Southern Denton County residents will head to the polls starting next month to decide several municipal and school board contests.
In Northlake, the only contested race is for mayor, to succeed David Rettig: Current Mayor Pro-Tem Brian Montini is running against former Town Council member Rena Hardeman.
Election Day is May 4, and early voting will run April 22-30. The last day to register to vote is April 4, and the last day to apply for ballot by mail is April 23. Click here for more information about voting in Denton County.
The Cross Timbers Gazette asked each candidate in a contested local race to answer a brief questionnaire to help voters make an informed decision at the polls this May. The candidates for Mayor of Northlake are listed in alphabetic order below with their answers to the questionnaire.
Mayor (3-year-term)
Rena Hardeman, 57
Town of residence: Northlake
How long have you resided in the school district you wish to represent? 52 years
Occupation: Registered Interior Designer (RID), State of Texas
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Marketing, Univ. of North Texas
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Interior Design, UNT
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Accredited Professional
Northwest High School
Previous public service: Northlake Town Council Member 3 terms
Denton County Republican Party (DCRP) Precinct Chair 4195
DCRP Delegate Selection Committee 2024 State Convention
DCRP Senate District 12 Delegate 2024
Northlake EDC 4B President
Northlake EDC 4A Vice-President
Northlake Zoning Board of Adjustments
NCIDQ Licensure Exam Instructor, IIDA TX-OK Chapter
Westlake Academy Foundation Board of Directors
The Selwyn School Marketing Committee
Girls Camp Director, Community Outreach Liaison, Church
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? Raising taxes on the hard-working people of Northlake year after year is unsustainable, and the continued erosion of personal freedoms must stop. The Northlake council has used inflated property values to raise taxes for at least the past 4 years and continues to tax us for projects in which government was never meant to engage. Giving grants and tax abatements to certain businesses is akin to stealing the taxpayer’s money and giving it to someone else.
As a principled conservative, my voting record on council supports my mission of low taxes and high-quality growth. I have extensive experience working with elected officials, both local and state. I attend every council meeting (in person or via live video) so I am current on issues the council is considering. If elected, I’ll have no adjustment period or learning curve and can hit the ground running. I look forward to serving.
Mission statement: I want to make Northlake the most desirable place in DFW to live and do business by promoting high-quality development and infrastructure while keeping property taxes low. Northlake is a vibrant community of diverse individuals and interests. We can foster growth and maintain our God-given liberty by making thoughtful and conservative decisions.
Website: renahardeman.com
Brian Montini, 47
Town of residence: Northlake
How long have you resided in the school district you wish to represent? 11 years
Occupation: Audio Video Design Consultant & Engineer
Education: Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering Technology (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Previous public service: Current Mayor Pro-Tem Northlake, TX (6 years)
Northlake Town Council, Place 3 (6 years, 3 terms)
Chairman – Northlake Town Charter Commission
What motivated you to run for this position, and why are you the best choice? Since being elected in 2018, I have been elected by each new Council for the honorary role of Mayor Pro-Tem. This role has prepared me to be the next Mayor of Northlake. I would like to continue my efforts to bring smart, yet controlled growth to Northlake. We have a lot of catching up to do with infrastructure and traffic. I have the tools and relationships to begin fixing these issues. I am a proven negotiator and servant leader who engages with our residents whenever possible and gets results for our residents.
I was Chairman of the Town Charter Commission in 2020 and led our residents from all over town to achieve consensus and write our Town Charter. Our voters approved this by 84% in 2021!
I negotiated the Dallas Stars’ partnership with Northlake which will result in a world class multisport facility in Northlake coming in 2025. This passed twice by 68% and 64%.
Mission statement: I will provide levity and transparency to difficult situations and decisions that we might face as a town. I will influence and effect change for our traffic issues; large (407) and small (residential); which are some of the biggest quality of life issues for our residents. I will keep our low tax rate and endeavor to ensure Northlake is unique.
Facebook page: Brian Montini for Mayor. Mayor Pro-Tem, Northlake Town Council, Place 3
Website: montiniformayor.org
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