Plano mayor will not seek reelection

by Conner Hammett of Star Local News

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Dyer will refocus on his work as president of LegacyTexas bank.

PLANO — Plano Mayor Phil Dyer, who has held the office since 2009, announced after Monday's council meeting that he will not seek re-election in May.

Speaking the day after the meeting, Dyer said "it is time for me to go do other things," including spending more time with his wife and focusing more on his work as president of LegacyTexas bank.

"We're very fortunate," he said of the city. "There are a lot of good people in the community who could do this job, and it should attract good people because the city's in good shape. We've got tremendous city management and incredible city staff, so it's not like they would be coming to a problem situation. Things are good in Plano, and we've got good people who are executing the city's business on a daily basis."

Dyer also spoke highly of the city council, of which he was a member from 1999 to 2005 before running for mayor in 2009.

"We worked through the worst economy in the country in 80 years and worked through some very difficult budget times at the city, and were able to keep the city standards of service high, not ... raise tax rates [and] not have to lay anybody off," he said. "We cut almost $40 million out of the budget, so I salute the city staff who we asked to go find those cuts ... and I salute my fellow council members, because being on the council in '09, '10, '11 was pretty challenging and really a difficult time."

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ben Harris, who said he will run again in May, said the council is sorry to see the mayor of three years go but is happy to have had his expertise during the city's budget crunch during the past three years.

"He led the city through an extraordinarily difficult time, with fiscal challenges that were unprecedented in Plano's history, and we've emerged out of the other side a better city because of his leadership," he said. "... He would lead the meetings with a degree of fairness, awareness, and knowledge that would be tough to be matched by anyone else."

Dyer said it has been a great pleasure and honor to serve the city of Plano, adding that he is "just a private citizen who was serving and giving back to my community that's given so much to me."

The mayor will stay in his position until his term expires in May.

"I've got six more months of work to do, so I'm not backing off," he said.

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