Early voting for the 2026 local elections in Texas begins April 20. Election Day is Saturday, May 2. Richardson voters will find their ballots to be long — 50 City Charter amendments and 5 City bonds. Richardson ISD voters will have a choice of trustees for at-large Richardson ISD Place 6, and for RISD voters in single-member District 3, another choice for trustee. Use Vote411.org to see your personalized ballot and nonpartisan information about each ballot item. Here exclusively, read on to learn how to vote.
City of Richardson
City Charter Amendments
- Prop. D: Raise pay for council members from $100 to $150 per meeting. This raise is in line with inflation since the last pay raise. Vote YES.
- Prop. E: Establish a process for adjudicating misconduct by a council member. Get this defined before we have another case before us. Vote YES.
- Prop. J: Set residency requirements at one year prior to election for council members for Places 1-4. This prevents egregious carpetbagging. Vote YES.
- Prop. M: Reword language for recall petitions, changing the requirement for a "complete" statement of the grounds to a statement that "distinctly and specifically" states the grounds. I can see such language (either way) being contested in court, leading to thwarting of the voters will. Vote NO. Then ask the city to try again for clear language the next time the charter is open for revision.
- Prop. N: Require signers of a recall petition to be residents of the city. Only residents can vote in a recall election; it's reasonable to restrict petitions to residents, too. Vote YES.
- Prop. V: Require the city to carry an insurance policy against crimes by city officials, and not "bonds". Either way, the city is protected against loss, but the modified wording provides more flexibility in what insurance product is obtained. Vote YES.
- Prop. BB: Require members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment to vote on all matters that come before the board. Why this is necessary is unknown. It's unwise to require persons to vote on matters on which they feel they are inadequately informed. Vote NO. Or maybe I am inadequately informed about what's behind this, in which case, don't vote. (See what I did there?)
- Prop. CC: Allow the City Manager to set rules regarding reductions-in-force (RIF). Eliminating the Civil Service Board in setting rules regarding RIFs may increase efficiency but risks eliminating employee protections. Vote NO.
- Prop. JJ: Require signers of petitions for initiatives to supply either a voter registration number or date of birth. The City says this is in compliance with state law. That's not always the case, but it's true in enough cases that making this a blanket requirement eliminates potential confusion. Vote YES.
- Prop. KK: Reduce the number of signers of a petitions for initiatives from 10% to 8%. This is still too high, but it's in the right direction. Vote YES.
- Prop. LL: Require signers of referendum petitions to supply either a voter registration number or date of birth. The City says this is in compliance with state law. That's not always the case, but it's true in enough cases that making this a blanket requirement eliminates potential confusion. Vote YES.
- Prop. MM: Reduce the number of signers of referendum petitions from 10% to 8%. This is still too high, but it's in the right direction. Vote YES.
- Prop. RR: Continuity of government. What happens if a natural disaster or terrorist attack wipes out local government? It's frightening to think about, which means it's a good idea to think about it now when we have a functioning government rather than to be faced with a crisis and no rule book to restore functioning government. Vote YES.
- Prop. SS: Require the city to have a code of ethics and review it at least every ten years. This is already the practice, but there's no requirement in our charter for the city council to continue this practice. With this amendment, that loophole is closed. Vote YES.
- Prop. WW: Prohibit a resigning council member from voting on their replacement. Allowing otherwise opens the process up to cronyism or nepotism. Vote YES.
- Prop. XX: Require council members who file to run for another office to immediately resign. Sitting council members who are simultaneously running for a partisan office could introduce partisanship into the city's government affairs. Out of an abundance of respect for the non-partisan nature of local government, vote YES.
The ballot also contains a whole bunch of propositions full of wordsmithing for consistency throughout the charter and for clarity and readability. I have no issues with any of that. Vote YES on all propositions not mentioned earlier.
In summary,
Vote NO on Charter Amendment Propositions M, BB, and CC.
Vote YES on all others.
City Bonds
- Prop. A: Streets, $132 million. Assessment of the state of the city's streets indicates we are falling behind in maintenance. This bond increases the amount of money the city spends. Vote YES.
- Prop. B: Buildings, $36 million. All of the bond is targeted at anticipated fire-fighting facility needs in the next five or so years. Vote YES.
- Prop. C: Parks & Recreation, $22 million. Mostly pool and playground maintenance and replacement. It includes a bridge across Rowlett Creek in Breckinridge Park, which is a good addition to that park, even if it isn't a priority. Vote YES.
- Prop. D: Sidewalks, $16 million. It's important to provide for pedestrian mobility and not just cars. Vote YES.
- Prop. E: Drainage, $16 million. Enough residents report problems with flooding to justify adding funds for flood prevention and erosion control projects. Vote YES.
In summary, vote YES on all City Bond Propositions.
Richardson ISD
At-large Place 6
All voters in RISD can vote in this at-large race.
Blake Sawyer: He was a candidate twice before, in 2021 and 2023. In 2021, he finished 3rd of seven candidates. In 2023, he lost to Eric Eager 57% to 43%. He has a Bachelor of Business Administration. He has lived in RISD for 17 years. He has a history of serving on RISD committees. He sees declining enrollment, flat academic achievement, and climbing spending as the top challenges in RISD. He would close achievement gaps by promoting programs like the Science of Reading. He prioritizes expenditures that directly support academic growth, college/career/military readiness, and infrastructure that outlasts its debt.
