STAND FOR MCKINNEY's Future
McKINNEY SAYS ONE THING. RESIDENTS ARE STILL ASKING WHY?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2026
McKINNEY SAYS ONE THING. RESIDENTS ARE STILL ASKING WHY.
McKINNEY, Texas — Last week’s developments in Austin left many McKinney residents with more questions than answers.
While the City of McKinney continues advancing airport expansion, commercial air service planning, and legal proceedings tied to airport financing, many taxpayers say they are still struggling to understand the full picture — and why they continue being asked to help pay for it.
Last Monday’s proceedings in Austin did not end the airport dispute, but they highlighted something many residents say they have felt for years:
A growing divide between City Hall and the citizens asking questions.
The Texas Attorney General opposed portions of the City and MCDC’s requested legal relief under the Expedited Declaratory Judgment Act (EDJA), raising questions surrounding jurisdiction and whether the expedited process should move forward as proposed.
But for many McKinney residents, the biggest issue is not legal terminology.
It is what these proceedings represent.
The City says the Austin lawsuit is simply part of airport financing and bond validation.
Residents are still asking why a lawsuit involving McKinney taxpayers had to filed nearly 200 miles away in the first place.
For many citizens, Austin does not feel closer to transparency.
It feels further away from it.
Further from local oversight.
Further from everyday taxpayers.
And further from the people ultimately expected to pay for the outcome.
Too many residents, the move to Austin through the EDJA process felt less like accessibility and more like an effort to work around ongoing local opposition and legal efforts challenging airport expansion and financing decisions.
And while residents absolutely still have the right to participate and make their voices heard, many understandably feel that proceedings occurring in Austin create additional burdens for ordinary citizens.
Travel.
Missed work.
Childcare.
Personal expense.
The City says these legal proceedings are necessary.
Residents are still asking why participation should become harder for the very people affected by the outcome.
At the same time, the City continues moving forward with commercial air service planning.
Officials recently announced efforts to secure approximately $1.6 million in federal funding, paired with a $300,000 local contribution, to support airline incentives and commercial service recruitment at McKinney National Airport.
The City says airline incentives are common and necessary to attract commercial carriers, strengthen economic growth, and help McKinney compete regionally.
Residents are still asking why taxpayer-supported incentives are necessary if the market opportunity is as strong as advertised.
And those questions do not stop with airline incentives.
They extend to financing, bonds, and long-standing concerns surrounding transparency.
Many residents point to frustrations dating back to 2023 — including financing discussions, airport planning, the March 3 meetings, groundbreaking momentum, and airport decisions continuing forward while citizens say they still lacked straightforward answers.
Many continue asking why major airport decisions and project advancement moved forward while so many questions remained unresolved.
The City says refinancing and bond restructuring are designed to save taxpayers money.
Residents are still asking why questions continue surrounding long-term costs, extended bond obligations, and whether projected savings tell the entire financial story.
Taxpayers were told the bond refinancing efforts could save approximately $15 million. Yet the Texas Attorney General’s Office told the Austin court that the refinancing could cost taxpayers over $9 million more because the new bonds will have a longer term.
Residents deserve a complete and transparent explanation.
Because this is not monopoly money.
This is your pocketbook.
These bonds.
These legal proceedings.
These outside law firms.
These airport financing decisions.
They all involve taxpayer dollars.
And many residents continue asking the same question:
Why does it feel like important decisions are moving forward while the public is still trying to understand what is happening and why they are paying for it?
For some citizens, the concern has become larger than one airport project.
It has become a question of transparency.
Many residents believe a broader pattern has emerged — one where complicated financing structures, limited public awareness, legal maneuvering, and increasingly technical processes make ordinary taxpayers feel removed from decisions affecting their own community.
Whether intentional or not, many citizens describe the result the same way:
Feeling increasingly removed from decisions involving their own community and tax dollars.
But we want residents to understand something clearly:
You still have a voice.
Austin did not take that away.
You still have the right to ask questions.
You still have the right to follow this process.
And you still have the right to show up.
If you are upset like so many other residents we are hearing from throughout McKinney and online, now is the time to speak up.
Silence is often interpreted as agreement.
Tell your elected officials exactly how you feel about airport expansion, taxpayer spending, and the legal process now unfolding.
Because this conversation is bigger than one lawsuit.
It is about transparency.
It is about accountability.
And it is about whether the people footing the bill are given a real seat at the table.
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
If you are concerned about transparency, taxpayer spending, airport expansion, or the legal proceedings surrounding these decisions, let your elected leaders know.
McKinney Leadership
Mayor Bill Cox
972-547-7507
City Council General Contact
contact-citycouncil@McKinneyTexas.org
972-547-7501
District 1 – Justin Beller
District 2 – Patrick Cloutier
District 3 / Mayor Pro Tem – Dr. Geré Feltus
District 4 – Rick Franklin
At-Large 1 – Ernest Lynch
At-Large 2 – Michael Jones
State & Federal Representatives
Congressman Keith Self
972-569-6062
Texas Senator Angela Paxton
972-908-3424
Texas Representative Jeff Leach
214-491-1537
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
Residents are also encouraged to participate in the City airport survey, continue following developments surrounding airport proceedings, and keep making their voices heard.
Asking questions is not obstruction. And public participation should never be treated as an inconvenience.
Most importantly, we want to thank the residents of McKinney who continue showing up, asking hard questions, staying informed, and refusing to disengage from decisions affecting their families and community.
This community deserves nothing less.
If you want to make your voice heard in Austin, we highly encourage to follow our Facebook Page for live updates as well as we will be putting together a place for residents to connect in order to carpool together to Austin. Click here
With Gratitude,
The North Texas Conservation Association
Protect North Texas' Natural Heritage
Your membership helps preserve our natural heritage for generations to come.