Jan. 6, 2026

By Mary Beth Gahan

Planning and zoning commissioner Clare Harris announced Monday night that she is running for town council in May.

She is a candidate for place 5, which is currently held by mayor pro tem Ann Martin, who will term out this year.

Council members are allowed to serve a maximum of two full consecutive terms, unless they run for mayor.

Before Harris was on the planning and zoning commission, she served on the environmental conservation commission.

Harris spoke at the town council meeting during public comment, mentioning that her platform included following SMARTGrowth and the town’s master plan.

“How we grow matters,” she said. “What makes sense in the Denton creek district may not be appropriate in other parts of town. We need to support our existing older neighborhoods and infrastructure and preserve our unique natural assets: the Cross Timbers Conservation District, our native tree canopy and the historic mound itself.”

In her speech, Harris said she’d keep an eye on bills introduced at the state-level, something local leaders have had to do more of in recent years. Several bills have dictated how much of a say municipalities have in what usually are calls made on the local level, like lot size minimums.

“We also need to be diligent about protecting local decision making,” Harris said. “State legislation can impact everything from how we budget to how we zone, and resident engagement is crucial.”

The election takes place on May 2.