Mark Hill, Frisco’s newly sworn-in mayor, used his first official address to promise a more welcoming and unified city, pledging to attract families and businesses by embracing the diversity that dominated his closely watched election.
Hill, a lawyer and former Frisco ISD board trustee, was sworn in late Tuesday. He said his priority is making sure Frisco remains a place where people want to put down roots and invest. "Part of my job … is to make sure the next strong family and the next strong business chooses Frisco, Texas," Hill told the packed house at City Hall.
He said his campaign had given him a new appreciation for how "big and diverse and dynamic" the city has become. "The best thing about it is to get to see the different families, the different homes, the different businesses that make up the city of Frisco in 2026," Hill said.
His election came after months of turmoil at City Hall as activists at council meetings protested alleged H-1B fraud and the affluent suburb's growing Indian population. About a third of Frisco's 245,000 residents are Asian.
Hill, who ran under the campaign slogan "Unite Frisco," spent much of the campaign saying that Frisco's diversity is a strength. He defeated Rod Vilhauer, a construction business owner in a June 13 runoff. Vilhauer came under scrutiny after comparing South Asian immigrants in Frisco to rats and saying that Islam was not a religion but a "terrorist group."
Hill succeeds outgoing Mayor Jeff Cheney who was term-limited after nine years in office.
Hill also ran on the idea that he would be a fresh voice separate from what he viewed as the City Council's existing rivalries and factions. Hill has served on the board of the city's economic development corporation but never on the City Council.
Turning to face the dais and his new council colleagues, Hill vowed to listen to them even when they disagree. "What matters to each of you matters to me," Hill said. "Give me some time to demonstrate that, and I think the city will be better for it."
