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Shelby Williams
Shelby Williams was a member of the Plano City Council in Texas, representing Place 5. He assumed office on June 18, 2019. He left office on March 14, 2025.
Williams ran for re-election to the Plano City Council to represent Place 5 in Texas. He won in the general election on May 6, 2023.
Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Shelby Williams earned a bachelor's degree from Western Governors University in 2006 and a graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. His career experience includes working as a business executive.[1]
Elections
2023
See also: City elections in Plano, Texas (2023)
General election
General election for Plano City Council Place 5
Incumbent Shelby Williams defeated Brett Cooper in the general election for Plano City Council Place 5 on May 6, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Shelby Williams (Nonpartisan)  | 54.1 | 10,332 |
| Brett Cooper (Nonpartisan) | 45.9 | 8,782 | ||
| Total votes: 19,114 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2019
See also: City elections in Plano, Texas (2019)
General runoff election
General runoff election for Plano City Council Place 5
Shelby Williams defeated incumbent Ron Kelley in the general runoff election for Plano City Council Place 5 on June 8, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Shelby Williams (Nonpartisan) | 53.3 | 11,082 |
 | Ron Kelley (Nonpartisan) | 46.7 | 9,723 | |
| Total votes: 20,805 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
General election
General election for Plano City Council Place 5
Incumbent Ron Kelley and Shelby Williams advanced to a runoff. They defeated Byron Bradford in the general election for Plano City Council Place 5 on May 4, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ron Kelley (Nonpartisan) | 46.7 | 9,439 |
| ✔ | | Shelby Williams (Nonpartisan) | 43.8 | 8,869 |
 | Byron Bradford (Nonpartisan) | 9.5 | 1,921 | |
| Total votes: 20,229 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2023
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released March 23, 2023 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Shelby Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Williams' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Citizen participation in local government is alarmingly low. Part of this is because it’s difficult for citizens, with our busy lives, to follow what’s going on–especially with budget and taxes. I work to make things as understandable and transparent as possible, to foster more citizen engagement in our local government. The City Council’s #1 job is oversight, and when it comes to ensuring taxpayers understand where their money is going, I’ll continue to work to make the process as transparent as possible, so the people can hold their elected representatives fully accountable.
- The #1 job of any city is public safety, and my goal over the next four years is for Plano to dominate the list of America’s Safest Cities, where we appear every year. I have consistently voted to provide our Police and Fire the equipment and personnel they need. I voted to authorize our new Fire Training Center, and also voted to OVERfund the police–our response to the “Defund the Police” movement.
- The property tax issue in Plano–and the rest of Texas–was spiraling out of control. Plano’s city property taxes on existing homeowners increased 40% in just the five years from 2014-2019. I’m very proud to say that I have successfully championed the No-New-Revenue tax rate every year I’ve been in office, successfully keeping your city property taxes flat for the last four years in a row. Every year, my friend Scott Grigg, candidate for Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector conduct a free Property Tax 101 seminar. Join us this year on April 25th at 6:00 pm at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Plano
Public Safety
Property Taxes
Short-Term Rentals
Housing Mobility
Public Transit (DART) reform
Volunteer Management
Emergency Preparedness
Plano Citizens Coalition
Collin County Republican Party
Elected Officials:
Congress:
Pat Fallon
Beth Van Duyne
Keith Self
Texas State Senate
Angela Paxton
Mayes Middleton
Texas House of Representatives
Matt Shaheen
Jared Patterson
Local
Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner
Collin County Judge Chris Hill
Collin County Commissioner Susan Fletcher
Collin County Commissioner Darrell Hale
Frisco City Councilman Brian Livingston
Allen City Councilman Dave Cornette
Former
Former Congressman Van Taylor
Former Plano City Councilwoman Lily Bao
Former Plano City Councilman Shep Stahel
Non-Elected
Chris & Jim Kerr
Joan Konkel
Pat Greer
Ray Huffines
Lauriston Crockett
Jessica Bartnick
Maggie Whitt
Jack Hosterman
Jim Dillavou
Kat Fox
Sharon Borgne
Scott Grigg
Rohit Joy
Nathan Smith
Sharon Bradshaw
Mary Helen Noland
Smith Noland
Patrick Wamhoff
