District 11 Candidate Q&A With Candace Evans

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth in a series of responses to CandysDirt.com questionnaires issued to all candidates running for office in the May 6 Dallas City Council election. We’ll be revealing their responses over the next several days. Candidates in the races for Districts 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12 did not respond to the questionnaire. The only candidate for District 11 that responded to our questionnaire was CandysDirt.com Founder and Publisher Candace Evans. Early voting begins April 24.

Candidate: Candace Evans

Opponent: Incumbent Jaynie Schultz (did not respond)

Why do you think Dallas continues to attract corporate relocations and new residents at a greater frequency than the rest of the nation?

I think our reputation for being friendly to business (i.e. not as much burden of government-imposed regulations as other states have) and also our lower-cost housing, which is quickly becoming not-so-low-cost, combined with mild weather makes us very attractive to relocations. Our delicious real estate brings in many a transplant. Then too, blue cities are losing populations headed our way every day. It will be interesting to see who leaves, or stays, in my native Chicago now.

It will also be very interesting to learn the political makeup of these newcomers fleeing blue states for red … will they bring their politics with them? Alas, we are not the only welcoming city/state in the Union, and must remember to maintain the highest quality of life, infrastructure, and safety for our communities despite the influx. Hence my run for City Council.

What areas in your district could see a housing boom in the next few years?   

If Midtown is ever completed or even started as a development, which will happen if I am elected, there is a potential for 10,000 housing units to be built there, or about half of the stock our city needs (according to the Department of Housing at City Hall). That’s the biggest reason why I am running: I simply cannot stand to watch my opponent play developer with our tax dollars on an “International District” built upon an aging commercial office building, anchored by a government office and non-profits, further surrounded by dilapidated strip shopping centers.

Commercial real estate is down about 40% and could get worse. Why on earth would anyone think the aforementioned would inspire commerce, restaurants, shops, etc? The development is adjacent to Class C or D low-income housing whose occupants will not seed this area with high spending levels. A fully developed Midtown could potentially pump $20 billion into Dallas tax coffers. My opponent has created total brand confusion with this former shopping mall development, making it harder for Midtown to ever attract tenants. We also have a lot of development planned for the Preston Road corridor north that my opponent is only now informing her District about one development alone will increase density from 350 to 1000. I think it’s too much.

What is occurring in your area that could poise your district for growth, and how can you support that?

I go back to Midtown/Valley View, whatever we call it. About 340 acres of growth and promise, various levels of housing from luxury to solid workforce, a beautiful luxury hotel, a park, trails, and perhaps even a way to cover parts of LBJ and forge a park-like path between the two separate parts of District 11. Every single real estate mind I have ever spoken to shakes their head over what a sad waste that corner is. The developers and the city have been locked in battle since 2016, and now my opponent publicly says she isn’t speaking to them unless they pile on affordable housing.

How can the City of Dallas improve the redistricting process, and how would that positively impact your district? 

I actually think the redistricting helped our district. For one thing, it now has a more cohesive shape. But many people in the “redistricted” area still do not know what district they are in. Communication has been abysmal, and only recently have we been given reports from our Councilwoman as re-election nears. That is why we need a city-wide texting system to share information rapidly and at critical times, such as in weather emergencies.

How would you vote on the matter of allowing or restricting short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods?  

Against. They rob a community of potential sales properties and can be disruptive to single-family home communities. And (regrettably) there is no legal room for in-between unless a Fifth Circuit Court decision is changed. CandysDirt.com will continue, as a publication, to remain neutral on this topic. 

How do you feel about the Public Facility Corporation financing structure for multifamily development? 

Jury still out: the concept looks great on paper, but I am leery of taxpayer dollars being controlled in an entity we only scrutinize periodically, and that 75-year break on taxes seems excessive. People smarter than me are endorsing them; I need to have a long chat with Senator Paul Bettencourt and dig in further before I commit.

How do you plan to engage with the public and local media?

I’m a communicator, I publish a real estate website, I write and I talk —  maybe too much! Since I threw my hat in, my opponent has woken up from her two-year Sleeping Beauty rest during which she focused on her DEI-laced political ambitions. She only recently put out a “special report” newsletter detailing projects in the district from last year, projects that she had never told us about.

Many of these projects will create additional density in our district, which many homeowners are against. I am already hearing from constituents who have had zero communication from my opponent in two years. I vow to be more open and available, give earlier notice to zoning meetings, video all meetings and have videos available on a site for easy YouTube access, make sure calls are answered, make sure voicemails are set up and listened to, respond timely to reporters, and earn the respect and support of every single taxpayer. I have heard so many instances of “Jaynie never called us back.”

Also: My opponent has been through at least three plan commissioners in two years. None of them ever responded to our requests at CandysDirt.com. I will vow to make my city staff accessible, too, to media and return phone calls/emails.

How do you feel about using historic and conservation districts to preserve a neighborhood’s character? 

Love them!  As a board member of Preservation Dallas, I have strong feelings about preservation and favor neighborhoods making their own decisions on this, not the cities or bureaucrats.

What is the role of a developer in providing affordable housing? What is the role of the city in providing affordable housing?

I’m not sure the city needs to get into the real estate business, thus my jury is still out on the Public Facility Corp. projects and other such programs. We may offer certain tax incentives if they truly foster stable properties and neighborhoods, but there is always a balance to be maintained.

The city getting into the real estate business means that public funds are being utilized, and my first job as a CM is to be a good steward of public funds. Had city councils in the past been better stewards of public funds, we would not have had a pension crisis with the Dallas Police and Fire retirement fund.

What projects/needs in your district should be given priority in the 2024 bond? 

Midtown/Valley View, Midtown Park, our lousy alleys and streets that were supposed to have been done in past bonds (and what happened to that money?), any District 11 park needs including adding in new playgrounds (Hillcrest Park on Arapaho is a great example) and any specific neighborhood needs.

Contrary to what my opponent says, you do not need to have a special relationship with other council members in order to get a piece of the bond pie; I actually have great working relationships with many Dallas CMs, but will always focus on supporting my district. That is Job One.