Dallas Morning News: Point of Contact

11:46 AM CST on Monday, February 25, 2008

How has the current configuration of City Council districts hindered progress in southern Dallas?

I believe that the current council district boundaries, in some cases, disenfranchise voters due to the way the lines are drawn. I represent Dallas City Council District 4. My council district includes Oak Cliff, South Oak Cliff, Glen Oaks, Joppa, parts of South Dallas, and then extends to parts of Pleasant Grove, Piedmont and Buckner Terrace. For example, during budget season we must hold five town hall meetings to cover all of our neighborhoods. Most council districts only need one or two meetings to adequately cover their constituents.

Why do some southern council districts seem to zig and zag across neighborhoods while other districts in North Dallas have more natural borders?

In the last redistricting process, the council district lines in southern Dallas were poorly drawn and gerrymandered to bolster certain candidacies and to derail others. The process left portions of key communities under served. The neighborhood surrounding Roosevelt High School comes to mind, along with Pleasant Grove, Buckner Terrace and parts of southeast Dallas.

How would you draw the districts in southern Dallas?

As deputy mayor pro tem, I want to engage my fellow council members and their constituents in the redistricting process. With that in mind, I plan to have a key role in the next redistricting process to make sure that all communities have fair and undiluted representation.

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