Filing begins on Dec. 8 for the District 3 city council special election

Robert O'Donnell will be a candidate on the Jan. 17 ballot

By Brandi Hart
McKinney Update.com

Created at 2:38 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2008

The first day for people to file to be candidates for the McKinney City Council District 3 Jan. 17, 2009 special election began on Monday, Dec. 8 and before noon, and local court appointed special advocate Robert O'Donnell was the first person to turn in his paperwork to be a candidate in the election.

“I am running on a platform of straight talk, honest answers, and visible action,” said the 47-year-old O’Donnell. “Government should be transparent, accountable, and action-oriented. I will give you a direct answer no matter what the question. I’ve been told I say what everyone else is thinking. I take that as a compliment.”

A fiscal conservative, O’Donnell believes in efficient, cost-effective government, he said.

“For the past 23 years, I have worked for 18 different judges in two counties, and have ensured the payment of over $750 million dollars in child support to more than 45,000 children,” he said. “Dealing with people in this highly charged environment teaches you to listen and consider other people’s opinions and points of view respectfully while working toward solutions. I know how to work within a budget and establish accountability in bureaucratic systems – skills important to a councilperson," O'Donnell said.

O'Donnell also believe that city government should also be accessible to the public. If elected, O’Donnell promises to be available to

Robert O'Donnell

hear residents' concerns and input on issues affecting the city, he said.

“I will ask my constituents for input and carry their views to council, he said. “In addition to email and phone, I plan to make myself available monthly in the evenings to talk to residents of District 3.”

O’Donnell and his family live in the Historic District and have watched the population grow exponentially in McKinney since the family moved here in 1989.

“I moved to McKinney in 1989 when it was a town of less than 20,000 people and have grown with the city. District 3 is a unique district. We have brand new homes, homes built in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and turn-of-the-century homes in the Historic District. Each area has its own set of challenges and opportunities – from transportation and development to quality of life," O'Donnell said.

He believes the city should strive to encourage responsible development while being mindful of the needs of the established neighborhoods, he said.

“We should view our city as a string of pearls, each neighborhood and development unique, each adding to the enrichment of others and bound together by coherent, consistent policy that considers the at-large needs of the community. We can only remain unique by nature if we govern with an eye to future, while respecting the past," O'Donnell said.

O’Donnell is a graduate of University of Texas at Dallas. O'Donnell was born and raised in Dallas and is passionate about children and education. He has served on the boards of both Holy Family School and The Boys & Girls Club of Collin County, and is involved at the McKinney ISD, which his two children attend.

Additionally, O’Donnell helped found the McKinney Historic Neighborhood Association and the Downtown Property Owners Association, served on the Main Street board and is a past Chair to the city’s Board of Adjustments. He is a member of The McKinney Rotary Club and attends St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in McKinney with his family.

O'Donnell is married to former District 3 Councilwoman Julie Vargo and the couple has two children.

The McKinney Firefighters Association and the McKinney Police Association have endorsed O'Donnell's bid for council.

Local accountant and Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Travis Ussery also picked up a candidate packet from the city on Dec. 8, but had not turned it into the city's secretary office by 2:30 p.m. People may pick up and turn them candidate packets at the city secretary's office from now until Dec.17 at city hall, 222 N. Tennessee St. Only people who turn in the completed packets will be candidates in the election.