is a mayor and city government that will let the city run without the council being too involved in the everyday decisions. They want open government and a good flow of information," Loughmiller said.

When on council he pushed for the council to air the council workshop meetings on the city's Time Warner Cable station. The council is now airing the workshop meetings, in addition to the regular council meetings on the Time Warner Cable channel and is also airing the Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, and also on the city's public relations Web site www.mckinneyinfo.org .

Loughmiller wants the Collin County Regional Airport to continue to develop and for the city to have more leverage in terms with cities like Plano and Frisco, Loughmiller said. By working with neighboring cities that have businesses who have corporate fleets the city of McKinney could have a better chance at having those companies corporate fleets be housed at the airport, Loughmiller said.

"I tried to be very responsive to residents' questions. When the Methodist Hospital people came in and they wanted to be in Stonebridge Ranch it was in my district, and that's great. I responded to lots of residents questions who live near where the Methodist McKinney Hospital will be," Loughmiller said. "That is one of the many things that brings the whole community together and minimizes east and west issues in McKinney."

If elected, some of his goals include ensuring that the downtown remains vibrant and people continue to visit it, he said.

"The renovations are great in downtown and it is very vibrant. How do we make sure it remains vibrant in terms of making it a more cohesive community and to ensure people who move into McKinney know about it," Loughmiller said.

Loughmiller used to have his lawyer office in downtown McKinney and currently has an office in Craig Ranch.

He believes the city has a strong relationship with the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and people in the Texas Department of Transportation. If elected as mayor he wants to improve relations with TxDOT and NCTCOG officials, Loughmiller said.

Some of the things that Loughmiller is most proud of and things he did while on council was working on the rezoning of Adriatica in Stonebridge Ranch, which is in Loughmiller's former district, Loughmiller said. "The Adriatica is turning out really nicely and will be a huge benefit when it's finished," Loughmiller said.

He is also proud of being on council when it voted to lower the tax rate last year and lowered tax rates for seniors, Loughmiller said. He is also proud of working with residents who live in a Stonebridge community when plans for a Home Depot were presented to council to be built west of the homes near Custer Road. Loughmiller is also proud of working with the resident of the Falcon Creek community in Stonebridge when the city recently approved zoning for the Carey Cox Memorial Park that will be a city owned park built adjacent to community.

Loughmiller is also proud of representing the airport to Federal Aviation Administration representatives in Washington D.C., he said. He also testified with members of the McKinney Economic Development Corporation to the state legislature in regards to Torchmark's expansion and moving its headquarters to McKinney, Loughmiller said.

He and his wife have lived in McKinney since 1989 and the couple has three kids: a 16 year-old daughter; and a 14-year-old son and an 11-year-old son.

Loughmiller is a partner in the McKinney family law firm Loughmiller and Higgins. He is a member of the McKinney Chamber of Commerce and the McKinney Sunrise Rotary Club.

He and his wife have three children and are members of the Stonebridge United Methodist Church in McKinney.

For more information visit Loughmiller's Web site www.brianformayor.com .

Loughmiller's campaign manager is Phil Wheat.