Justin Beller - McKinney City Council

09/09/2026

It is hard to believe it has been 25 years. I remember watching the news coverage all morning with Amanda. I appreciate our public safety departments for memorializing this day and for Leadership McKinney who always puts out the flags to remember all those who died. The Memorial and Museum in NYC is worth the visit if you’re ever there.

Join us at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at McKinney Fire Headquarters as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

Mayor Bill Cox, Fire Chief Paul Dow, Police Chief Joe Ellenburg, and Assistant Chief of Police Thomas Macri will share remarks during the ceremony.

Approximately 3,000 small American flags will be displayed across the grounds in remembrance of those who lost their lives, the first responders who answered the call, and all those forever impacted by the events of that day.

We hope you’ll join us as we come together as a community to remember, honor, and reflect

09/08/2026

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts is proud to announce the Transparency Stars program, recognizing local governments for going above and beyond in their transparency efforts.

09/07/2026

How is your 2026 reading list going? Here is most of what I’ve read. Got any good recommendations?

09/06/2026

I heard a good word today in church. It is a poem written by Wendell Berry who died this week. The Peace of the Wild Things.

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Photo I took a few years ago along the Wilson Creek Trail near McKinney Greens.

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

09/02/2026

My council comments from last night.

This is the first week in over 20 years that we don’t have a kid living at home and my wife has already told me that I talk too much. So I don’t have anything else to say tonight. Thank you.

08/30/2026

It is council week. On Monday evening, I’ll be at my normal spot at city hall from 6-8. I’m there on the Monday before most council meetings to hear feedback on items on our agenda or things that perhaps should be on our agenda. If the door is locked, I’m in the conference room right by the door so just knock and I’ll let you in.

This week we’ve got a work session at 3:00, an Urban Transit District at 5:00, and the regular meeting at 6:00. Biggest item of note is the approval of the budget and setting of the tax rate which will stay the same this year. There are a few zoning cases that may interest you. We’re also going to place a cap on parkland dedication fees within the Historic Neighborhood Improvement Zone. I’ll explain this a bit. When a new residential lot is created, the developer will pay various fees like an impact fee, a park development fee, and will dedicate a piece of land for parkland. In a large subdivision, that may be a future park. But in smaller developments without space to dedicate for parks, the developer can pay a fee in lieu of dedicating land. The calculation of that fee is based on the value (CAD) of the land being developed. The reason being that since the developer isn’t dedicating parkland, the city will add parkland. Buying that land would come at a similar cost to the value of the land. This works well in greenfield developments and even with some larger infills, but we found it was not as applicable when someone was dividing a single lot into two, something that happens occasionally in old McKinney. In fact, the calculated parkland dedication fee for a simple lot split was 4-5x the fee for a greenfield project. This cap tries to even that out a bit. If you have any questions on that or other agenda items, come visit or reach out.

I spent the weekend with my dad in Arkansas. He turns 80 this September. It took way too long to try and explain the odd politics we have going on in McKinney. But as chaotic as it is, it is always nice to watch the sunrise with this view of the White River and the Ozark National Forest.

08/24/2026

I heard a good word today in church. It is a quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “When we see others as the enemy, we risk becoming what we hate. When we oppress others, we end up oppressing ourselves. All of our humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others.”