Signs in support of and against Proposition A outside of the Davis Library in Plano, during early voting on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. The local ballot measure asks voters to approve a menu of venue taxes to help fund a city-owned arena Plano plans to lease to the Dallas Stars for the next three decades when their lease in Dallas expires in 2031.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Plano city and school leaders are making the case for an arena funding measure they say could bring economic investment, tax revenues and other perks to the community.
Voting is underway for approval of Proposition A’s five venue taxes on event parking, tickets, car rentals, hotel rooms and the teams who would use the proposed $1 billion arena the Dallas Stars intend to lease. The vote is not on the arena itself, but on the funding that could help the city pay off $700 million in bonds it committed to the project.
Some residents object to using taxpayer funds and have concerns about traffic, neighborhood disruptions and noise. Current and former Plano officials, school board trustees and the Stars leadership see a chance to revitalize The Shops at Willow Bend, the mall property where the arena and a surrounding $2 billion entertainment district are planned.
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Former Plano Mayor Pat Evans, who served from 2002 until 2009, said she never imagined the city could one day host the Dallas Stars.
Related: Dallas Stars pour nearly $1 million into campaign for Plano arena taxes
“Not in my wildest dreams,” she said. “These opportunities do not come more than once in your lifetime.”
Evans said she is confident the arena, planned just a few blocks from her home, will give Plano an economic boost and that city leaders will accommodate resident concerns.
City leaders see opportunity
Current Mayor John Muns said Plano, with over 300,000 residents today, is ready.
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Muns, a life-long resident of Plano, said an arena is an asset he believes the city deserves. Plano is the only city in the state’s top 10 most populous without an arena or stadium for professional or college sports, he said.
“We have major corporations here … We have great city services. We have one of the best police and fire departments around,” Muns said. “To add a little more entertainment that we really have never had is something that I’d love to see us get.”
A Victory Green Plano PAC sign in support of Proposition A outside of the Davis Library in Plano, during early voting on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. The local ballot measure asks voters to approve a menu of venue taxes to help fund a city-owned arena Plano plans to lease to the Dallas Stars for the next three decades when their lease in Dallas expires in 2031.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Muns said he approached the Stars-backed Victory Green Plano political action committee to advertise his support of Proposition A. Former mayors Harry LaRosiliere and Florence Shapiro have also voiced their support in campaign materials.
Muns emphasized the proposition does not raise property or sales tax and targets visitors, not residents. The City Council will decide which taxes to levy and by how much, within certain maximums.
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“Those that’ll go to the venue, go to the concerts, go to the games, will be the ones that are paying for these fees,” Muns said.
School district on board
Plano school board leaders agreed earlier this year to join the nearly 900-acre tax zone surrounding the arena and contribute up to $250 million over 25 years.
The school district expects to offset the funds through a recapture adjustment. In the education finance system, recapture means districts that are considered property-rich must give money back to the state to be distributed to poorer schools. Plano has paid more than $3 billion in recapture since 1995, according to the district.
Related: As early voting nears, Plano voters question tax election for Dallas Stars arena funding
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The adjustment means funds will flow toward a local project, such as the arena, rather than going to the state, school officials said.
“We’re taking money that is not usable to Plano ISD, investing in the economic redevelopment and getting money that is usable to Plano ISD,” said district board president Lauren Tyra at a chamber of commerce event.
The district expects to get $118 million more back from the agreement than it contributes as Plano’s tax base grows.
“That directly benefits our students,” Tyra said. “That property value growth is the biggest opportunity for the community.”
A Victory Green Plano PAC sign in support of Proposition A outside of the Davis Library in Plano, during early voting on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. The local ballot measure asks voters to approve a menu of venue taxes to help fund a city-owned arena Plano plans to lease to the Dallas Stars for the next three decades when their lease in Dallas expires in 2031.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
The district will also receive community benefits, such as hosting graduation ceremonies in the arena. Plano ISD’s three senior high school graduations are hosted at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.
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Bring West Plano ‘to life’
The NHL franchise has contributed nearly $1 million to its PAC in support of Proposition A.
Stars CEO Brad Alberts sees an opportunity to transform a “basically a dead 90-acre piece of real estate in the heart of West Plano” and “bring it to life” — adding jobs, sales tax revenue, retail, entertainment and more opportunities for revenue streams every day of the year, and not just within the walls of the arena.
He also envisions community benefits beyond graduation ceremonies, like internships and academies.
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“I don’t think it’s going to ruin suburban life,” Alberts said. “It’s going to enhance their community.”
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