Paula Blackmon

City Hall Roundup: Dallas Finalizes Ballot for November 5 Charter Amendment Election 

By April Towery / August 18, 2024 /

Editor’s Note: Several days after this story was published, The Dallas Morning News reported that “a supporter of proposed city charter changes pushed by nonprofit Dallas Hero is suing the city and most of the City Council, alleging they violated the Constitution by adding overriding amendment proposals.” Twenty-one proposed changes to the Dallas city charter…

City Hall Roundup: Charter Review Commission Submits 35 Amendments That Could Mean Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems

By April Towery / May 12, 2024 /

Dallas voters could decide this November whether to double council member salaries to $125,000 per year, require that the Community Police Oversight director and Inspector General be appointed by the City Council, and delete the provision prohibiting the City Council from “interfering” with appointees and subordinates of the city manager. In all, the council is…

Council Members Blackmon, Schultz Remove Names From Memo on Density, Minimum Lot Size

By April Towery / April 25, 2024 /

A five-signature memorandum requesting the Dallas City Council discuss density options and minimum lot size is no longer a five-signature memorandum.  In an email to Mayor Eric Johnson obtained by CandysDirt.com late Wednesday, District 9 Councilwoman Paula Blackmon and District 11 Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz withdrew their names from District 1 Councilman Chad West’s Nov. 8…

Dallas Aims to Eliminate Traffic Fatalities by 2030 Through Vision Zero Plan

By April Towery / April 9, 2024 /

Dallas has an expensive plan for reducing vehicle accidents at dangerous intersections, and they’ve set a goal of zero traffic fatalities by the year 2030.  More than 35,000 vehicle crashes occurred in Dallas last year, and 199 involved fatalities. The Dallas City Council’s adopted Vision Zero plan aims to significantly lower those numbers.  Director of…

City Hall Roundup: Development Code Change Would Protect Tenth Street Historic Homes From Demolition

By April Towery / February 11, 2024 /

The Dallas City Council is expected to vote Feb. 28 on a code update to protect historic homes from demolition when they fall into disrepair.  Neighborhoods such as Southern Dallas’ historic Tenth Street are watching closely. A code amendment would repeal a 2010 ordinance that they say has had a disproportionately negative impact on Black…