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Shelby Williams completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Williams' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1) Promote as much transparency as possible to make it as easy as possible for citizens to be as informed and engaged as possible to drive as much accountability of our elected officials as possible 2) Tax responsibly. In the last five years, have been raised 40% on homeowners and 50% on all property types. I will remember that it’s not the city’s money—it’s your money 3) Ensure responsible growth and development. Plano already has the second highest population density of any city in Texas with a population over 250,000, is already comprised of 1/3 multifamily housing, and is already 7.4% over the maximum population in the city plan. Our city council is so eager to lure new people here that they’ve forgotten the ones who are already here. I will represent the people who call Plano home—not the interests of outside high-density developers who pour money into my campaign
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Responsible taxation, transparency
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Jesus Christ is first and foremost as a role model for all the obvious reasons. Behind him, Thomas Jefferson for his steadfast leadership, Samuel Adams for never being afraid to fight, Mark Twain for his inimitable sense of humor, Milton Friedman for his deep understanding of the immutable laws of economics, human nature, and reality, Ronald Reagan for his courage in calmly facing down the greatest threat to humanity, My late father for being the most brilliant, yet humble man I ever knew
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Forthrightness - a city councilman’s job is oversight of the city government, and I would immediately call for any city employee who deliberately deceived me or the citizens to be fired—the job of the people is oversight of their elected officials, and their expectations should be no less. Inquisitiveness - an elected official who doesn’t ask probing questions is not performing their job of proper oversight. Sense of duty - we serve the people, not the other way around. Most forget that very quickly. Leadership - people don’t elect leaders who will hem and haw and avoid tough issues—they elect leaders who lead. Courage - politics is a nasty business because it’s run by humans. It requires courage to not be liked, to be criticized, to be attacked, and still remember why you are there, and the job you have to do.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
While I am far from perfect, I continually strive to be all of the things I described above.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
1) Oversight of city government, which means asking tough questions and being willing to sometimes say “no.” 2) Fiscal responsibility. People have to live within their means. Government is funded by people. Therefore, government, too, should have to live within its means.
What legacy would you like to leave?
Any generation has the solemn duty to pass on to the next generation a world and society better than when we inherited it. Likewise, any parent’s greatest responsibility is to prepare their children for adulthood and to inherit that world. I want to do both.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Ronald Reagan was shot. I was give years old.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
I worked the register at Arby’s when I was fifteen for about a year.
What happened on your most awkward date?
We failed to hit it off, which is presumably why it was awkward.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Easter, because all of this is fleeting.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Naturally the Bible, but after that, my favorite stand-alone book is the Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas, for its engaging intrigue. My favorite series is The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan for the most intricate plot line I have ever read. The Wheel of Time makes the Lord of the Rings look like the Cat in the Hat.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
Han Solo might be a lot of fun...
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My family, because they are the most important thing to me on this earth.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Million Dreams, from The Greatest Showman, because I’m going to sing it at my daughters’ piano concert.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
My permanent injury, suffered the week after 9/11
Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?
While the city council consistently blames higher taxes on the County Appraisers Office for setting your property values higher, the city council sets the actual tax rate AFTER your appraised value is finalized, and can set that tax rate wherever it pleases, and thus the city council has COMPLETE control over how much you will pay in city taxes.
What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?
1) Experience leading volunteers 2) Business and budget experience 3) An inquisitive nature 4) Martial arts—this requires a strong heart and tough mind
What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?
The office belongs to the people.
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?
The most crucial requirement of this office is to be human. Many politicians no longer qualify.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Plano City Council Place 5 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 24, 2023
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Plano City Council Place 5 2019-2025 |
Succeeded by Steve Lavine |
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 |
State of Texas Austin (capital) |
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