DART and its member cities have been meeting for months and are still trying to resolve differences, even after some cities set elections to withdraw from the agency.

CBS News Texas has learned that DART and its 13 member cities have been meeting for months to work out their differences, even before various cities have called for citizen elections in May to withdraw from the transit agency. 

Key issues: taxes, services, and governance  

Even as the cities of Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch, and Highland Park are considering leaving DART, they are still talking with the transit agency and other cities that want to remain. They are discussing changing how much money they send to DART, the services they receive, and how the transit agency is governed. 

In an interview with CBS News Texas, North Texas Commission President and CEO Chris Wallace and the new Executive Director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, Todd Little, said they thought it was crucial to start the conversations months ago. 

"We said we must get the leaders of those cities together," Wallace said. "Just to have a very crucial conversation, where are we, how can we compromise to prevent these elections." 

Since September, Wallace and Little have been meeting with the city's leaders and smaller working groups. CBS News Texas was allowed to shoot video after the most recent meeting last week, but not the meeting itself.

Deadline approaches to cancel elections  

Timing is important because the citizen elections in the cities of Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch and Highland Park are in May, and the last day these cities can strike a deal and cancel the elections is March 18. 

The four cities have said they don't believe their taxpayers have gotten their money's worth from the one-cent sales tax they've sent to DART for decades. So, they want changes. 

"If they could have an a la carte type service," Wallace said. "If they could have some dollars back in a general, in a form of a general mobility program to spend on demand services within their city." 

Wallace and Little said the four cities no longer want bus service because it's underutilized. 

They said the four cities are also looking at changing how DART is governed to give them more of a say. They want Dallas to reduce the number of representatives on DART's Board. 

"Dallas currently holds over 50%of the board's representation," said Little. "So, in a sense, Dallas would be requested to reduce their percentage, majority percentage, on that at eight out of 15, somewhere looking at like seven out of 21 members on that board." 

When asked if Dallas is open to it, Little said, "Dallas is open to it." 

Paul Ridley, Chairman of the Dallas City Council's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said "no" when asked if his committee will be discussing next month the potential of reducing the number of representatives on the DART Board. 

Through a spokeswoman, Little said he stands by his comment that Dallas must consider that possibility.  

Wallace said the prognosis is positive that cities won't withdraw from DART. 

"We hope so. We're not there yet. I'm cautiously optimistic."

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