Mayor Fuller highlights partnerships, economic projects, and City Hall as top achievements.
MCKINNEY, Texas — Voters will head to the polls in parts of North Texas on Saturday.
There are several runoff elections for city council and mayor’s races where no candidate got a majority of the votes in May.
Voters in McKinney will elect a new mayor. The city is growing, with census data showing the population growing by an estimated 30,000 people since 2020.
WFAA sat down with outgoing Mayor George Fuller about the challenge his successor will face.
Below is a partial transcription of the Q&A between Jobin Panicker and Mayor Fuller:
Jobin Panicker: Well, Mayor George Fuller, thank you for joining us.
Mayor: Thank you for having me.
JP: Let’s start here. Can you believe it’s been 8 years?
Mayor: It’s been a long 8 years. Long 8 years.
Mayor: Yeah, there are some difficulties through them, but yeah, all in all proud of what we’ve accomplished.
JP: If you could rank your top 3 accomplishments, what would they be?
Mayor: I think our partnership with the school district, and I say that because of how important that is, certainly building City Hall over on the east side to be a catalyst project. And, um, and, and, and just some of the other large projects that have really turned the tide for McKinney economically.
JP: How many times have you been sued?
Mayor: Gosh, I don’t know. I’ve lost count. Every time the city gets sued, the mayor is named in those suits. And then I’ve had some personal lawsuits filed against me who didn’t like the way I handled COVID, and whatnot, of course, dismissed as fast as they were filed.
JP: What is different about the George Fuller of 2017 and now?
Mayor: Wiser. I did not know, I always watched politics and the dirt in politics from afar, being in the middle of it, being under attack for eight years, you learn that, you see the worst in people, and you get to see the best in people.
JP: You were sanctioned by the Texas Ethics Commission.
Mayor: I sure was…for stumping…guilty as charged.
JP: Several years back, you said, I’m ashamed of my Republican Party. Is that a word, are those words you take back, or no?
Mayor: So, yeah, there are Republicans that are just destroying this country, and there’s Democrats destroying this country. And I hope for courage from both parties to get back to what we need to do, and that’s work together to find solutions.
JP: You’ve been working hard on the McKinney National Airport, voters rejected in a bond. You’ve been criticized for You’re stumping for this airport. What do you tell your critics who say, stop, we don’t want this?
Mayor: Well, I would tell them they’re in the minority because we’ve done a lot of surveying and polling after, and people are actually in favor of the airport passenger service. What they voted against, understandably, was $200 million in general obligation debt that stated on the ballot that there would be a tax imposed.
JP: OK, let’s do some quick hitters. Fast responses. What do you now have more time for?
Mayor: Music, family, friends.
JP: Worst thing you’ve been called.
JP: A meeting you’ll never take again.
Mayor: The one with 50 protesters in front of my house with AR-15s and bullhorns. It was a little dangerous.
JP: Which song would you walk out of City Hall to?
Mayor: The Rocky theme, of course.
JP: The biggest threat to McKinney.
Mayor: State legislation, annexation, next 45 square miles being developed without paying property taxes, and us carrying that burden.
JP: The next mayor of McKinney will need to be…?
Mayor: Someone willing to carry on that fight. We gotta change it or this city is gonna be in big trouble in 20 years.
JP: And I got to ask this question. Do you have your sights set on running for higher office?
Mayor: You know, I’ve been approached on a number of offices and I’m considering running for something else. Haven’t made up my mind yet.
JP: Thank you, Mayor Fuller.
Watch the full extended interview below: