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WE READY TO GO? YES, SIR.[Charter Review Commission on February 20, 2024.]
GOOD EVENING.SINCE WE HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT, I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO ORDER, UH, AT 6:31 PM ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH, 2024.
UH, WE BEGAN TONIGHT'S MEETING WITH PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UH, UNDER, UNDER STATE LAW.
AT THE BEGINNING OF A MEETING, WE HAVE TO OPEN IT UP TO ANYONE WHO, UH, WANTS TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT AND WE'RE GONNA LIMIT THE SPEAKING TIME TO TWO MINUTES FOR THAT.
HOWEVER, AS WE GET INTO THE AGENDA ITEMS TONIGHT, THERE'LL BE MORE TIME IF YOU'RE HERE TO DISCUSS A PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THAT TIME.
UH, SO ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INTERESTED IN SPEAKING TO THIS BODY ARE WELCOME TO SIGN UP ONLINE FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR TONIGHT.
I'LL CALL THEM AN ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE REGISTERED.
UH, AS I SAID, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK IN THIS BEGINNING PART OF OUR MEETING.
UH, WHEN I CALL YOU, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN YOU CAN BEGIN.
DO I HAVE THE SPEAKER? THIS IS IT RIGHT HERE.
UH, FIRST WELL WAIT ON MR. KINGSTON.
WE HAVE MR. KINGSTON, BUT HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE CHRISTINE HOPKINS.
ACTUALLY, EXCUSE YEAH, IF, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO SO.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE ALEXANDER CLARK.
I MOVED TO DALLAS IN 2021, AND I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE AMENDMENT TO MOVE, UH, THE CITY ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A GOOD IDEA, UH, WHOSE TIME HAS COME BECAUSE OF THE INCREDIBLY LOW DEVASTATINGLY, EMBARRASSINGLY LOW TURNOUT RATE CITY ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, IF IN ANY GIVEN CITY ELECTION WE'RE NOT CRACKING DOUBLE DIGITS, IT'S A BAD SIGN FOR DEMOCRACY IN OUR TIME.
AS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, I THINK THE DEMOCRACY IS NOT THEORETICAL ONLY AND MUST BE FLESHED OUT THROUGH PARTICIPATION.
AND IF WE ARE ELECTING PEOPLE WITH 10% OR LESS OF THE VOTE, THAT'S NOT SAYING MUCH ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND STRENGTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
I HOPE THAT, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMISSION WILL TAKE THE AMENDMENT INTO CONSIDERATION AND APPROVE IT.
THANK YOU, MR. ALEXANDER, UH, FOR BEING HERE AND TALKING TO US AND FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE TRENTON MCCA.
UH, I'M LINE AND TRY TO START MY VIDEO.
UH, I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE SAME TOPIC OF AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE ON THE ODD NUMBER ELECTIONS.
I REITERATE ALL THE SENTIMENTS THAT MR. CLARK STATED.
I'VE BEEN A VOTER IN DISTRICT FOUR FOR, SINCE 2019, BEEN A CITY OF DALLAS RESIDENT SINCE 2015, AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR SUB 10% VOTER TURNOUT IS EMBARRASSING.
I THINK THAT MOVING IT TO MATCH UP WITH THE STATE ELECTIONS SHOULD BE DONE IMMEDIATELY, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YEARS AGO.
AND THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY I HOPE THAT MY REPRESENTATIVE, UH, FOR DISTRICT FOUR, UH, TAKES OUT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE PANEL.
APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US AND GIVING US YOUR INPUT.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE BRIT WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS BRIT WILLIAMS, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR ALSO OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT THREE, TO MOVE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS FROM MAY OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS TO NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
THIS AMENDMENT IS NOT A SILVER BULLET, BUT IT DOES MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES TO THE WAY THAT OUR CITY'S ELECTIONS ARE RUN.
CITIES THAT HAVE MADE THE CHANGE FROM SPRINGTIME TO NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, EVEN IF THEY ARE IN ODD NUMBERED YEARS, HAVE SEEN TURN OUT APPROXIMATELY DOUBLE.
IN DALLAS, OUR TURNOUT FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WAS AT 8%, BUT OUR FRIENDS IN HOUSTON WITH NOVEMBER ELECTIONS SAW TURNOUT
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OF 22%.THAT'S A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE.
IN ADDITION, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAVE THE CITY, UH, MONEY BY HOLDING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AT THE SAME TIME AS CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBER OF YEARS COULD SAVE THE CITY, I BELIEVE APPROXIMATELY 400, $450,000 PER ELECTION CYCLE.
SO, IN SHORT, THIS IS A SOLUTION THAT MAKES SENSE.
IT'S FRIENDLY TO VOTERS, IT'S FRIENDLY TO THE BUDGET.
IT, YOU ALL SHOULD VOTE IN FAVOR.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MARK CLAYTON HAND.
I'M A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT UT ARLINGTON.
UM, AND I'M HERE ALSO TO SUPPORT, UH, WELL AT LEAST TO SPEAK TO CONSOLIDATION OF ELECTIONS.
UM, I, DAVID ASKED ME IF I MIGHT COME AND SPEAK TO WHAT POLITICAL SCIENTISTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CONSOLIDATION OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER TURNOUT.
UM, BEFORE I GET TO REASONS WHY POLITICAL SCIENTISTS MIGHT SUPPORT CONSOLIDATION ELECTIONS, I MIGHT SUGGEST ONE ARGUMENT AGAINST IT, WHICH IS THAT, UH, THE ANTI-FEDERALISTS WHO WROTE THE PAPERS IN RESPONSE TO THE FEDERALIST PAPERS, THOUGHT THAT WE NEEDED PRETTY FREQUENT ELECTIONS, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE HAD A CHANCE TO VOTE OUT FOLKS THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK WERE REPRESENTING THEM WELL.
UM, BUT ON BALANCE, POLITICAL SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT CONSOLIDATION OF ELECTIONS IS, IS GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY IN TWO WAYS.
UM, FIRST VOTER FATIGUE MEANS THAT VOTER TURNOUT, UM, DROPS, THAT IF FOLKS HAVE TO VOTE PRETTY OFTEN, THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY TEND JUST NOT TO VOTE, UM, AS SPEAKERS HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE.
AND SOME OF THAT'S DUE TO JUST THE COST OF VOTING.
UM, SO IT'S EASIER FOR SOME FOLKS TO GET TO A POLLING STATION.
POLLING STATIONS CHANGE OVER TIME.
IT'S KINDA HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO GO.
UM, FOR A LOT OF VOTERS, SOMETIMES PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DOESN'T GET 'EM THERE.
UM, AND SO ONE REASON WHY WE MIGHT CONSIDER, IN ADDITION TO THE COST TO THE CITY OF POLLING MULTIPLE ELECTIONS, MIGHT BE THE COST TO THE VOTERS.
UM, AT MY CLASSES AT UTA, NOW, I TRY NOT TO ASSIGN TOO MUCH BUSY WORK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WHEN WE, WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING VOTERS, UM, GO TO THE POLLS MULTIPLE TIMES, WHILE IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE FREQUENT ELECTIONS IN ORDER TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, UM, THAT IT SURE CAN FEEL TO VOTERS LIKE A LOT OF BUSY WORK, UH, WHICH I'M SURE YOU ALL REMEMBER AND DISLIKE FROM YOUR OWN DAYS, UH, LISTENING TO PROFESSORS LIKE ME.
SO I'LL STOP THERE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS LATER.
I'M LIFELONG DALLASITE, UH, LIVE IN PRESTON HOLLOW IN DISTRICT 13.
UH, NOW I ACTUALLY HAVE A LOYALTY COMPANY, AND SO I'VE MADE THE MOVE FROM THAT.
BUT I, IN LOYALTY, I KNOW ABOUT FRICTION IN MULTIPLE ELECTIONS IS, UH, IS FRICTION.
I WANTED TO PUT INTO CONTEXT, UH, THE LOW VOTER TURNOUT.
UH, WHAT DOES 6% MEAN? WHAT DOES EIGHT, 8% MEAN? AND I'M GONNA READ FROM THE, UH, WHO VOTES, UH, FOR MAYOR.ORG.
UH, I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
UH, SITE, UH, SUPPORTED BY PORTLAND STATE AND GO THROUGH THE CITIES THAT, UH, AND WHAT THEIR, THEIR VOTER TURNOUT IS.
PORTLAND, 59%, LOUISVILLE 45%, SEATTLE, 44%.
PAUL 16, BALTIMORE, 15% PHOENIX, 15%, UH, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, 14%.
MIAMI, 12% OKLAHOMA CITY, 12%.
UH, WE'RE, WE, WE'RE LOSERS IN THIS POLL.
UM, HOW DO WE FIX THIS? OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.
UH, THE START IS TO CONSOLIDATE, UH, UH, THIS ELECTION AND MOVE IT FROM, UH, MAY TO NOVEMBER.
UH, YES, UH, THERE ARE OTHER ELECTIONS THAT WILL STILL BE IN MAY, MAYBE, UH, WITH THE COLLEGE AND, AND OTHER ELECTIONS IN INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT IF WE DO THIS, WE MAKE THIS FIRST START AND MOVE IT FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER.
THEN THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WILL FOLLOW AND MOVE TO NOVEMBER AS WELL.
LET'S GET INTO THE HABIT OF VOTING IN NOVEMBER, AND LET'S LIFT DALLAS UP FROM THE BOTTOM.
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I HAVE MY CLOCK.I LIVE IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS IN DISTRICT 14.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING TONIGHT, TWO PEOPLE.
ACTUALLY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.
I'M A MEMBER, BUT THE LEADERSHIP TEAM IS AT BROOKHAVEN THIS EVENING.
THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF AMENDMENT THREE, MOVING THE MAY ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER AND ODD YEARS.
AS YOU KNOW, THE LEAGUE IS DEDICATED TO WORKING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND ESPECIALLY IN DALLAS COUNTY.
THE VOLUNTEERS ARE TERRIFIC IN VOTER REGISTRATION, TURNOUT, AND THE VOTER GUIDE.
I'M MOSTLY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COALITION FOR VOTING RIGHTS.
AND I WANNA TAKE MY TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT THIS WOULD MEAN FOR VOTERS IF YOU PROCEED WITH AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AMENDMENT.
AND THEN WE JUST HEARD IT BE NICE TO MAKE IT A HABIT.
IT'D BE NICE TO MAKE IT A HABIT IN NOVEMBER SO THAT YOU HAVE ALL FALL TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REGISTER, HOW TO SEE WHAT YOUR STATUS IS, ET CETERA.
IT'S HARD, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
PROFESSORS OF UNIVERSITIES BEEN LOOKING AT STATES AND THE VARIABLES THAT IMPACT WHETHER YOU VOTE OR NOT, LIKE MAIL-IN BALLOT, EARLY VOTING, UM, THE ABILITY TO REGISTER ONLINE AND TEXAS IN 2022 IS IN 46 POSITION.
AND THE BIG REASON HERE, AND, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT NEW NEWS TO YOU, IS THAT WE CANNOT REGISTER ONLINE.
YOU CAN GO UP TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE AND START THE PROCESS.
YOU CAN FILL OUT A FORM, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD DO ALL WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE TO DO TRANSACTION WITH A COMPANY OR TO PURCHASE SOMETHING.
YOU EXPECT THEM TO RESPOND TO YOU, TELL YOU THEY'VE RECEIVED YOUR DATA, AND YOU, YOU'RE, IT'S GOOD AND PROCEED AND THEN GIVE YOU STATUS.
WHAT HAPPENS IN TEXAS IS YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD THAT FORM, ASSUMING IT'S ALL CORRECT.
THEN YOU HAVE TO PRINT IT AND MAIL IT TO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.
THAT'S HOW HARD IT IS TO GET INTO THE PROCESS TO VOTE HERE.
AND THEN YOU'RE UP AGAINST THE 30, WHOOPS, TWO MINUTES.
YOU'RE UP AGAINST THE 30 DAY RULE.
SO LET'S REMEMBER THE VOTERS, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS, AND THE POPULATION OF 700,000 VOTERS THAT ARE NOW IN DALLAS COUNTY, BETWEEN 18 AND 34, THEY'RE YOUR NEXT LEADERS.
THEY NEED TO MAKE THE HABIT AND FEEL, UM, COMFORTABLE VOTING.
MR. KITNER, ARE YOU ONLINE? I'M HERE.
I'M TRYING TO FIX MY VIDEO, BUT I AM HERE.
I THINK, DOESN'T HIS VIDEO HAVE TO BE ON? YES.
YEAH, YOUR VIDEO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, VIDEO WAS ON EARLIER.
YEAH, WE CAN'T SEE YOU IN YOUR, THERE YOU GO.
AND Y'ALL SEE ME NOW? WE'LL, OKAY.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE NORTH DALLAS CHAMBER.
ALSO MY INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND SUPPORT OF AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE.
ONE OF OUR GOALS WITH THE CHAMBER IS TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS, AND WE'VE TAKEN A PROMINENT ROLE IN VOTER TURNOUT, ENCOURAGEMENT FOR IMPORTANT LOCAL RACES LIKE CITY COUNCIL, ISD, TRUSTEE AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEE RACES.
EVERY YEAR, WE HOST MULTIPLE CANDID FORUMS, PROMOTE IN-PERSON VOTING, WORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT VOTING LOCATIONS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE OUR VERY BEST EFFORTS AND OUR EFFORTS OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE LEAD VOTERS, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TURNOUT FOR THESE MAIL ELECTIONS.
UM, HISTORICAL DATA, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT, REFLECTS THAT VOTERS ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN NOVEMBER INSTEAD OF A MAY ELECTION.
IN NOVEMBER OF 2023, WE WERE AT 12% FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTION COMPARED TO MAY OF 2023, WHEN WE HAD MAYORAL CITY COUNCIL ISD TRUSTEES ONLY 8.8%, MUCH MORE EVEN EXTREME IN NOVEMBER OF 20 22, 44 0.47% FOR NOVEMBER ELECTION, COMPARED WITH MAY OF 2022 FOR CANDIDATES AT 6.6%.
THESE TRENDS CONSISTENTLY REPEAT THEMSELVES, COMPARING MAY AND NOVEMBER YEAR AFTER YEAR, QUITE SIMPLY TURN OUT IN NOVEMBER.
FAR EXCEEDS MAY TURN OUT EVEN IN 2023 WHEN YOU HAD LOCAL ELECTIONS FEATURING CONTESTED CANDIDATE ELECTIONS.
AND THE NOVEMBER ONES ONLY HAD CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
THE VOTER TURNOUT WAS STILL HIGHER IN NOVEMBER.
THE CURRENT MODEL IS CHALLENGING FOR MANY VOTERS WITH PARTISAN PRIMARIES STACKED ON TOP OF MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND RUNOFF ELECTIONS LAYERED IN MULTIPLE ELECTIONS SCATTERED THROUGH THE YEAR.
AT ODDLY TIME, UH, ODDLY PLACED TIMES CAUSES VOTER FATIGUE AND REDUCES PARTICIPATION.
THE SIMPLEST WAY TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT IS TO CONSOLIDATE THE OVERALL NUMBER OF ELECTIONS.
TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, A 2024 DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VOTER IN NORTH DALLAS, WHO LIVES IN DISD DISTRICT ONE, THAT VOTER'S GONNA BE ASKED MOST LIKELY TO VOTE FOUR TIMES IN FOUR MONTHS
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IN A, A LENGTHY MARCH PARTISAN PRIMARY ELECTION COMING UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS, A MAIN MUNICIPAL ELECTION THAT ALSO FEATURES THE BOND PROPOSITIONS IN A LATE MAY, PARTISAN PRIMARY RUNOFF MOST LIKELY, AND THEN POTENTIALLY A JUNE RUNOFF IN THE DISD RACE.UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE TWITCH, AS YOU'VE HEARD, A MAY ELECTION COST THE CITY APPROXIMATELY 990,000 TO ADMINISTRATION.
MR. KITNER WORKED TWO MINUTES.
NUMBER ONE, COST ABOUT 558,000, UH, WOULD ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO SUPPORT, UH, NUMBER MR. KITNER.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? COMMITMENT NUMBER THREE.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT 10.
UM, I SERVED AS THE CHIEF OF POLICY AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR MAYOR RAWLINGS FROM 2015 TO 2019.
AND, UH, TONIGHT, I DON'T WANNA READ A LETTER TO THE COMMISSION ON HIS BEHALF.
BUT, UM, HE SENT ME, UM, DEAR CHAIR V AND CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSIONERS, IF WE DESIRE DEMOCRACY TO PROSPER, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENABLE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO VOTE.
TO DO THAT, WE MUST DO IT ON A PREDICTABLE AND CONSISTENT DATE.
OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OF HOLDING MAY ELECTIONS SEPARATE FROM THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW AND EXPECT SUPPRESSES PARTICIPATION IN CITY COUNCIL VOTING IN MOST MAY ELECTIONS OF ODD NUMBER YEARS, ONLY DALLAS CITY COUNCIL RACES ARE ON THE BALLOT.
FURTHER DRIVING TURNOUT DOWN THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY ELECTIONS.
IT COULD BE UP TO FIVE BALLOTS BETWEEN MARCH AND DECEMBER THIS YEAR, FURTHER DRIVES TURNOUT DOWN.
A DALLAS RESIDENT COULD BE FORCED TO VOTE SEVEN OR EIGHT TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS, INCLUDING IN MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, NOVEMBER, AND DECEMBER.
I WAS SELECTED MAYOR OF DALLAS IN 2011 AND 2015 WITH VOTER TURNOUT RANGING FROM 7% TO 13%.
IT MADE MY JOB HARDER, NOT HAVING MORE RESIDENTS BOUGHT IN AND ENGAGED FROM THE START.
I WOULD'VE MUCH PREFERRED RACES WITH HIGHER TURNOUT, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE POTENTIALLY TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE CONSTITUENTS ABOUT IMPORTANT CITY ISSUES.
THAT IS WHY I TRIED IN 2019 TO CONVINCE THE STATE, THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE TO CHANGE THE LAW, TO ALLOW FOR DALLAS VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO MOVE OUR ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.
WE HAD BIPARTISAN SUPPORT AND WE GOT CLOSE, BUT OUR THEORETICAL REQUEST WAS DEPRIORITIZED.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT IF THE PEOPLE OF DALLAS ACT FIRST THROUGH THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT, THE STATE LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL WILL FOLLOW.
RECENT ELECTIONS HAVE ONLY FURTHER PROVEN THAT NOVEMBER IS A BETTER TIME FOR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
VOTING TURNOUT IN HOUSTON'S NOVEMBER ODD YEAR ELECTIONS WAS REPORTEDLY 27%, 23%, AND 22% IN THE PAST THREE RACES.
DALLAS TURNOUT AND ODD YEAR MAY ELECTIONS HAS ONLY EXCEEDED 10% IN TWO OF OUR LAST SIX RACES.
COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTES PROPOSAL TO MOVE OUR ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER AN ODD NUMBER OF YEARS IS A SOUND PLAN WORTHY OF VOTER CONSIDERATION.
I ENCOURAGE THE COMMISSION TO PASS THIS CHARTER AMENDMENT AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE SHOULD IT PASS IN NOVEMBER.
I WOULD BE HONORED TO HELP ADVOCATE AT THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE NEXT SESSION TO CHANGE THE LAW TO ALLOW FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WE DO RIGHT IN DALLAS.
OUR MUNICIPAL ELECTION SYSTEM IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE AMENDMENT THREE.
BEST REGARDS, MICHAEL RAWLINGS, FORMER MAYOR OF DALLAS.
JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, IF WE AGREE THAT MORE PEOPLE VOTING IS A GOOD THING, THEN WE'LL VOTE.
YOU'LL VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS AND HELP TO SEND THIS TO VOTERS, UH, IRONICALLY IN NOVEMBER.
IS THERE AN O'NEILL HESSON HERE? UH, HEARING AND SEEING NONE, WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON WHO SIGNED UP.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE AMENDMENTS THAT I WILL BE SPEAKING ON, BUT I'LL START WITH ONE THAT I AM AGAINST.
I AM AGAINST CHANGING CITY COUNCIL TERMS TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN TWO YEARS.
I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD STAY THE SAME.
I DO AGREE AND UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENTS THAT TWO YEARS FEELS TOO SHORT, BUT I THINK THERE ARE REASONS FOR MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO.
I BELIEVE THAT TWO YEARS, UM, KEEPS ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE TO THE WILL OF THE ELECTORATE, AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS WE'RE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER GO ROGUE ON POLICY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO VOTERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I THINK A CHANGE TO ANYTHING MORE THAN TWO YEARS REALLY ONLY BENEFITS CANDIDATES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, I THINK THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF A POWER GRAB, AND IT CAN BE PERCEIVED AS SUCH BY THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I DO BELIEVE A CHANGE WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO BE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.
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AND I ALSO THINK THAT THE REASON, ANOTHER REASON IS OFTEN CITED IS THAT THIS MIGHT LEAD TO MORE EXPERIENCED COUNCIL MEMBERS.I, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT'S A CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE LAST CITY COUNCIL CYCLE, ALL INCUMBENTS THAT WERE RUNNING FOR REELECTION, UM, WHEN THE RACES.
SO I BELIEVE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM, AS IT IS ALREADY REWARDS AND ENCOURAGES EXPERIENCE, BUT I AM IN FAVOR OF SOME THINGS.
I AM IN FAVOR OF INCREASING CITY COUNCIL SEATS.
UM, I THINK THAT ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT ONE, THERE ARE CERTAIN AREAS THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT THE CANDIDATE OF THEIR CHOICE IN OVER A DECADE.
I BELIEVE INCREASING CITY COUNCIL SEATS WILL HELP ALLEVIATE THAT ISSUE.
I'M ALSO IN FAVOR OF MOVING ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER BECAUSE OF ALL THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN STATED ALREADY.
I BELIEVE A LARGER TURNOUT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A WIDER DIVERSITY OF VOTERS TO TURN OUT, WHICH MEANS OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE.
UM, SO I ASK THAT THIS COMMISSION APPROVE, UH, THAT TO GO TO COUNSEL.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE CATHERINE HALEY, NEIL NIELSON.
HI, I'M CATHERINE HALEY, DISTRICT 10, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER DELA PUENTE'S, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CHANGE CITY ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, WE'VE SEEN IN CITIES LIKE HOUSTON THAT THIS CAN GREATLY INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT.
DALLAS CURRENTLY HAS A VERY LOW VOTER TURNOUT IN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, AND I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT HIGHER SPEAKING AS SOMEONE WHO VOLUNTEERS A LOT ON VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS IN THE NORTH TEXAS AREA.
ONE COMMON REFRAIN THAT I'VE HEARD WHEN VOLUNTEERING ON MUNICIPAL CAMPAIGNS IS PEOPLE WILL SAY, WHEN I KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS, OH, AN ELECTION IN MAY.
LIKE, WHAT IS THIS? IS THIS A PRIMARY? WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? UM, AND JUST IT'S FRUSTRATING AS A VOLUNTEER TO ENCOUNTER THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THE, THE MOST COMMON SENTIMENT I HEAR ABOUT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AS A VOLUNTEER IS WHY ISN'T IT IN NOVEMBER? AND SO I THINK THERE'S AN EASY FIX FOR THAT.
WE CAN MOVE IT TO NOVEMBER AND, UH, VOTER TURNOUT WOULD BE HIGHER.
I LIKE TO SEE MORE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED, BUT WHO JUST HAVE THE REFLEXIVE, INGRAINED IDEA FROM FEDERAL ELECTIONS AND STATE ELECTIONS THAT ELECTIONS OCCUR IN NOVEMBER.
AND SO THEY NEVER THINK TO LOOK OUT FOR THEM IN APRIL OR MAY.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A SHORT THOUGHT ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UH, THAT'S EVERYONE WHO WE HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, HOWEVER, IN THE AUDIENCE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE BUSINESS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION? ALRIGHT, SIR, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN YOU CAN PROCEED.
I MEAN, THEY DIDN'T CALL MY NAME.
UM, WHO'S THIS? UH, MS. WILLIAMS, WHO'S SHE, SHE HAS AN AMENDMENT LATER.
MS. WILLIAMS, I THINK YOU HAVE AN AMENDMENT LATER.
YOU WEREN'T SIGNED UP ON THE, THE SPEAKERS FOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCEEDING, UH, WHERE THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN ADDRESS THE COMMISSION, BUT YOU, THERE IS AN AMENDMENT LATER, UH, THAT I THINK YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF OR MAYBE FILE THAT YOU CAN SPEAK ON.
HELLO? THEY DIDN'T, I, I HAD BEEN TOLD BY EMAIL THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SIGN UP, SO I DIDN'T, WHAT DID SHE SAY? I CAN HEAR HER, MA'AM, COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID? I CAN'T, I CAN'T HEAR YOU.
YES, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL SAYING THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARY TO SIGN UP, BUT THAT I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WOULD BE THERE.
SO I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TALK.
SO, MS. MEEK, UH, YOU, YOU WERE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK ON YOUR OWN AMENDMENT WHEN THAT ITEM IS TAKEN UP DURING THE MEETING.
UM, YOU WERE NOT, YOU WERE NOT, UM, SCHEDULED FOR THE OPEN MIC SESSION.
SO YOU'LL BE INVITED TO SPEAK AT A LATER TIME.
NOT AT THIS MEETING, AT, AT THIS MEETING, BUT JUST ONCE THE, ONCE THEY ACTUALLY, UH, TAKE UP THE AMENDMENT THAT YOU'VE SUBMITTED, THAT'S WHEN THEY WOULD INTEREST.
OKAY, SIR, WOULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN AND YOU CAN PROCEED.
MY NAME IS HEEL COLORADO, DISTRICT 14.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF AMENDMENT THREE, TO
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MOVE THE ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID, IT BEWILDERS ME THAT IT IS NOT IN NOVEMBER ALREADY.
I REMEMBER WHEN I MOVED TO THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE NOW, THERE WE HAD THIS BIG HOUSE PARTY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME.
AND I THINK THIS, THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS THAT I ATTRACT OR THAT I, BIRDS OF A FEATHER, SOMEONE TOOK AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOAPBOX ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM, KIND OF SHOW HOW IMPORTANT THE BIG DEAL IT WAS TO BE CIVICALLY ENGAGED.
AND THEN SHE ENDED HER, UH, LONG MONOLOGUE WITH, AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET OUT AND VOTE.
SO PLEASE, MY FRIENDS, LET'S GO VOTE.
I SAW HER LATER, LIKE A FEW WEEKS LATER.
I HAD JUST CAME BACK FROM THE LIBRARY, UH, FROM VOTING.
I HAD JUST MADE IT THE WINDOW AND I SAW HER WALKING HER DOG, AND I SAID, HEY, UH, SO, UH, WE DID IT RIGHT.
I GO, IT'S LATE, BUT I GOT IT IN.
AND THEN SHE WAS LIKE, OH, THERE WAS AN ELECTION TODAY.
AND I, I DON'T, YEAH, I'M NOT CALLING HER TWO-FACED OR ANYTHING BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE THAT SAME DESIRE TO DO MORE AND BE ENGAGED.
BUT THIS CRITICAL MOMENT OF VOTING WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST, IT SLIPS THEM BY.
SO I SUPPORT MOVING THE ELECTION DATE TO NOVEMBER BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S ENERGY, ATTENTION, AND FOCUS AND DESIRE IS CONDENSED TO THAT DATE.
MIGHT AS WELL MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
UM, SO MOVING ON, ON OUR AGENDA.
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES, UH, FOR OUR FEBRUARY 6TH, 2024 MEETING.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION MR. CHAIR? MR. YOUNG? ON ITEM O, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE CONFUSION.
THE AMENDMENT AS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED RELATED ONLY TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE.
AND AT AN EARLIER MEETING, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN ALSO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
THE MOTION THAT I MADE RELATED TO THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE.
AND SO I THINK TO BE CLEAR ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT, UH, UH, MOTION, IT SHOULD READ, COMMISSIONER YOUNG MOVED TO INCLUDE THIS ITEM FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION AS IT APPLIES TO THE CITY SECRETARY AND THE CITY AUDITOR.
COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL SECONDED THE MOTION, THE MOTION CARRIED WITH COMMISSIONER LEMASTER IN OPPOSITION.
SO I WOULD OFFER THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
WELL, MEMBERS, CAN I GET A MOTION IN TO ADOPT THE MINUTES WITH THE CHANGE, UH, SUGGESTED BY MR. YOUNG.
AYE, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
MOVING ON TO OUR BRIEFING ITEMS. UM, LET'S BEGIN THIS BY TALKING ABOUT THE AGENDA AND HOW, UH, THIS PARTICULAR MEETING IS STRUCTURED.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT MEETING THAN THE OTHERS WE'VE HAD.
IT INVOLVES SOME PRETTY COMPLEX ITEMS THAT, UM, AND I GOT, I LIKE TO SAY, HAVE A LOT OF MOVING PIECES.
UM, IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD STRAIGHTFORWARD AND BINARY DECISIONS TO MAKE, UM, UNLIKE TONIGHT WHERE WE HAVE DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT OTHER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND VICE VERSA.
UM, UH, SO TONIGHT WILL BE, UH, VOTING ON MULTIPLE ITEMS THAT ARE ALL A PART OF A LARGER WHOLE.
THEY AFFECT EACH OTHER, AND SO WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE BEFORE GOING INTO THE VOTING AGENDA FOR THE EVENING.
FOR THAT REASON, I'VE ASKED STAFF TO PREPARE BRIEFINGS ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WILL BE TAKEN UP TONIGHT AND THEIR OVERLAP.
ADDITIONALLY, I PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMISSIONERS TO GIVE SHORT BRIEFINGS IN WHICH THEY CAN LAY OUT SOME OF THEIR THOUGHT PROCESSES ON THE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS BEFORE US.
TONIGHT, THESE BRIEFINGS WILL BE THE TIMES TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UH, WE WANNA BE CLEAR THAT BECAUSE OF THE BUSINESS WE HAVE BEFORE TONIGHT, WE'LL BE FOLLOWING STRICTER RULES IN SOME OF OUR PAST MEETINGS.
UH, THESE BRIEFINGS ARE THE TIME FOR YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS AND WORK THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIP THAT ITEMS HAVE WITH EACH OTHER,
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AND BEGIN THINKING ABOUT WHAT SORT OF MOTIONS YOU WILL SUPPORT ULTIMATELY TONIGHT.UH, WHEN WE GET TO THE VOTING AGENDA AFTER THESE BRIEFINGS, UH, I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND.
BEFORE ANY DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE, COMMISSIONERS MAY THEN DISCUSS ONLY THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND ONLY WHAT IS GERMANE TO THAT MOTION.
THIS IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER.
I'LL GO OVER THIS IN MORE DETAIL WHEN WE GET TO THAT, UH, VOTING PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
BUT USE THESE BRIEFINGS TO CONTINUE TO FLESH OUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON EACH ITEM ON THAT ULTIMATE VOTING AGENDA, AND TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS ANY ONE VOTE MAY HAVE ON THE OTHERS.
UH, SO FIRST WE HAVE STAFF BRIEFING, UH, CITY COUNCIL, COMPOSITION, TERM LINKS, AND TERM LIMITS.
UH, JAKE ANDERSON, UH, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, JAKE ANDERSON, OFFICE OF GO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, GLAD TO BE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT.
UM, WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WITH YOU GUYS SO WE CAN GET TO QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'LL JUST BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE, UM, THE, THE BACKGROUND OF, OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THEN WE'LL GET TO LOOKING AT THE SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL.
UM, GO TO COUNCIL TERM LENGTHS AND LIMITS, AND THEN THE CONSIDERATIONS AND CONFLICTS, UM, THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF AS YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, IF YOU RECALL AT THE NOVEMBER 7TH MEETING OF THIS COMMISSION, UM, I, UH, PRESENTED TO YOU ALL, UM, AND SHARED A SURVEY OF WHAT OTHER CITIES DO IN REGARDS TO COUNCIL TERM LENGTHS AND LIMITS.
UM, YOU CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION IN THE APPENDIX, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, WHAT 10 TEXAS CITIES DO AND WHAT FIVE NATIONAL PEER CITIES DO.
AGAIN, UH, REFLECTING WHAT YOU HEARD ON NOVEMBER 7TH, UM, I'VE ALSO INCLUDED EXAMPLES OF HOW TWO DIFFERENT, UM, TEXAS CITIES, HOUSTON, AND ARLINGTON, UM, AMENDED THEIR CHARTERS TO GO FROM TWO YEAR TERMS TO LONGER TERMS. IN ONE CASE, A THREE YEAR TERM, AND ONE CASE A FOUR YEAR TERM.
UM, EACH HAD A UNIQUE APPROACH.
UM, SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGING TERM LENGTHS A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT IN ADDITION TO THE SUBMITTALS REGARDING COUNCIL TERM LENGTHS AND LIMITS, YOU ALSO RECEIVED SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS TO EXPAND TO THE COUNCIL.
SO TONIGHT I'LL HIGHLIGHT A FEW CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOU AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW THEY PLAY, UM, WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING TONIGHT.
SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED, THIS BRIEFING IS JUST TO PREPARE YOU AND GET YOU THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE, UM, AND THE CHAIR MENTIONED THAT AS WELL.
UM, IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DOES EACH PIECE THAT YOU'RE VOTING ON TONIGHT WORK, OR IN SOME CASES, NOT WORK WITH THE OTHER PIECES, SO THAT AS YOU VOTE ON THESE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS, YOU HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF YOUR ULTIMATE GOALS AND HOW YOU'RE VOTING? NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO LET'S START BY LOOKING AT, UH, THE CURRENT DALLAS CITY COUNCIL AND ITS SIZE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE 14 TO ONE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT CREATED SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS WITH ONE AT LARGE MAYOR.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T, DIDN'T COME OUT OF NOWHERE.
UM, IT WAS A PRODUCT OF A HISTORY OF RACIAL SEGREGATION WITHIN THE, THE CITY.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANT REAL QUICKLY WALK YOU THROUGH HOW THAT HAPPENED SO THAT THE CONTEXT OF THE 14 TO ONE SYSTEM IS CLEARLY IN VIEW.
UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THIS COMPOSITION, UM, INCLUDING SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY HAD TO STEP IN AND FORCE DALLAS TO CHANGE.
UM, SO TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW VIEW OF THE PROCESS, DALLAS STARTED WITH 11 AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, AND TWO SEATS THAT WERE RESERVED FOR MINORITY REPRESENTATIVES.
UH, THE DALLAS CITY CHARTER EVEN HAD LANGUAGE IN IT, UH, REGARDING THE SEGREGATION OF RACES UNTIL 1968 WHEN THAT LANGUAGE WAS REPEALED.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE AT LARGE COUNCIL SYSTEM REMAINED IN 1975, THERE WAS A LAWSUIT THAT SAID THE SYSTEM WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL BECAUSE IT DILUTED THE BLACK VOTE.
UM, THE CITY SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPTED AN EIGHT THREE STRUCTURE WITH THE MAYOR AND TWO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS BEING ELECTED AT LARGE AND EIGHT SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
UM, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE END OF THE, OF THE CHANGES, AS YOU KNOW.
BY 19 79, 2 BLACK REPRESENTATIVES, BUT NO LATINOS HAD BEEN ELECTED TO COUNCIL AS THE CITY SECRETARY'S WEBSITE STATES, UM, AT THE INSISTENCE OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THAT'S A QUOTE, THE DALLAS REDREW DISTRICT LINES TO CREATE A THIRD MINORITY DISTRICT.
THEN IN 1988, A LAWSUIT WAS FILED THAT WOULD LEAD TO THE CREATION OF A 14 TO ONE SYSTEM.
UH, ROY WILLIAMS AND MARVIN CRENSHAW CONTENDED THAT THE EIGHT THREE SYSTEM DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BLACK RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THEN A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION CALLED THE LEAD BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, JOINED THE PLAINTIFFS, UM, ON BEHALF OF LATINO RESIDENTS CLAIMING IT ALSO DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THEM.
SO IN 1989, UH, A 10 TO FOUR, A 10 TO FOUR ONE ELECTION SYSTEM WITH FOUR REGIONAL SEATS WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS.
THE US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, HOWEVER, DID NOT APPROVE THE PLAN, UM, AND IT WAS NEVER IMPLEMENTED.
UH, THE US DISTRICT JUDGE JERRY MEYER, WHO, UM, WHO WAS EVALUATING THE PLAN, WROTE THAT THE MINORITY PARTIC PARTICIPATION IN DALLAS, UH, POLITICS HAD BEEN A QUESTION OF WHAT BLACKS AND HISPANICS HAD BEEN PERMITTED TO DO BY THE WHITE
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MAJORITY AND STRUCK DOWN THE CITY'S EIGHT THREE ELECTION SYSTEM.UM, WHEN THE 14 ONE PLAN INITIALLY, UH, CAME TO VOTERS, IT WAS REJECTED LATER THAT YEAR.
UM, BUT THEN IN FEBRUARY, 1991, JUDGE BUCK MY ORDERED ELECTIONS USING THAT 14 TO ONE PLAN.
UM, AGAIN, THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAD TO DENY THE TEN FOUR ONE PLAN AND THE 14 TO ONE PLAN WAS INSTEAD USED.
SO IN SUMMARY, UM, THE 14 ONE PLAN WAS MANDATED IN ORDER TO MOVE DALLAS INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT, UM, AND TO GIVE FAIR REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATION TO NON-WHITE POPULATIONS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO THAT'S THE CONTEXT OF THE 14 TO ONE SYSTEM.
UM, AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, WHICH ARE RELATING TO THE SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL, ARE, ARE LISTED.
UM, BEFORE YOU, UM, THE 15 TO ONE AMENDMENT I MIGHT NOTE WAS, WAS POLLED.
UM, MINISTER DOMINIC ALEXANDER, WHO SUGGESTED IT, ASKED THAT IT BE WITHDRAWN TODAY.
BUT, UM, YOU'LL HAVE, YOU HAVE FULL AUTONOMY TO ADD OR RECOMMEND ADDING AS MANY SEATS AS YOU WANT.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED TWO OR THREE AT LARGE SEATS.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION WAS THAT IF AT LARGE SEATS WERE ADDED, UM, THEY'D BE DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PROTI, UM, WHILE OTHERS SIMPLY SUGGESTED ADDING ONE, FOUR OR SIX NEW SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS TO COUNCIL.
SO KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE SUGGESTIONS.
UM, IN YOUR DISCUSSION, YOU MAY FIND THAT YOU WANNA RECOMMEND SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE RECOMMENDED COUNCIL SIZES THAT YOU SEE LISTED HERE.
UM, AND THAT'S TOTALLY YOUR PREROGATIVE AS A COMMISSION.
UM, IF YOU DECIDE THAT A HUNDRED SINGLE MEMBER, UH, DISTRICTS AND 15 AT LARGE DISTRICTS MAKE THE MOST SENSE, UM, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE THAT, ALTHOUGH I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DON'T.
UM, IF YOU RECALL, UM, LOOKING BACK AT NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER MEETINGS, THE NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE AND, UM, INTERNATIONAL CITY AND COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, UM, CAME AND SPOKE TO YOU REGARDING CHARTER COMPOSITION AND WHAT GOOD CHARTERS LOOK LIKE.
UM, PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH ENTITIES INVOLVED THE SIZE OF THE COUNCIL, AND IN BOTH CASES, THEY DID ADVISE THAT DALLAS ALREADY HAD A LARGE COUNCIL, UM, AND THAT EXPANSION OF COUNCIL COULD CONCEIVABLY LEAD TO MORE GRIDLOCK.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THEY MADE A POINT THAT, UM, ALIGNS WITH THE 1991 RULING THAT PUSHED DALLAS INTO THE 14 TO ONE SYSTEM.
WHEN DISCUSSING MATTERS OF EQUITY IN ELECTIONS, SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS ARE GENERALLY SEEN AS MORE, UM, MORE EQUITABLE THAN AT LARGE ELECTIONS.
THIS IS BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, MY OWN MINORITY POPULATIONS, WHICH HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISENFRANCHISED, DO NOT TURN OUT TO VOTE AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE MAJORITY CLASS.
IN THE CASE OF DALLAS AT LARGE, ELECTIONS PRIOR TO 1991 LED TO THE WEALTHY WHITE AREAS IN NORTH DALLAS, HAVING OUTSIDE INFLUENCE ON THE AT LARGE SEATS, UM, THERE'S STILL A DISPARITY IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TURN OUT TO VOTE WHEN YOU COMPARE THE SAME NORTH DALLAS AREAS WITH MAJORITY BLACK OR LATINO DISTRICTS, DISTRICTS IN THE SOUTHERN SECTOR.
UM, SO IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT SIMILAR ISSUES COULD ARISE, UM, WHICH MIGHT BE A STEP BACK WHEN TALKING ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED THAT AT LARGE DISTRICTS, UH, COULD BE DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR MAYOR PRO TIMM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PROM.
UM, AND WHEN YOU VOTE ON THE SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF COUNCIL, YOU WILL NEED TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT YOU SUPPORT THAT IDEA TO, UM, KEEP THAT IN MIND JUST AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD AND AS YOU'RE VOTING.
SO, LET'S MOVE ON TO COUNCIL TERMS. UM, YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, AND AS YOU KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS SERVE TO, UH, TWO YEAR TERMS, UM, UP TO FOUR CONSECUTIVE TERMS FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHT YEARS.
UM, IF THEY REACH THEIR EIGHT YEAR LIMIT, THEY MAY SIT OUT FOR A TERM AND THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR ELECTION AGAIN ON A NEW CLOCK, UM, TO SERVE EIGHT MORE YEARS MAXIMUM.
UM, THE MAYOR IS, HAS AN INVERSE SET UP.
THE MAYOR MAY SERVE UP TO TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS, BUT EACH TERM IS FOUR YEARS LONG.
SO THE EIGHT YEAR, UM, MAXIMUM LENGTH STILL EXISTS.
UM, ALL ELECTIONS, AS YOU KNOW, HAPPEN IN MAY OF ODD NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THESE ARE NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
UM, AND SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE SPECIFICS, I, I WANNA AGAIN, REFERENCE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT, UH, ICMA AND NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE HAD WITH YOU IN THE FALL.
UM, THIS IS A VERY SHORT, SHORT THAT COMPARES A FEW OF THE CHARACTER CHARACTERISTICS, UM, THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED OF SHORTER TERMS VERSUS LONGER TERMS. UM, AND I WANNA EMPHASIZE AGAIN, AS IS THE CASE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING AT LARGE VERSUS, UM, SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS, THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER HERE.
WHAT YOU MUST DO IS DECIDE WHAT YOU VALUE MOST IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, DO YOU, UH, VALUE, UH, VALUE ACCOUNTABILITY TO VOTERS IN THE SHORTER TERMS? OR DO YOU VALUE HAVING THAT TIME TO FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE AND LEARN THE THE CITY PROCESSES WITH THE LONGER TERMS? UM, SHORT TERMS OFFER THE MOST VALUE WHEN IT COMES TO VOTER ACCOUNTABILITY.
UM, VOTERS HAVE BEEN, HAVE MORE FREQUENT OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, CHOOSE WHO REPRESENTS THEM.
AND IF THEY DECIDE THAT A REPRESENTATIVE HAS DONE A BAD JOB, UM, THEY CAN REMOVE THEM MORE EASILY.
THE TRADE OFF IS THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE MORE FREQUENTLY IN CAMPAIGN MODE RATHER THAN GOVERNANCE MODE.
THEY MAY HAVE LESS TIME TO IMPLEMENT MAJOR PROJECTS AND PROVE THEIR PAYOFF, AND IN THEIR
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FIRST TERM, THE LEARNING CURVE IS SO STEEP THAT THEY MAY ONLY JUST BE GETTING, UH, THROUGH THE LEARNING CURVE.WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR REELECTION, LONG TERMS ARE THE OPPOSITE.
THEY OFFER ELECTED OFFICIALS MORE TIME TO LEARN THE CITY AND ITS PROCESSES, IMPLEMENT MAJOR PROJECTS, ET CETERA, BUT THEY REDUCE A VOTER'S ABILITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
IF A COUNCIL MEMBER DOES SOMETHING WILDLY UNPOPULAR IN THEIR FIRST YEAR, IT WILL BE SEVERAL MORE YEARS BEFORE THE CONSTITUENTS HAVE ANY RECOURSE.
SO YOU HAVE TO DECIDE AGAIN, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S FOR YOU TO LITIGATE AND DECIDE TONIGHT.
UM, I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF STAGGERING ELECTIONS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A QUESTION OF WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A BODY.
THERE'S NOT NECESSARILY A RIGHT OR WRONG SOLUTION.
STAGGERED ELECTIONS CAN MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF HAVING LARGE FRESHMAN CLASSES ON COUNCIL BY ENSURING THERE WILL ALWAYS BE CONTINUITY AND EXPERIENCE.
UM, ADMINISTRATIVELY IT WOULD REQUIRE MORE ELECTIONS THAN A NON-ST STAGGERED, UM, ELECTION SETUP AND WOULD REQUIRE, REQUIRE THAT SOME DISTRICTS VOTE MORE OFTEN THAN OTHERS.
SIMILARLY, COUNCIL ELECTIONS THAT DO NOT COINCIDE WITH MAYORAL ELECTIONS MAY SEE LOWER TURNOUT THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS, UM, WHOSE ELECTIONS ARE ON CYCLE WITH THE MAYOR.
SO YOU'LL BE VOTING LATER THIS EVENING ON EACH COMPONENT OF THIS CONVERSATION, UH, SEPARATELY, HOW LONG TERMS ARE, WHETHER TERMS SHOULD BE STAGGERED, WHEN THE ELECTION DATES SHOULD BE, UM, AND THE SIZE OF COUNCIL.
UM, THESE ARE THE PROPOSALS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH, ALTHOUGH AGAIN, THESE ARE STARTING POINTS.
UM, IF YOU DECIDE TO RECOMMEND TWO YEAR OR FOUR YEAR STAGGERED TERMS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
UM, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STICK WITH WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED.
YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AS A COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND, UH, TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED OFF OF THESE AS A STARTING POINT.
SO, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF STAGGERED TERMS OR LONGER TERMS, SHOULD EITHER OF THOSE BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT, WILL REQUIRE SOME THOUGHT.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE NECESSARY TO ADJUST THE MAXIMUM LENGTH OF TIME THAT SOME CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SERVE IN ORDER TO MAKE EACH WORK.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, A FOUR YEAR TERM MAY REQUIRE THAT SOME CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN SERVE UP TO 10 TOTAL YEARS IN THEIR POSITION RATHER THAN THE EIGHT THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY, UM, LIMITED TO.
CONVERSELY, THREE YEAR TERMS MAY REQUIRE THAT SOME SITTING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS SERVE LESS THAN THE EIGHT FULL YEARS THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY LIMITED TO.
UM, IN THE APPENDIX, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN HOW BOTH HOUSTON AND ARLINGTON, UH, HANDLE THE LANGUAGE CHANGES IN THEIR CHARTER.
UM, THOSE CAN PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOUSTON, THEY USE TEMPORAL, UM, ONE TIME LANGUAGE.
AND THAT IS SPECIFIC TO NOVEMBER, 2015 ELECTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGE.
SO IT PROVIDED FOR SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SEEK TWO FOUR YEAR TERMS IF THEY'D ALREADY SERVED ONE TERM, TWO YEAR TERM.
UM, WHICH MEANS THAT THEIR MAXIMUM TIME ON COUNCIL COULD BE UP TO 10 YEARS.
UM, THEY ALLOWED COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D SERVED, UM, TWO, TWO YEAR TERMS TO SEEK ONLY ONE MORE TERM.
SO THAT WOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT YEARS.
ANY SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAD ALREADY SERVED THREE TERMS OR MORE, OR I GUESS THREE TERMS, YOU WERE ALREADY TERM LOADED AFTER YOU SERVED FOUR.
UM, ARLINGTON WENT FROM THREE TWO YEAR TERMS TO THREE, THREE YEAR TERMS IN 2022.
UM, AND INTERESTINGLY, THEY DID NOT PROVIDE FOR SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'D ALREADY SERVED THREE TERMS TO RUN AGAIN, DESPITE THE NEW YEAR, A NEW LIMIT BEING NINE YEARS OF SERVICE RATHER THAN SIX.
SO THEIR LANGUAGE WAS TERM BASED.
UM, SO, AND THE AMOUNT OF TERMS THE COUNCIL MEMBER COULD SERVE DID NOT CHANGE THREE, TWO YEAR TERMS, 2, 3, 3 YEAR TERMS. UM, THEY JUST CHANGED THE LENGTH OF THE TERM, WHICH DID NOT, UM, AFFECT THE CURRENT CITY SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS OUR, OUR LAST, LAST MAJOR SLIDE ON THIS.
I WANNA JUST HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU'RE GONNA FACE WITH THESE CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, NAMELY, AS YOU ALL LOOK AT ELECTION DATES, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, UM, IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS, DO YOU CARE MORE ABOUT HAVING AN ELECTION IN NOVEMBER, UM, OR KEEPING, UH, CITY ELECTIONS WHOLLY NONPARTISAN? 'CAUSE IF YOU WANT THREE YEAR TERMS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO HAVE HALF OF ALL ELECTIONS IN YEARS IN WHICH THERE ARE PART, UH, THERE ARE PARTISAN STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
THE SAME'S TRUE IF YOU WANNA GO TO TWO YEAR STAGGERED TERMS, UM, AND MOVE THE ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER.
IN THAT CASE, UH, HALF OF, OF THE ELECTIONS WOULD TAKE PLACE DURING PARTISAN ELECTION YEARS.
UM, AND THE OTHER HALF WOULDN'T.
SO, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU WANT YOUR DISTRICT TO HAVE TO CONTEND WITH THOSE? UM, AS YOU KNOW, MOVING ELECTION DATES TO NOVEMBER IS ALSO NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEGALLY DO.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN OUR NEXT BRIEFING A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT WE REQUIRE THE STATE TO OPEN BACK UP THAT OPTION.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT RECOMMENDING A CHANGE, UM, OF THE ELECTION DATE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION SUCH AS A TRIGGER CLAUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU'D ALSO, UM, OR, OR YOU JUST SIMPLY THINK THAT MOVING THE ELECTION DATE SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
YOU SHOULD BE CONSIDERING WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FOR ANY TERM LENGTH AND POTENTIAL STAGGERING THAT YOU RECOMMEND.
UM, IF YOU ALSO CONCEIVE OF IT, MOVING TO
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NOVEMBER LAST SLIDE.UM, SO YOUR, AS YOU KNOW, YOUR VOTES LATER TONIGHT WILL BE ON THESE TOPICS.
UH, YOU'LL CONSIDER HOW EACH ONE WORKS TOGETHER.
UM, AND, UH, WE, WE REALLY JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO THINK OF THE WHOLE AS YOU'RE VOTING ON EACH PART.
UM, SO I HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER THOSE THINGS.
UM, WITH THAT, I WANNA TURN BACK OVER TO THE CHAIR.
UH, NOW, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP THE FIRST ROUND OF, UH, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS.
UH, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS THE TIME, UH, THAT'S INTENDED FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION AND ANY PERSUASIVE, I'M SORRY, STRIKE THAT.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS TIME IS INTENDED TO FURTHER EXPLORATION AND ANY PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS SHOULD BE SAVED FOR DISCUSSION ON THE VOTING ITEMS LATER ON THE AGENDA.
I'LL ALLOW COMMISSIONERS THREE MINUTES FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF QUESTIONS AND ONE MINUTE FOR A SECOND ROUND.
UH, YOUR TIME WILL BE PAUSED WHEN STAFF IS ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
SO,
ALL RIGHT, HEARING NONE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, UH, THAT STAFF BRIEFING, UH, REGARDING MOVING THE ELECTION DAY.
AND AGAIN, MR. ANDERSON, UH, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WILL BE ADDRESSING THIS.
I'LL GIVE A SECOND WHILE WE PULL THAT UP.
I'M THE MANAGER IN THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, AND IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UM, THIS ONE'S GONNA BE VERY BRIEF, I PROMISE.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT, MOVING CITY COUNCIL ELECTION DATES.
UM, WE'LL LOOK VERY QUICKLY AT WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT THAT LOOKS, THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCERNS AS YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN, UM, WE WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU GUYS.
UM, ON NOVEMBER 7TH, YOU HEARD FROM COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE, UM, WHO PRESENTED THE, THE FIRST PROPOSAL TO MOVE THE ELECTION DATE TO NOVEMBER.
UM, YOU'VE SINCE RECEIVED, UM, A COUPLE OTHER PROPOSALS, UM, THAT WOULD MOVE THE ELECTION DATE TO NOVEMBER ONE THAT THAT MIRRORS HIS, UM, AND WOULD MOVE IT TO ODD NUMBERED YEARS, INVE NOVEMBER, AND ONE THAT, UH, SUGGESTS MOVING TO EVEN NUMBERED YEARS IN NOVEMBER.
UM, SO REAL QUICK, WE'LL JUST OUTLINE THOSE PROPOSALS AND IDENTIFY THE OBSTACLES AND CONFLICTS WITH THEM.
UM, STATE ELECTION CODE CURRENTLY REQUIRES THAT ELECTIONS IN TEXAS BE HELD IN MAY OR NOVEMBER.
IT IS NOT CURRENTLY LEGAL FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS TO CHANGE ITS ELECTION DATE TO NOVEMBER.
UM, THAT WINDOW WAS CLOSED BY THE STATE IN 2016.
AND SO STATE LEGISLATIVE LEGISLATIVE ACTION WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO OPEN THE WINDOW IN WHICH MUNICIPALITIES CAN CHANGE THEIR ELECTION DATE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'D HAVE TO PAIR WITH ANY SORT OF RECOMMENDATION YOU HAVE TO MOVE TO, UM, NOVEMBER ELECTION DATES.
UM, AS I ALREADY MENTIONED, THERE ARE THREE PROPOSALS, UM, THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER.
UH, WELL, FOUR REALLY, UM, MOVING TO NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS, EVEN NUMBERED YEARS MOVING ELECTIONS TO JUST NOVEMBER.
IN THE CASE OF STAGGERED TERMS, TWO YEAR STAGGERED TERMS OR THREE YEAR TERMS, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS IN BOTH EVEN AND ODD YEARS, OR YOU COULD MAINTAIN THE MAY ELECTION DATE.
UM, THOSE ARE THE ONLY OPTIONS ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW.
SO THE BIGGEST CONSIDERATIONS AND CONCERNS WHEN, WHEN LOOKING AT THIS, UH, MOVING OVER THE ELECTION DATE, IS THAT PARTISAN ELECTIONS HAPPEN IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
UM, AND THAT IMPLEMENTATION REQUIRES LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
SO, UM, KEEP IN MIND AS YOU, UM, AS YOU'RE VOTING, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO, UM, ALIGN OUR ELECTIONS, OUR NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS WITH PARTISAN ELECTIONS THAT HAPPEN IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS IN NOVEMBER, UM, THAT THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER BECAUSE HISTORICALLY WE'VE ALWAYS HAD NON-PARTISAN ELECTION ELECTIONS IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAJOR THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANY SORT OF STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN DURING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS NOT UNTIL 2025, UM, SPRING OF 2025.
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THIS, THIS WOULD NOT NECESSARILY, UM, BE ABLE TO HAPPEN BEFORE THEN, AND IT WOULD AGAIN REQUIRE, UM, SOMEBODY TO CARRY THAT FORWARD IN AUSTIN AND, UH, FULL APPROVAL IN AUSTIN.UM, SO AGENDA ITEM M IS GONNA BE WHEN YOU VOTE ON MOVING THE ELECTION DATE.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA COME TOWARDS THE END OF YOUR AGENDA.
SO JUST HAVE THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND AS YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH ALL OF THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, UM, THAT YOU'RE MAKING TONIGHT.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU CHAIR, UH, MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS, MR. STEIN? ARE THERE ANY, UH, MOTIONS OR BILLS OR ANY PAPERWORK BEING SUBMITTED TO CHANGE THE ELECTION IN AUSTIN SINCE IT'S STATE LAW THAT IS BE HELD IN MAY? IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, FOR THE UPCOMING SESSION? NOT YET.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WE DO AS PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE, UM, BUILDING OUR LEGISLATIVE, UH, PRIORITIES FOR AS A CITY IS, UM, WE GO TO LAWMAKERS IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WANTS TO SEE DONE, UM, AND WE, WE FIND LAWMAKERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN CARRYING THOSE ITEMS FORWARD.
SO IF IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY, UM, THE COMMISSION AND ULTIMATELY BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED BY VOTERS, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROCESS WE WOULD GO THROUGH.
WE WOULD FIND, UH, LEGISLATORS WHO, WHO ARE WILLING TO, UM, CHAMPION THIS DOWN IN AUSTIN AND ASK THEM TO DO SO AND CARRY THAT WATER, UM, IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE NO, NO CONTROL OVER WHAT, UM, AUSTIN DOES.
MS. CLAP, HAS THIS PROPOSAL BEEN PROPOSED TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IN PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS? I BELIEVE IT HAS, BUT I'M, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MS. ROGERS.
CARRIE ROGERS, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
NOT IN THE LAST SEVERAL SESSIONS.
HAS THIS BEEN PROPOSED? I WILL TELL YOU THAT ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SUBMITTED AS PART OF CONSIDERATION FOR OUR 2025 PROGRAM, A PLACEHOLDER ITEM FOR ANY ITEMS THAT CAME OUT OF THE CHARTER REVIEW THAT WOULD REQUIRE LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
SO THAT THAT PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED BY OUR CITY COUNCIL YET AND IS STILL IN THE REVIEW PROCESS.
AND I, I'LL ADD TO THAT, UNLESS THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE I WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY, THERE'S A A TIME PERIOD THAT BEGINS WHEN YOU CAN FILE LEGISLATION.
IT'S USUALLY A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION, SO YOU CAN'T, MEMBERS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY ELECTED, CAN'T FILE ANYTHING UNTIL THEN.
UH, MR. DE LA FUENTE, I DON'T INTERRUPT YOU.
I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I'M, I'M RAISING MY HAND TO SPEAK AFTER YOU.
ALRIGHT, MR. DE FUENTE, I'M SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.
UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER STEIN, THERE IS A REPRESENTATIVE WHO PLANS TO FILE THIS BILL WHEN THAT IS AN APPROPRIATE THING TO DO.
UH, IT'S REPRESENTATIVE MIKE SCHOFIELD, WHO'S A REPUBLICAN MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OUT OF HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, SO, SO THERE WILL BE A SPONSOR OF THE BILL FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY, UH, PRESENTING THIS FOR US OR ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE STATE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY, MR. CAMPBELL.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOVEMBER ODD VERSUS EVEN, WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN THAT, BUT I MEAN, JUST IN THIS, THIS PRESENTATION, UH, AND MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE, BUT IF IT WAS TO SAY ON AN EVEN YEAR, RIGHT, NOVEMBER EVEN, OF COURSE, HYPER-PARTISAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT.
WHERE ON THE BALLOT WOULD IT BE? THE PARTISAN GOES AFTER, I'M SORRY, NON-PARTISAN GOES AFTER PARTISAN, CORRECT.
BUT I BELIEVE CITY SECRETARY BILLY RAY JOHNSON.
I'M SORRY, WHICH COMM? COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL, THAT IS CORRECT.
IT FALLS IN FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, THEN CITY AND I BELIEVE ISD AND MMDS MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS.
THAT'S THE ORDER, THE BALLOT ORDER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF MR. ANDERSON ON THIS BRIEFING ITEM? OKAY, HEARING NONE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER BRIEFING.
UM, THIS WILL BE ON COUNCIL TERMS AND ELECTION DATES BY COMMISSIONER LISA LABMASTER.
HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ALL WORK 'CAUSE I FORGOT MY COMPUTER.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE WINGING IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, EVERYONE HERE, I'M GONNA FIRST TALK ABOUT THE ELECTION DATES.
EVERYONE HERE AND EVERYONE OUT HERE IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TURNOUT ON ELECTION DAY.
I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN THE REASON TO CHANGE OUR ELECTION DAY BECAUSE
[00:55:01]
OF OUR LOW TURNOUT IN DALLAS.IT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN LOW, WHICH I'LL POINT OUT AS I GO ALONG.
UH, IT IS NOT GOOD CURRENTLY AGREED.
AND IT CAN, IT HASN'T SHOWN MUCH CHANCE FOR IMPROVEMENT.
SO EVERYONE SAYS, WELL, LET'S JUST CHANGE THE DATE OF THE ELECTION AND WE'LL GET MORE PEOPLE OUT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU WATCH GAME DAY ON SATURDAY MORNING WHEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS ON, BUT THERE'S THERE'S A GUY ON THERE WHO SAYS, NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA SAY HERE.
UH, I LIKED THE IDEA WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT, BUT NOW I THINK IT'S THE WRONG DECISION.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE TO DO IT.
AND SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VERY EARLIEST THIS COULD HAPPEN WOULD BE IF YOU'RE LUCKY, RIGHT? 26, RIGHT? UH, I THE NEXT SLIDE, GO AHEAD.
CAR, UH, HAS THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY JUST, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UH, YOU SEE THE BLACK SLOT THERE? JUST CAN YOU CLICK CLICK THE BAR? YEAH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T, ALRIGHT, I JUST SAID THAT.
I UNDERSTAND FROM WHAT DAVID'S SAYING, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY SOMEBODY, UH, PRESENTING SOMETHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN PASSED.
YOU CAN READ IT OR COME BACK TO IT AT SOME POINT, BUT THIS IS THE LANGUAGE THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TELL 'EM BY 2016.
IF YOU WANNA CHANGE THE ELECTION DATE.
AND SOME CITIES DID, UH, AUSTIN VOTED TO GO TO THE RANK CHOICE VOTING SYSTEM AND THEY'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO SAY, OKAY, THEY DID THAT.
WHAT, THAT 21 RIGHT DAVID? UH, CORRECT.
2021 FOR VOTERS PASSED IT FOR ME.
WE HAVE 128 AMENDMENTS BEFORE US.
AND I WOULD RATHER FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO AND NOT WHAT WE CAN'T DO.
CLICK ONE MORE TIME AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO IF IT DOESN'T WORK? HOUSTON'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
NOW WE DISAGREE ON THE NUMBERS, BUT I, BUT WHAT, WHAT MY RESEARCH SHOWS IS THAT SINCE THE ELECTION DAY MOVED IN HOUSTON IN 2015, THERE WAS 26% TURNOUT.
WELL, THAT'S SO BIG COMPARED TO US, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHAT TURNED OUT FOR THE COUNCIL ELECTIONS AND THE MAYOR'S RACE IN 2019.
AND THAT HEADLINE RIGHT THERE SAYS REPORTED TURNOUT AT 19%.
OH, AND THIS HEADLINES FROM THIS YEAR AND THIS YEAR WAS JUST ABOUT 18%.
SO MAYBE IT WAS FUN THE FIRST TIME, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A, A QUICK FIX FOR, UH, FOR VOTER TURNOUT.
REASON THREE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD,
OH, THERE, THERE'S A CORE OF CITY VOTERS.
A LOT OF US HERE AT THE HORSESHOE KNOW THEM WELL.
RIGHT? YOU WILL HAVE TO LAUNCH A VERY SERIOUS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE THE, THE VOTERS ABOUT, OH, DON'T GO IN MAY AND DON'T GO THAT YEAR.
YOU, I MEAN, YOU WILL HAVE, YOU'LL HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO TELL FOLKS ABOUT A NEW ELECTION DATE.
UH, I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF POLITICAL CONSULTANTS WHO SAID THAT THERE WILL BE A MAJOR DROP OFF, I THINK THEY CALL IT UNDER VOTE, WHERE PEOPLE GO AND VOTE, BUT THEN THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND THERE WILL BE A MAJOR UNDERVOTE OR A MAJOR DROP OFF IN THE VOTING WHEN, IF WE WERE TO IMPLEMENT THIS, IF WE MOVE TO NOVEMBER, GENERALLY SPEAKING, I MEAN, I THINK OUR COUNCIL HAS TOLD US WE DON'T WANNA BE IN PARTISAN ELECTIONS, RIGHT? NOVEMBER SPELLS PARTISANSHIP.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT NOVEMBER ELECTIONS MARCH OUT MORE PARTISANSHIP.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO SAY, YEAH, BUT WHICH ONE'S A DEMOCRAT? WHICH ONE'S A REPUBLICAN? HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE ELECTION.
SO BOTTOM LINE, I THINK I'M WORRIED ABOUT UNINFORMED VOTES AS MUCH AS I'M WORRIED ABOUT GETTING 'EM THERE.
YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S THE FIRST TUESDAY IN NOVEMBER IS ELECTION DAY.
BUT IT JUST, TO ME, I THINK YOU'LL GET THAT QUESTION MORE OFTEN.
WHO'S A DEMOCRAT? WHO'S THE REPUBLICAN? I HOPE WE CAN KEEP PARTISANSHIP OUT OF OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS.
I THINK OUR CITY WILL OPERATE BETTER THAT WAY.
NOW, FINALLY, AND THAT MEANS CLICK, UH, A NOVEMBER ELECTION REMOVES THE SPOTLIGHT OFF OF DALLAS.
WE, WE NOW HAVE A PLA A TIME IN PLACE TO PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON DALLAS ISSUES AND TALK JUST ABOUT US.
WE CAN BE SELFISH AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S MATTERS TO US.
IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL AND YOU HAVE THE MONEY, YOU'RE GONNA SAY, OH, WHAT ABOUT THOSE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING? OH, I BETTER GO FIND A LIST SOMEWHERE.
OR I BETTER, I BETTER FIND SOME MORE MONEY FOR MY CAMPAIGN.
[01:00:01]
MORE TO PUT THOSE ELECTIONS ON NOVEMBER BALLOT FOR THE CANDIDATES.AND I, SOME WOULD CONTEND IT ALREADY, UH, COST, UH, ENOUGH, RIGHT? UH, NOW I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY AND WILL PASS IT OUT.
BUT I'VE SAID TO YOU, LOOK, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS.
AND SO I JUST CAME UP WITH TWO PAGES OF IDEAS TO INCREASE TURNOUT.
THERE ARE WAYS TO INCREASE TURNOUT CITY COULD INVEST A LITTLE MONEY COUNCIL GETS COMMITTED.
THERE ARE WAYS TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO THE POLLS.
AND THIS IS, IT IS JUST A START.
THIS IS JUST A BRAINSTORMING THING, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
BUT I THINK THAT DALLAS CAN BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE ON TURNOUT.
WE HAVE BEEN, BEFORE WE HAD GREAT TURNOUT WITH RON KIRK.
I THINK THAT WAS THE HIGHEST, UH, TURNOUT THAT WE HAD OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS OR SO.
WE HAD PRETTY GOOD, OH, WE HAD GREAT TURNOUT ON MILLER V DUNNING AND THEN WENT DOWN IN, IN EIGHT, 2007.
DON'T KNOW QUITE WHY, BUT MY, MY POINT HERE IS IF THE GOAL IS TO GET OUT THE VOTE, LET'S TRY IT THE RIGHT WAY.
LEAVE OUR ELECTION DATES ALONE.
NOW I ALSO HAVE THINGS TO SAY ON TERMS, SO LET SOMEBODY ELSE TALK WHILE I GET SOME WATER.
ANY QUESTIONS, MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
WE'LL MOVE TO OUR NEXT COMMISSIONER BRIEFING.
THE, THIS IS ALSO MOVING THE ELECTION DATE AS PRESENTED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER DAVID DE LA FUENTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH COMMISSION FOR HEARING ME OUT.
UM, WHEN I JOINED THIS COMMISSION, IT WAS WITH THE GOAL OF TRYING TO FIX A VERY BROKEN ELECTION SYSTEM HERE IN DALLAS.
I HAVE LEANED ON MANY OF YOU ON MOST OF THE 123 AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED, BECAUSE I AM NOT AN ISSUE EXPERT ON THEM.
I AM PERHAPS ONE OF THE LEAST EXPERIENCED PEOPLE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE ON MOST OF THOSE AMENDMENTS.
TONIGHT IS PROBABLY THE ONLY NIGHT I KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M TALKING ABOUT
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME.
UH, BEFORE I GO INTO MY PRESENTATION, I WANT TO THANK ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE EMAILED IN, UH, CALLED IN, CAME OUT TONIGHT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT.
UM, MR. ANDERSON, UH, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE, HOW MANY RESIDENTS HAVE SPOKEN IN FAVOR OF THIS AMENDMENT THROUGH VARIOUS PROCE UH, WAYS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, UH, INCLUDING SPEAKERS AND EMAILS? UM, WE HAVE OVER THREE DOZEN, UM, WHICH IS BY FAR THE MOST OF ANY SO, OF ANY PARTICULAR AMENDMENT THAT'S BEEN SPENT ON.
OKAY, SO MORE PEOPLE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IN FAVOR OF AMENDMENT THREE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER 123 AMENDMENTS.
UM, I WANT TO THANK AGAIN, ALL THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
THERE'S A FEW THAT I WANT TO, UH, REALLY THANK PROFESSOR HAND WHO TOOK TIME OUT OF HIS BUSY SCHEDULE TO TALK TO US.
I KNOW EARLY IN THIS PROCESS, WE SAID WE WANTED TO HEAR FROM EXPERTS.
UM, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING TO A FEW OF PROFESSOR HANDS CLASSES, BOTH AT SMU AND UT ARLINGTON AS, UM, SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN AND, AND TALKS ABOUT REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES WITH ELECTIONS.
BUT I THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
UH, ROBIN, UH, UH, LEADER, UM, WITH THE LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS DALLAS, UM, WHEN I FIRST REACHED OUT TO THE LEGAL MEN VOTERS DALLAS THREE YEARS AGO WITH THIS CRAZY IDEA, UM, IT MEANT THE WORLD TO ME THAT YOU GUYS WERE SO RECEPTIVE AND HELPFUL.
AND THEN LASTLY, MR. GOLDSTEIN, COMING OUT TONIGHT, UH, WITH A LETTER FROM FORMER MAYOR MIKE RAWLINGS.
THIS WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF REACHING OUT FOREVER AGO TO A MAN WHO MEANT A LOT TO OUR CITY, SERVED OUR CITY FOR SO LONG, UH, HAD THIS IDEA HIMSELF, UM, AND WAS NICE ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A LOT OF HIS TIME, UH, AS I, AS I THOUGHT ABOUT TAKING UP THIS MANTLE ON THIS FIGHT THAT I REALLY DO FIRMLY BELIEVE IN.
UM, SO THANK YOU AGAIN, SCOTT AND, AND, AND FORMER MAYOR RAWLINGS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION NOW.
AGAIN, THE BENEFITS OF NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO NOVEMBER OF ODD YEARS.
UH, I BELIEVE THE DATA CLEARLY SHOWS THAT THE MOVE TO NOVEMBER WILL HELP THE CITY OF DALLAS INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT.
AS PROFESSOR HAND SPOKE ABOUT, IT WOULD DECREASE VOTER FATIGUE.
THE FACT THAT A LOT OF CITY RESIDENTS WILL BE FORCED TO VOTE SEVEN, EIGHT TIMES IN THIS BIENNIUM IS A HUGE BURDEN ON THEM.
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UH, DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DON'T VOTE IN CERTAIN ELECTIONS.UH, AND, AND I THINK REDUCING THAT BURDEN WOULD BE A HUGE SERVICE TO OUR CITY'S RESIDENTS.
DEC DECREASING COSTS AS WAS LAID OUT BY THE CITY SECRETARY.
AND THEN MOST, UH, MOST UNIQUE IN THIS AMENDMENT IS THAT IT MAINTAINS NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS AS NOTHING PARTISAN IS ON THE BALLOT.
UH, HERE YOU SEE IN THE GRAPH IN FRONT OF YOU, PROBABLY EASIEST TO SEE, UH, ON YOUR SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU IS A COMPARISON BETWEEN HARRIS COUNTY, WHICH IS HOUSTON, ESSENTIALLY, BUT MORE THAN HOUSTON, DALLAS COUNTY, SAME, AND TARRANT COUNTY, WHICH IS FORT WORTH AND ARLINGTON IN NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS WHEN WE ELECT PRESIDENT AND GOVERNOR, CONGRESS, STATE REP, ALL THAT.
AS YOU CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY IN HERE, THE THREE OF THEM GENERALLY STAY REALLY BUNCHED UP TOGETHER IN HAVING VERY SIMILAR VOTER TURNOUT.
TARRANT COUNTY IS USUALLY A SMIDGE ABOVE DALLAS AND HARRIS, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A POINT OR TWO DIFFERENCE.
DALLAS AND HARRIS WILL FLIP FLOP BETWEEN EACH OTHER AND OFTENTIMES EVEN END UP ON THE SAME PERCENTAGE POINT.
SO IF YOU'RE ASKING, IS THERE SOMETHING DOWN THERE IN HOUSTON THAT MAKES THEM BETTER THAN US? THE QUESTION, THE ANSWER IS NO.
THEY VOTE THE SAME PERCENTAGE TURNOUT AS WE DO IN NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS WHEN WE ELECT PRESIDENT.
ALL FEDERAL OFFICES, GOVERNOR, ALL STATE OFFICES AND ALL COUNTY OFFICES.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE THOUGH, HOUSTON IS IN RED, AND THEN DALLAS FORT WORTH AND ARLINGTON ARE IN BLUE, GREEN, AND YELLOW IN HOUSTON, THEIR MUNICIPAL VOTER TURNOUT IS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH AND ARLINGTON.
SO FOR SOME REASON, DALLAS FORT WORTH HOUSTON TURN OUT THE SAME FOR PRESIDENT, GOVERNOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE SLASH JUDGE, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM.
BUT FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL HOUSTON, MASSIVELY OUT VOTES.
DALLAS, USUALLY TO THE TUNE OF TWO TO ONE, I THINK THIS DA OH, SORRY.
UH, YEAH, WE, UH, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE? I APOLOGIZE.
I THINK THIS DATA IS REALLY STARK IN TERMS OF IN THE PAST SIX ELE SIX ELECTION CYCLES HERE IN DALLAS, HOUSTON HAS NOT DIPPED BELOW 18% VOTER TURNOUT, WHICH THEY DID IN 2013, WHICH IS WHEN MAYOR ANISE PARKER WAS ESSENTIALLY UNCONTESTED, UH, ALMOST SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION WE JUST HAD HERE IN DALLAS WITH 8% VOTER TURNOUT.
HOUSTON'S VERSION OF OUR ERIC JOHNSON WINS AN ELECTION.
BASICALLY UNCONTESTED IN HOUSTON IS 18% VOTER TURNOUT COMPARED TO OUR 8% VOTER TURNOUT.
UM, AND THEN IN ACTUAL COMPETITIVE HOUSTON MAYORAL ELECTIONS, HOUSTON ROUTINELY GOES ABOVE 20% VOTER TURNOUT IN 2015, IT'S 27% VOTER TURNOUT.
IN 2019, IT'S 23% VOTER TURNOUT.
AND IN 2023, IT'S 22% VOTER TURNOUT.
I THINK THERE IS CONFUSION OVER THE NUMBERS IN HOUSTON BECAUSE ONE THING YOU NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHEN YOU'RE PULLING THESE NUMBERS IS CONFUSING.
HARRIS COUNTY WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHEN YOU GO TO HARRIS COUNTY ELECTIONS, AND THEY'LL GO THROUGH THEIR ELECTION ARCHIVES, THE FIRST NUMBER THAT'LL POP UP AND TURN THE VOTER TURNOUT WILL BE THE NUMBERS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO ACTUALLY FIND THEIR NUMBERS, BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS HOLDING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND ISD ELECTIONS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE ELECTIONS, BUT MANY OF THE SUBURBS AREN'T.
HOUSTON IS SEEING VOTER TURNOUT IN THE TWENTIES.
THE SUBURBS ARE SEEING VOTER TURNOUT WELL BELOW THAT, WHICH GIVES YOU AN AVERAGE OF THE 18%, UH, IN 2023.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS WHY VOTER TURNOUT WILL BE HIGHER IN NOVEMBER IS BECAUSE, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE'S MORE VOTING IN PERSON HOURS IN MAY.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS GENERALLY A STANDARD, BUT I PULLED THE DATA FROM 2023 SPECIFICALLY IN MAY 20, 23, EARLY, EARLY VOTING IN PERSON AND ELECTION DAY POLLS WERE OPEN FOR 83 HOURS IN NOVEMBER, 2023, POLLS WERE OPEN FOR 110 HOURS.
ESSENTIALLY, MOVING THE ELECTION BACK TO NOVEMBER GIVES THE CITY AN EXTRA 27 HOURS OF THE POLLS BEING OPEN IN PERSON.
THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN TERMS OF WHY IT WILL STRUCTURALLY WORK AND INCREASE TURNOUT.
IT, IT, I I FULLY ADMIT IT IS REALLY HARD TO COMPARE A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION.
BUT THIS IS COMPARING, UH, EARLY VOTING IN, UH, PARTISAN GENERAL ELECTIONS FROM 2012 TO 2020.
2020 IS THE GREEN LINE AT THE TOP.
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UH, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AS PART OF THAT GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT WAS KIND ENOUGH TO EXTEND EARLY VOTING IN PERSON BY SIX DAYS ON THE FRONT END.IF YOU COMPARE THE DATA BETWEEN, UH, THOSE EXTRA SIX DAYS, WE, WE GAINED A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO VOTE BECAUSE WE MADE THE, WE MADE VOTING EASIER FOR THEM BY A, UH, BY HAVING THE POLLS OPEN LONGER.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE FRONT END AND SHIFT IT OVER WITH YOUR EYES, AND I PUT THE NUMBERS THERE IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT, IN THE FIRST SIX DAYS OF EARLY VOTING, IT ACTUALLY MATCHED UP PRETTY WELL WITH THE FIRST SIX DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN ANY OTHER HIGH TURNOUT ELECTIONS SUCH AS 2016 OR 2018.
UH, AND ALL THE GAINS THAT WERE MADE WERE ESSENTIALLY IN THOSE, IN THOSE LAST SIX DAYS.
UM, IN FACT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, AT THE GREEN LINE SIX DAYS OVER AND LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD VOTED, UM, THAT MANY DAYS INTO THE ELECTION, IT'S ONLY ABOUT 10 20,000 MORE THAN HAD VOTED BY THE END OF, UH, EARLY VOTING IN, UH, 2016.
SO THOSE EXTRA SIX DAYS IS WHAT REALLY BUMPED UP OUR ELECTION TURNOUT, UH, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN 2020.
WE WON'T HAVE THAT ADVANTAGE IN 2024.
SO I ACTUALLY WOULD TAKE A WAGER, UM, THAT VOTER TURNOUT IN DALLAS COUNTY WILL BE LOWER IN 2024 THAN IT WAS IN 2020.
AND A LOT OF THIS COULD PROBABLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE REDUCED EARLY VOTING HOURS.
ANOTHER REALLY KEY REASON AS TO WHY VOTER TURNOUT IS SO MUCH HIGHER IN HOUSTON THAN IT IS IN DALLAS OR OTHER NORTH TEXAS EQUIVALENTS IS THE VOTER FATIGUE, UH, ISSUE WITH CONSOLIDATION BEING A VERY CLEAR ANSWER.
YOU LOOK AT HOW THEY THINK DO THINGS IN HOUSTON, UH, FOR ALL OF THEIR ELECTIONS THAT ARE NON-PARTISAN, NOT THE PARTISANS, THE STATE DOES THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS, THE CITY COUNCIL DOES THEIR ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
HOUSTON ISD DOES THEIR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE DOES THEIR ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
AND THEN LOOK AT THE MESS WE HAVE UP HERE IN NORTH TEXAS.
IN DALLAS, WE HAVE THE SAME STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
DALLAS CITY COUNCIL MAY HAVE ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
DALLAS, ISD, MAY ANNUALLY SO HAVE FLIP FLOPS, AND THEN DALLAS COLLEGE MAY HAVE EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT IF WE WANT TO FIX THIS, THE CITY IS THE LARGEST INSTITUTION AND IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CITY TO ACT FIRST.
UM, I THINK FOLLOWING THE HOUSTON MODEL IS ONE THAT WILL DO RIGHT BY OUR RESIDENTS, MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER, MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER, AND IN THE PROCESS, SAVE US MONEY AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT.
UH, SOMETHING THAT I THINK THERE WAS CONFUSION OVER AT THE LAST MEETING IS, UH, OR AT THE MEETING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT NOVE, UH, NOVEMBER ELECTIONS AND COSTS.
UH, DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS TOLD US THAT IF THERE'S A DECEMBER RUNOFF, ALL POLLING LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY MUST BE OPEN UNDER, UH, STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES THAT IN NOVEMBER WHEN THERE'S A STATEWIDE ELECTION, UM, DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS OWN, UH, HISTORICAL RECORDS SEEM TO DISPUTE THIS.
UM, HERE IS, HERE IS AN EXAMPLE FROM DECEMBER, 2019, UH, WHERE, UH, GLEN HEIGHTS AND MESQUITE WERE THE ONLY TWO CITIES THAT HAD DECEMBER RUNOFFS IN 2019.
THE COUNTY OPERATED TWO EARLY VOTE CENTERS AND, UH, I THINK IT'S EIGHT ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS.
SO THE NOTION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO OPEN UP DOZENS AND DOZENS AND DOZENS OF EARLY VOTE CENTERS AND, UH, HUNDREDS OF ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS, UH, INCLUDING IN THE SUBURBS IN DECEMBER, APPEARS TO BE CONTRADICTORY TO THE CURRENT BEST PRACTICES OR THE CURRENT PRACTICES OF DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS.
THE REASON I PULLED 2019 IS BECAUSE IT WAS THE PRETTIEST, UH, VI VISUAL.
BUT IN, UH, DECEMBER, 2023, UH, THERE WAS ONE ELECT, UH, ONE RUNOFF IN ROULETTE.
AND SO THERE WAS ONE EARLY VOTE CENTER IN ROULETTE AND A HANDFUL OF ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS ONLY IN ROULETTE.
YEAH, I DIDN'T SET A TIME LIMIT FOR COMMISSIONERS TO LAY OUT, UH, ITEMS, UH, YEAH.
ON THE BRIEFING, BUT DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH LONGER YOU MIGHT BE? A MINUTE, BASICALLY.
UM, AND AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE LEGALITY, UH, OF THIS AMENDMENT, BECAUSE I AM TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH SOME KIND OF TRIGGER COMPONENT SIMILAR TO EL PASO, I DO WANT TO GIVE AN EXPLANATION OF HOW EL PASO MOVED THEIR ELECTIONS
[01:15:01]
FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER.AS YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, EL PASO IN 2023 IN MAY HELD A CHARTER AMENDMENT, UH, WHERE PROPOSITION ONE DID AMONGST OTHER THINGS, MOVE THE CITY'S GENERAL ELECTIONS FROM MAY AND ODD NUMBERED YEARS TO NOVEMBER AND EVEN NUMBERED YEARS BEGINNING IN 2018.
WHEN EL PASO DID THIS, THE STATE LAW SAID THAT, UH, CITIES COULD NOT CHANGE THEIR ELECTION DATE, NOT LATER THAN DECEMBER 31ST, 2012.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT 2013 IS AFTER 2012.
SORRY FOR IT BEING REALLY SMALL, BUT HERE IS THE ACT THAT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED IN 2015, GIVING EL PASO THE ABILITY TO MOVE THEIR ELECTIONS FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER.
SO THE PROCESS THAT I AM SUGGESTING THAT THE CITY DO IS THE SAME PROCESS THAT EL PASO HAS ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY DONE.
IT IS NOT A THEORY, IT IS NOT AN IDEA.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN TEXAS REGULARLY.
UH, AND I CAN END, UH, MY PRESENTATION NOW.
UH, MR. DE LA FUENTE, UH, MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, WE'LL GO BACK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE, UH, TO ADDRESS STAGGERING OF CITY COUNCIL TERMS. OKAY, I WROTE THIS IN OPPOSITION TO CHARTER AMENDMENT 17 AND ONE OH FIVE, THAT, UM, CALL FOR STAGGERING.
NEXT SLIDE, AND I'LL BE REALLY BRIEF WITH THIS ONE.
UM, THIS IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIMULTANEOUS ELECTIONS, WHICH WE HAVE NOW, AND STAGGERING.
UH, STAGGERING ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT YOU CREATE ELECTION CYCLES A AND B.
IN FOUR YEARS OR TWO YEAR TERMS IN, IN THREE YEAR STAGGERED, YOU WOULD REQUIRE TO BE MAKING A CYCLES A, B AND C.
UH, I MEAN, I, I ARGUE THAT STAGGERING IS TERRIBLE FOR EQUITY GOALS.
YOU ESSENTIALLY WOULD CREATE A SITUATION WHERE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE IN THE CITY, YOU HAVE TO VOTE MORE OFTEN THAN OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE CITY.
UH, IT'S PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY BECAUSE WE HAVE A 14 ONE SYSTEM.
IF WE KEEP A 14 ONE SYSTEM OR EXPAND THE 14 NUMBER, BUT KEEP THE ONE NUMBER, UH, WE HAVE ONE AT LARGE MEMBER WHATEVER CYCLE THAT AT LARGE MEMBER THE MAYOR FALLS INTO.
IF, IF YOU'RE IN A CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT IN THE SAME CYCLE, THAT'S YOU ONLY VOTE, THEN IF YOU FALL IN A DIFFERENT CYCLE, YOU VOTE WHEN THE MAYOR'S UP AND YOU VOTE WHEN YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER IS UP.
UH, YOU ESSENTIALLY HAVE TO CREATE WINNER DISTRICTS AND LOSER DISTRICTS.
SO I WOULD ASK ANYONE THAT SUPPORTS STAGGERING.
WOULD YOU NOMINATE YOUR OWN DISTRICT, THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT, OR THE DISTRICT YOU LIVE IN TO BE A LOSER DISTRICT? WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY AND SAYING, I VOTED TO MAKE YOU VOTE TWICE AS OFTEN AS A DALLAS SITE WHO LIVES OVER THERE? NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS AGAIN, I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH MORE TIME ON THIS ONE, BUT THIS GOES INTO HOW OTHER INSTITUTIONS ACROSS TEXAS HAVE IMPLEMENTED STAGGERING.
USUALLY THEY RELY ON EITHER AT LARGE SEATS OR HOLDING THEIR ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
IF WE WERE UNWILLING TO MOVE OUR ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS OR AT AT LARGE SEATS, STAGGERING BECOMES A HUGE ISSUE.
UH, IT'S STAGGERING IS ALSO A HUGE ISSUE IN REDISTRICTING.
ESSENTIALLY, AFTER A REDISTRICTING CYCLE, IF YOUR AREA MOVES FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER AND THE DISTRICT YOU MOVED INTO IS NOT UP FOR ELECTION, YOU HAVE A NEW COUNCIL PERSON, BUT DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU NEVER ACTUALLY GOT TO VOTE ON THAT PERSON, WHICH I THINK IS A HUGE PROBLEM.
UM, THAT BASICALLY GOES OVER WHAT I JUST SAID.
UH, I DID DO A COMPARATIVE HERE.
UM, IT KIND OF CLEARLY SHOWS THAT, UH, SWITCHING ESPECIALLY TO THREE YEAR STAGGERED, UM, WHILE MAINTAINING COMPLETELY SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN ANY OF THE TOP 10 LARGEST TEXAS CITIES.
UM, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT IF WE USE THE COMPARISON OF THE TOP 10 MAJOR TEXAS CITIES, UH, WHILE IT'S NOT THE THE MAJORITY OF THIS, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT FIVE TEXAS CITIES HAVE FOUR YEAR TERMS. FOUR TEXAS CITIES HAVE TWO YEAR TERMS, AND ONLY ONE TEXAS CITY HAS CHOSEN TO MAINTAIN THREE YEAR TERMS OR SWITCHED TO THREE YEAR TERMS. THAT'S ARLINGTON, TEXAS, UM, CITIES THAT HAVE SWITCHED RECENTLY FROM THREE YEARS TO FOUR YEAR TERMS, OR AUSTIN AND EL PASO.
[01:20:01]
UH, I THINK THAT SPEAKS TO THE NEED TO KEEP EVEN NUMBERED TERMS AS A WAY TO HELP ADMINISTER ELECTIONS AND MAKE IT LESS CONFUSING FOR VOTERS.IF I HAVE CONVINCED YOU, OR YOU ALREADY FELT THAT YOU OPPOSE STAGGERING, I WOULD MAINTAIN THAT THE RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS ARE TO MAINTAIN THE COMPLETE STATUS QUO OF KEEPING TWO YEAR TERMS HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SUPPORT AMENDMENT FIVE, WHICH IS THE AMENDMENT SUBMITTED BY PHILIP KINGSTON TO MOVE TO FOUR YEAR TERMS HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY, OR SUPPORT AMENDMENT 21.
THE AMENDMENT FROM COMMISSIONER LISA LEMASTER TO MOVE TO THREE YEAR TERMS HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY.
HEARING NONE, UH, WE WILL MOVE ON.
UH, WILL YOU COME TO, I THINK, COME BACK TO ME.
I, I DID HAVE ANOTHER, I DO HAVE ANOTHER, UH, PRESENTATION.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RIGHT AFTER, BUT MY, I DON'T, IT'S ON THE TERMS. OKAY.
AND CARRIE, WHEN WE HIT THE, WHEN YOU HAVE THE PICTURES THAT SHOW UP, IT'LL TAKE TWO CLICKS FOR THE NAME TO SHOW UP TOO.
SO I PLAYFULLY CALLED THIS TERM PAPER.
I HAVE A QUICK LESSON ON THE TERMS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS HAVE, HAVE, UH, SERVED OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS.
UH, AND I PICKED 1975 FORWARD FOR THE SAME REASON YOU HEARD JAKE TALKING ABOUT THE SYSTEM CHANGED TO 8 3 1 IN 75, 76.
UH, AND THEN IT TAKES US THROUGH 14 ONE AND THEN TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO ON THE FIRST, UH, LET'S JUST ROLL BACK.
REMEMBER WEST WISE, 1971 TO 1976, YOU CAN CLICK NOW.
SO WE HAD WEST WISE, UH, HE ENDED UP RESIGNING TO RUN FOR CONGRESS.
HE, UH, DECLINED TO DO ANY MORE TERMS. HE SERVED FOR FOUR YEARS, I GUESS FIVE, FOUR AND A HALF.
UH, JACK EVANS SERVED FOR TWO YEARS.
STARK TAYLOR SERVED FOR FOUR YEARS, AND YOU KEEP GOING THERE.
AND THEN WE HAD ANNETTE STRAUSS WHO SERVED FROM 87 TO 91.
SHE, UH, THE LAST CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION GAVE HER PERMISSION TO RUN AGAIN.
AND SHE SAID, NO, I WON'T DO THAT.
HAD TO BE TOTAL OF, WE ELECTED, UH, WE ELECTED STEVE BARTLET.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF FUN.
RIGHT? UH, AND SOMEBODY CAME AFTER THAT.
I MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A VERY HIGH TURNOUT ELECTION.
AS, AS WAS THE LAURA MILLER VERSUS TOM DUNNING ELECTION.
IN 2001, RON KIRK RESIGNED TO, TO RUN FOR SENATE.
LAURA MILLER DECIDED IN 2007 SHE WASN'T GONNA RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM.
THEN WE ELECTED TOM LEPERT 2007.
AND THEN HE RESIGNED AND SAID, I'M GONNA RUN FOR SENATE.
UH, HE LOST, THEY, THEY BOTH LOST.
BUT, UH, AND THEN FINALLY WE HIT EIGHT, EIGHT YEARS AS MAYOR.
THE, THE GOAL THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY TEN FOUR, ONE IN THAT ELECTION IN 1989.
AND FINALLY WE GOT SOMEBODY TO STICK AROUND FOR, UH, FOR EIGHT YEARS.
AND THEN MR. JOHNSON, AND I JUST PUT QUESTION MARK 'CAUSE HE'S GOT A, WHEN, WHEN IS IT? HE GOES TO 26, 27.
BUT I WANNA SAY THAT NONE OF THE, THESE ELECTIONS, THERE WERE SOME VERY HOTLY CONTESTED RACES.
NONE OF THEM SPENT WHAT WAS SPENT IN HOUSTON THIS LAST TIME, WHICH AT LAST REPORT, WHITMEYER HAD SPENT $13.8 MILLION JUST ON HIS SIDE.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE REST OF THEM.
THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY FOR, TO RUN FOR, UH, FOR MAYOR, WHATEVER CITY YOU'RE IN.
THE AVERAGE TENURE FOR A DALLAS MAYOR SINCE 1975 HAS BEEN 4.5 YEARS.
ORIGINALLY, I PROPOSED MY AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE MAYOR'S TERM TO THREE YEARS.
AND THEN I DECIDED REALLY IT SHOULD BE, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A THREE YEAR TERM.
I, I, I'VE HEARD COUNCIL PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, I JUST BARELY FIND OUT WHERE THE GREEN ELEVATORS ARE, AND THEN I GOTTA RUN FOR ELECTION AGAIN.
SO I'M SURE THAT YOU'VE HAD SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT POSSIBLY EXTENDING THE TERM.
I GET WHAT THE AUDIENCE MEMBERS SAID ABOUT MAKING THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE IF MAYBE MS. HUNT COULD HELP US FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE THE IT, IT'S TERRIBLE IF YOU GET A COUNCIL PERSON IN THERE AND YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THEM.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE THE RECALL PROCESS A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
PUT UP THE NEXT SLIDE FOR ME, PLEASE.
I'LL BET YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS.
I BET YOU HAVEN'T PUT UP EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER SINCE 1975, BUT I DID.
[01:25:01]
LIKE 90 OF THEM.YOU YOU CAN, THEY'RE UP THERE.
AND THEN WE PUT UP THE NEXT, WHICH ARE THE CURRENT, LOOK, EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FOR THEIR NAME, BUT, UH, AND THEN THE, THE SECOND.
NOW, IN SUMMARY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL TERMS, THE TENURE OF THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE, I I, I DID THE CALCULATION.
AND I ONLY DID THIS FROM 2001 TO 20 TO, TO THE PRESENT BECAUSE I WAS TIRED.
I DIDN'T WANNA GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO 75, BUT, BUT SOME 55 PEOPLE HAVE SERVED ON THE COUNCIL SINCE 2000.
ONE OF THOSE, IT SHOULD BE AT THE NEXT SLIDE.
WELL, I'LL JUST TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
NINE PEOPLE RESIGNED TO RUN FOR A HIGHER OFFICE.
THAT INCLUDED PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER, PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COUNTY JUDGE, PEOPLE RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE, UH, THAN PEOPLE RUNNING FOR MAYOR.
THERE WERE, I THINK THREE OF THOSE TWO IN THIS PERIOD, 2001 TO, UH, 20, 22, 24, 2 RESIGNED FOR LEGAL REASONS.
AND SEVEN WERE DEFEATED IN THEIR COUNCIL RACES.
SO 33% DID SOMETHING ELSE LEFT EARLY FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND SO WHAT 67% STAYED ON AND FULFILLED THEIR WHOLE TERM.
SO IT'S NOT A BAD RECORD, IT'S NOT LIKE THE MAYOR'S THING.
BUT THOSE ARE THE REASONS, THE, THE REASONS I BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO GO TO THREE YEARS IS SO THEY FIND CAN FIND THE ELEVATORS AND GET SOMETHING DONE AND THEN START CAMPAIGNING AGAIN TO PUT IT SIMPLY.
WE'D HAVE TO KEEP THE MAY ELECTION TO DO THAT BECAUSE YOU, YOU COULDN'T POSSIBLY, AS JAKE'S ALREADY EXPLAINED, YOU'RE GONNA END UP IN AN ELECTION YEAR, IN A GENERAL ELECTION YEAR.
IF YOU GO TO THREE YEAR TERMS. I PERSONALLY IS SUPPORTING DAVID'S, UH, AMENDMENT ABOUT NO STAGGERING.
WE HAVE HAD TURNOVER ON THE COUNCIL BEFORE.
IN FACT, 21, 23, WE HAD NINE NEW PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL.
SO IT, IT'S, IT WASN'T THE END OF THE WORLD.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE IN 2015.
THERE WERE EIGHT NEW PEOPLE ON THE COUNCIL THAT YEAR.
IT, IT'S NOT JUST HORRENDOUS THING THAT COULD HAPPEN.
AND WE MADE IT THROUGH, GOT A BUDGET, EVERYBODY.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS ON THESE.
CAN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THIS SLIDE WITH ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THERE? OH, DID I LEAVE YOU OFF? NO, NOW THEY'RE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT IT, WHERE IT SAYS MEDRANO.
DID YOU PUT THERE WAS, THERE SHOULD BE THREE OF THEM.
I, YOU SEE THE I HEY, JUST SAYING
YOU KNOW WHAT'S THE WRONG ONE? BECAUSE ON MY, ON MY MASTER, THERE'S THREE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE US ON THERE AT LEAST THREE TIMES.
LISTEN, LISTEN UP ON MY MASTER
IT HAD THREE STARS BY MEDRANO.
TWO STARS BY HILL AND THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO I, I'M AND GARCIA, I'M AWARE.
I'M JUST MAKING SURE WE GET COUNTED.
LISTEN, I WAS REALLY, I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE AT LEAST THAT YOU GUYS WERE ON THERE.
SO, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS THE FACT THAT MAYORS HISTORICALLY, OTHER THAN MAYOR RAWLINGS, HAVE NOT SERVED THEIR EIGHT YEAR MAX POTENTIAL ON COUNCIL.
DOESN'T YOUR PROPOSAL CREATE A NINE YEAR MAX? DOESN'T IT CREATE WHAT, A NINE YEAR MAXIMUM ON COUNCIL? SO YOUR, YOUR PROPOSAL IS EXTENDING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME A MAYOR CONSERVED TO NINE YEARS.
OH, WELL, WE WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE THAT.
I MEAN, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, THAT'LL BE A PART OF, UH, OF ALL THE TERM LIMIT DISCUSSIONS.
NO, I, IT, IT, IT COULD, IT COULD IF, UH, IT COULD, BUT OKAY.
WE HAVE TO DECIDE THAT ON WHETHER IT'S COUNCIL OR WHETHER IT'S MAYOR, AS YOU'VE ALREADY POINTED OUT.
SOMEBODY WILL GET TO SERVE NINE YEARS.
SOMEBODY WILL GET TO SERVE EIGHT.
I I MEAN, THERE MIGHT BE SOME TRADING GOING ON.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU FAVOR THEN SIX YEAR MAXIMUM FOR MAYORS AND COUNCIL? NO, I DON'T.
SO YOU WOULD FAVOR THE NINE YEAR MAXIMUM? I THINK I WOULD, BUT I CAN.
I, BUT IF, BUT I DON'T WANNA NEGOTIATE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE WANNA DO A BRIEFING, BUT, UH, THE REST OF WHAT WE GOT TO COVER.
BUT I THINK ALL THAT'S REASONABLE.
THE PRINCIPLE I'M JUST TRYING TO GET OUT IS LET'S HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THEM TO SERVE AND SERVE FULL TIME.
NINE YEARS DOESN'T BOTHER ME, BUT IT BOTHER.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT A BIG DEAL.
I THINK I JUST HAVE CONFUSION OVER WHETHER IF YOU CAN'T COMMIT TO EIGHT YEARS, ARE YOU GONNA COMMIT TO NINE YEARS? I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE.
UH, TO CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS BEFORE US TONIGHT, AS WE MOVE INTO THE VOTING PORTION OF THE AGENDA, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT A MOTION IS REQUIRED TO BE PUT ON THE FLOOR BEFORE DISCUSSION
[01:30:01]
BEGINS.DISCUSSION MUST THEN BE LIMITED TO WHAT IS GERMANE TO THE MOTION.
KEEP IN MIND THE AGENDA ITEM STATES THE TOPIC THAT IS UP FOR DEBATE AND ACTION.