Sawyer has the lived experience in RISD, the educational background, and involvement in RISD to be a good trustee. I wish I didn't have some niggling doubts that I don't have with the other candidate. Sawyer says "all" educational materials should "maintain content neutrality." I'd need to know more about his definition of this. For example, does he consider a children's book about a child with two mommies to be a violation of content neutrality? Does he consider historical documents from Confederate states explaining the causes of secession to be a violation of content neutrality? How about any lesson with point/counterpoint materials to help develop critical thinking skills? He says American history is a vital story to tell honestly, without projecting today's standards onto the past. Sorry, but again consider those historical documents from Southern states explaining the causes of secession. They come up woefully short of our current standards regarding the wrongs of slavery. Teaching history while remaining neutral on such wrongs gives students no guidance on how "to form a more perfect Union." On another subject, I'd like to hear more about his belief that we must balance a teacher's right to a safe classroom with a student's right to an education. It's exactly these questions pitting right vs right that trustees are faced with regularly. Voters deserve more than pat answers. Maybe most important, in 2023, Sawyer's most noteworthy campaign contribution came from Sherry Clemens ($1,067). Clemens's own candidacy for RISD trustee was plagued with dealbreakers. Does Sawyer share her thinking?
Eric Eager: Eager has a BS in Accounting and MS in Taxation, a particular strength for a Texas school district in 2026. He has lived in RISD for 54 years. He has a long history of serving on RISD committees. He sees declining enrollment and the effect of that on state funding as a major challenge for RISD. He gave an impassioned speech emphasizing the harm done by the state's failure to meaningfully increase funding for public schools for the last six years ("Eric Eager's Cri de Coeur"). He would close the achievement gap by recruiting, supporting, and retaining strong educators. He's a supporter of the Science of Reading approach. His priorities in funding are to protect teacher compensation, instructional resources, and student programs. He sees real progress with the recent updates to the district's Code of Conduct and wants to stay focused on supporting teachers.
Eric Eager has the lived experience in RISD, the training and experience as a teacher and trustee, the understanding of RISD's challenges and the correct prescriptions for addressing them, to deserve re-election as trustee. The Wheel recommends Eric Eager for Trustee in RISD Place 6.
Single-member District 3
Only voters who live in Richardson ISD District 3 can vote in this race.
Luis Fernando Rojas: He went through RISD schools and served on the district bond steering committee. He does not have formal teaching training or experience. He wants teaching to use textbooks more and electronic devices less. He wants to get the new middle schools and the Career and Technology Education center built to attract students from outside the district. He expresses a balanced approach to contentious topics such as history and social studies curricula, parental rights, and classroom behavior management.
Nazlee Burney: She has a Masters in Education in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning. She has lived in RISD for 20 years. She has little background serving on district-level committees. She identifies stagnating state funding as a top challenge for RISD. She wants RISD to enhance school choice and options that will retain RISD students and attract students from outside the district to stem enrollment decline. She would close achievement gaps through small group or one-on-one instruction, allowing for targeted support that addresses individual learning needs. Her funding priorities are continued teacher pay raises to keep up with inflation, expansion and creation of programs to retain and attract students, and initiatives targeted at closing achievement gaps. She wants to take advantage of space made available by moving 6th graders to middle schools by expanding pre-K offerings. She supports the district's updates to the Code of Conduct as an important step in addressing classroom disruptions and maintaining a positive learning environment. Because of her specialization in early childhood education, she supports the Science of Reading framework to improve literacy among RISD students.
Nazlee Burney has the lived experience in RISD, the training and experience as a teacher, the understanding of RISD's challenges and the correct prescriptions for addressing them, to make a good trustee. The Wheel recommends Nazlee Burney for Trustee in RISD District 3.
Euan Blackman: He has a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies. He has lived in RISD for about 20 years. He has attended and spoke at many, many school board meetings for the past ten years. He has extensive history of serving on district-level committees. He identifies chronic budget shortfalls as a top challenge. He wants RISD to enhance school choice and options that will retain RISD students and attract students from outside the district. He would close achievement gaps by expanding targeted reading and math interventions for students below grade level. His funding priorities are competitive pay for teachers, increase funding for core academics, and strengthen special education programs. He wants to take advantage of space made available by moving 6th graders to middle schools by expanding pre-K offerings. He serves on RISD's subcommittee for Violence and Drug Prevention, a partnership with the Richardson Police Department to identify evidence-based strategies for safer classrooms. He supports the Science of Reading framework with flexibility to tailor instruction to individual needs, to improve literacy in RISD students.
Euan Blackman has the lived experience in RISD, the training and experience as a teacher, and the understanding of RISD's challenges to make a good trustee. Unfortunately, his history also includes dealbreakers that lead me to worry about where he would lead RISD if he were a trustee, such as a leadership position with ITTexas, an organization whose mission is to "liberate" teachers from "any responsibility not related to academic success." Also, he is closely aligned with past candidates for RISD trustee whose histories also include dealbreakers, such as Lynn Davenport and Sherry Clemens. Finally, he was a vocal critic of former Superintendent Dr. Jeannie Stone whose support for equity, diversity, and inclusion were admirable ("All Means All").
In summary, vote for Eric Eager in at-large RISD Place 6 and Nazlee Burney in single-member RISD District 3.
The Wheel thanks The League of Women Voters of Richardson for its candidate information in Vote411.org.
"City charter, bonds,
school trustees all play their part.
Voters shape the town."
—h/t ChatGPT
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