I hope each of you enjoyed a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year. As we begin 2026, I want to share a few important updates on the work your Town Council has been doing on your behalf.
Recently, I attended a legislative update with all Denton County state representatives and senators. We reviewed recent legislative impacts on cities like Northlake and discussed priorities they are working on for the upcoming session. Maintaining open communication with our state delegation is critical to ensuring Northlake’s voice is heard and that we remain prepared for changes that affect our community.
Several years ago, Northlake residents voted to adopt our Home Rule Charter, a process I had the honor of chairing. The charter was designed to expand resident rights, including petition and recall, and to establish additional resident-led boards such as the Board of Adjustment. At our most recent council meeting, we updated our dangerous buildings ordinance to align with state law. This update also ensures that residents have local recourse through the Board of Adjustment for unsafe building violations, rather than being forced directly into district court, keeping these important matters local.
The Council is also continuing work to protect what residents have consistently told us they value most: rural preservation. For the past three years, our base zoning has been Agricultural. Today, all tracts over five acres are zoned Rural Residential. We are now exploring rezoning undeveloped tracts of 20 acres or more back to Agricultural zoning. Zoning is the proper legal tool to protect our rural character, guide future growth, and reflects the overwhelming support shown in resident surveys. We value our large landowners and encourage preservation of Northlake’s rural heritage as much as possible.
With any significant policy discussion, particularly one of this scale, there is often heightened rhetoric, speculation, and fear that is not always grounded in fact. While emotions ran high at our last council meeting, the reality is that we received substantial support from large landowners and few objections. Council is actively working to address those concerns as we refine the final approach, with the goal that most property owners will feel comfortable with the outcome, even if it is not perfect for everyone. As your leader, my goal is always to seek outcomes that benefit the greatest number of residents. At the same time, responsible leadership sometimes requires making thoughtful, forward-looking decisions that prepare our community for future circumstances that may not yet be fully apparent. I am always willing to speak directly with residents or landowners who would like a deeper discussion on this topic.
As always, please never hesitate to reach out to me directly via email at [email protected].