THE BULLET POINTS LISTED UNDER EACH AGENDA ITEM ARE THE PROPOSAL SUBMITTED AS OPTIONS TO THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER RELATED TO THE AGENDA ITEM.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT MOTIONS ARE DETAILED AS TO WHAT YOUR OPTION AS, AS TO WHAT OPTION YOU'RE WANTING TO INCLUDE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
FOR INSTANCE, I MOVE TO INCLUDE EXPANDING THE CITY COUNCIL TO 18 SINGLE DISTRICT MEMBERS AND ONE MAYOR.
UH, YOUR MOTION MAY INCLUDE AN OPTION THAT WAS SUBMITTED AS A PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT, OR AN OPTION THAT WAS NOT SUBMITTED, BUT STILL GERMANE TO THE AGENDA ITEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, JUST BECAUSE THE AGENDA ITEM, EXPANDING CITY COUNCIL LIST SPECIFIC SUBMITTED RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU MAY MAKE A MOTION THAT EXPANDS COUNCIL TO ANOTHER NUMBER THAT WAS NOT SUGGESTED.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE STARTING POINTS FOR US.
AND IF THERE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE GERMANE TO IT, YOU CAN DO THAT.
NOW LET'S BEGIN WITH AGENDA ITEM F.
MR. CHAIR, THIS IS COMMISSIONER FELIZ.
I, I ONLY RAISE, UH, MY HAND VIRTUALLY TO NOTE THAT I ONE, APOLOGIZE THAT I'M NOT ABLE TO BE THERE WITH ALL OF YOU IN PERSON.
I RECOGNIZE THAT MY VIRTUAL, UH, ATTENDANCE IS GONNA CAUSE PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE.
SO TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THAT, I'LL BE USING THE RAISE HAND FEATURE, UH, THAT I THINK STAFF MAY BE MONITORING.
SO THAT WAY I DON'T ANY INTERRUPT ANYONE.
COULD YOU AND THE REST OF THE, UH, COMMISSION MEMBER, MR. CHAIR? OKAY.
'CAUSE IT'S KIND OF HARD FOR ME TO SEE THE, THE MONITOR THERE.
UH, THIS IS TO CHANGE THE CITY'S FORM SLASH ORGANIZATION OF GOVERNMENT.
POSSIBLE OPTIONS BASED ON SUBMITTED PROPOSALS ARE FROM A COUNCIL MANAGER FORM TO A MAYOR COUNCIL FORM THAT WOULD ELIMINATE THE POSITION OF CITY MANAGER.
CITY AUDITOR, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY SECRETARY TO REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER INSTEAD OF THE CITY COUNCIL AMENDMENT 76 AND 1 0 2.
I AM SORRY, MR. CHAIR, WHAT AMENDMENT NUMBER ARE WE, IS FIRST, UH, WE HAVE AMENDMENT 42 AND 50 AND 76 AND 1 0 2.
UH, IF THE SUBMITTERS OF THESE ITEMS ARE HERE TONIGHT, I INVITE THEM TO COME FORWARD AND PROVIDE A SHORT RATIONALE STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES.
IS MR. ROBINSON HERE? HE SUBMITTED AMENDMENT 42.
I DON'T SEE MR. ROBINSON, UH, WHO SUBMITTED, UH, AGAIN, AMENDMENT 42, JUDGE ROBINSON, OR MR. MR. ROBINSON? NOT JUDGE.
IS THERE MR. KULAK, UH, WHO SUBMITTED AMENDMENT 50? NO.
UH, IS THERE A MR. SMITH WHO SUBMITTED AMENDMENT 76? UH, AND MINISTER ALEXANDER, WHO SUBMITTED AMENDMENT 1 0 2? YES, SIR.
WOULD YOU EACH LIKE TO, UH, UH, GIVE US A LITTLE, LITTLE POSITION STATEMENT ON YOUR AMENDMENTS? AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LIMIT, UH, YOUR TIME TO THREE MINUTES.
I AM PRESIDENT OF REVITALIZED SOUTH DALLAS COALITION.
IT IS A NONPROFIT THAT WAS FORMED 12 YEARS AGO TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK AREA.
BEFORE COMING TODAY, I WANT TO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE SPOKE TO A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAMS TO KIND OF COALESCE WHAT THEIR THINKING IS.
AND, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
[01:35:01]
OF THE WAY THAT THE CITY'S CHARTER WAS CREATED INITIALLY 150 YEARS AGO, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THIS, IN THE SHIFT OF POWER.I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL, UH, I WAS HAVING A PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER IN 2022 THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY DID NOT REPORT TO HIM.
AND WE HAD SOME ISSUES THAT ONGOING ISSUES IN SOUTH DALLAS, WHERE WE HAVE SOME REALLY, UM, UM, NEGATIVE BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, WHO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, DO SOME REAL DESTRUCTION TO SOUTH DALLAS.
AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET THEM TO COMPLY WITH EXISTING LAWS.
THERE WAS A LAW PASSED IN THE LEGISLATURE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, 1 25, THAT CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES TO BE LABELED AS NUISANCES, OF WHICH WE HAVE MANY IN THE SOUTH DALLAS AREA.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE WOULD GO TO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THEY WOULD DO SOME ACTIONS WITHIN THEIR SCOPE OF WORK, AND THOSE ACTIONS DID NOT PRODUCE ANY REAL RESULTS BECAUSE THEY WERE LIMITED IN WHAT THEY COULD DO.
AND WE WERE COMPLAINING TO THE CITY MANAGER, WHY CAN'T WE GET MORE ENFORCEMENT AND MORE WORK OUT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO HELP US WITH, UH, NUISANCE BUSINESSES? AND THE CITY MANAGER SAID TO ME PERSONALLY, WELL, THE CITY MAN, THE CITY ATTORNEY DOESN'T REPORT TO ME.
AND THEN WE WENT BACK AND DID OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY, THE CITY SECRETARY, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE DOES NOT REPORT TO THEM, WHICH MAKES IT A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE FOR ANYONE TO LEAD SOMETHING WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ALL OF YOUR TROOPS BEHIND YOU.
SO WE ARE SAYING TO KEEP THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
IT'S ONLY WHAT'S WHAT WE FAILED TO DO ADMINISTRATIVELY.
IF YOU DON'T GIVE A PERSON WHO IS IN CHARGE OF 13,000 PEOPLE AND OVER 48 DEPARTMENTS, THE ABILITY TO DIRECT THE SERVICES AND HOPEFULLY THE OUTCOMES OF ALL CITY STAFF, THEN THAT PERSON BECOMES KIND OF A MODIFIED FIGUREHEAD.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, AND MAINTAIN THE CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, BUT WE WANT TO SEE THE CITY SECRETARY, CITY ATTORNEY, UM, REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER TO GIVE THAT POSITION MORE STRENGTH.
THERE WAS ANOTHER ISSUE, UH, THAT DEALT WITH.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT THREE MINUTES? PARDON? WE'RE AT THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, UH, MEMBERS, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS? UH, AND MR. UH, MINISTER ALEXANDER WILL BRING YOU UP IN A SECOND.
UM, I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP TO, TO QUESTIONS, UH, FOR THIS SPEAKER RIGHT NOW FROM THE COMMISSION AND I, I WOULD, UH, AGAIN, REMINDING COMMISSIONERS, UH, UH, THE QUESTIONS ARE FOR THE PRESENTERS ONLY STATEMENTS AND DEBATE, UH, DEBATE DISCUSSIONS SHOULD OCCUR AFTER A MOTIONS MADE FOR PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEMS. SO, UH, WAS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THAT SPEAKER? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, UH, MINISTER ALEXANDER, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD AND SPEAK ON, I BELIEVE IT WAS AN AMENDMENT, AMENDMENT 1 0 2.
I'M MINISTER DOMINIC ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE NEXT GENERATION ACTION NETWORK.
I RESIDE IN DISTRICT FOUR, UH, DEAR MEMBERS OF THE DALLAS CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION.
I'M WRITING YOU TO PROPOSE ITEM 1 0 2, SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT TO GOVERNANCE AND STRUCTURED OUTLINE IN THE CITY CHARTER.
MY PROPOSAL IS THE CONCERNS OF REPORTING STRUCTURES OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ADVOCATING FOR ITS ALIGNMENT UNDER THE DIRECTION AND SUPERVISION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
THIS CHANGE AIMS TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY, ENSURES CONSISTENT POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF OVERALL CITY GOVERNANCE OF THE UNDER THE CURRENT CITY MANAGER SYSTEM, THE CITY ATTORNEY OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OVERSIGHT.
THE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO MAINTAIN THE POWER, UH, THE BALANCE OF POWER INADVERTENTLY FOSTERS OPERATIONAL AND EFFICIENCIES AND COULD POTENTIALLY ALLOW TO DIVERT DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES THAT MAY NOT ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S OVERARCHING GOAL.
THE AUTONOMY OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WITHOUT DIRECTIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE CITY MANAGER, MAY LEAD IN SITUATIONS WHERE LEGAL ADVICE AND LITIGATIONS AND STRATEGIES COULD CONFLICT WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND POLICY DIRECTIVES OF CITY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
THIS PROPOSAL'S, UM, THE, THE PROPOSAL
[01:40:01]
TO HAVE THE CITY ATTORNEY REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE CITY MANAGER IS MOTIVATED BY SEVERAL CONSIDERATIONS.THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CITY GOALS, CENTRALIZING UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY MANAGERS, ENSURES THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING LEGAL, ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME OBJECTIVE SET FORTH BY THE CITY MANAGE, UH, CITY COUNCIL, MANAGED BY THE CITY, UH, MANAGER, UH, INCREASE EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
THIS CHANGE WILL STREAMLINE DECISIONS MAKING PROCESSES TO REDUCE BUREAUCRACY HURDLES, AND INCREASE THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATIVE GOALS, THE PREVENTION TO ROAD OPERATIONS, ENSURING THE CITY ATTORNEYS ALIGNED WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH TO PRE PREVENT THE DEPARTMENT FROM PURSUING LEGAL STANCE OR ACTIONS THAT COULD CONTRARY THE CITY'S POLICY OBJECTIVES AND INTERESTS TO ENHANCE AND CO UH, CO COORDINATION WITH DIRECT REPORTING TO THE CITY MANAGER, FACILITATING BETTER COORDINATION BETWEEN LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS LEADING TO MORE INFORMED, UH, DECISION MAKING AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
I WON'T READ THE REST OF IT, BUT I'VE GIVEN YOU GUYS A REAL DETAIL ORIENTED, UM, MY ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF A LOT OF ISSUES IN THIS CITY, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT HAVE SERVED ON THE CITY COUNCIL WHERE WE HAVE BEEN IN CRITICAL ISSUES OF MOVING OUR CITY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS GOING A WHOLE NOTHER DIRECTION.
AND I'VE KNOWN CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE LIKE, I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
THIS FUNCTIONALITY HAS CREATED A MONSTER INSIDE OF OUR CITY THAT FUNCTIONS ON ITS OWN IDENTITY.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE A MURAL THAT TALKS ABOUT ADDRESSING REDLINING AND CRITICAL ISSUES OF RACIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY IN THE CITY, AND YOU HAVE A CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THAT CAN GO, RIGHT, THAT CREATES FUNCTIONALITIES WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A REAL BALANCED GOVERNMENT, WHERE EVEN THE CITY COUNCIL, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE ELECTED CAN'T EVEN ANSWER TO THEIR CONSTITUENCY WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ACTUALLY DOING.
AND I POINT OUT, AND LASTLY, JUST RECENT OPINION OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN THE OVERSIGHT, UH, MEETING OF POLICE OVERSIGHT, WHERE THE CITY ATTORNEY JUST GAVE THE DIRECTOR OF THE OVERSIGHT OFFICE A, UH, AN OPINION OF THE CHARTER WITHOUT COMING TO THE ACTUAL OVERSIGHT OFFICE ABOUT THAT OPINION, TELLING THE OVERSIGHT OFFICE AFTER THREE YEARS OF ITS FUNCTIONALITY THAT IT HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTING INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS WITHOUT, UH, ITS POWER.
SO THESE ARE THE MANY THINGS THAT CONFLICT WITH THIS TYPE OF STRUCTURE OF A CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, JUST AS A RECAP, UH, MAINLY FOR THE PUBLIC, UH, ON HOW, HOW WE DO THIS, UM, I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO A MOTION TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE, BUT I THINK GIVEN THE NUMBER OF ITEMS HERE TONIGHT, IF, IF THERE'S A MOTION TO INCLUDE, UH, AND IT PASSES, THEN THAT'S GONNA GO ON TO OUR FINAL CONSIDERATION AT, AT OUR FINAL MEETING ON WHAT ULTIMATELY GETS PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO, IN OTHER WORDS, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO A MOTION TO EXCLUDE ON THINGS THAT WE WANT TO EXCLUDE, BECAUSE ONLY THINGS THAT WE SPECIFICALLY MOVE TO INCLUDE THAT PASS WILL BE ON THAT LAST MEETING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING DOWN EACH AGENDA ITEM AND ASKING FOR A MOTION TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE SOMETHING, DO IT.
'CAUSE ONLY THINGS THAT GET, YOU KNOW, PAST THAT VOTE PASS, THAT MOTION WILL BE INCLUDED IN OUR FINAL MEETING AND THERE'S NOT A MOTION, THEN WE JUST MOVE ON.
AND IF THERE'S NOT A, NOT A MOTION ON IT, THEN IT DOESN'T GET INCLUDED IN OUR FINAL MEETING, WE MOVE ON.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO, IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE, UH, FINAL MEETING AND THE FINAL REPORT THAT GOES UP TO CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A MOTION TO EXCLUDE THAT BECAUSE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE INCLUDED WILL GO FORWARD.
SO DO WE, DO WE HAVE A MOTION THEN WHETHER TO INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE, UH, ANY OF THE AMENDMENTS WE'VE JUST CONSIDERED OR JUST HEARD? ALRIGHT.
SO NOW WE'LL BE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM G.
UH, THIS ITEM RELATES TO THE POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF CITY COUNCIL, EITHER THROUGH THE ADDITION OF SINGLE
[01:45:01]
MINISTER MEMBER, UH, WE START OVER.THE NEXT VOTING ITEM RELATES TO THE POSSIBLE EXPANSION OF CITY COUNCIL, EITHER THROUGH THE ADDITION OF SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS OR AT LARGE PLACES.
IF THE SUBMITTERS OF THESE ITEMS ARE HERE TONIGHT, I INVITE THEM TO COME FORWARD TO PROVIDE A SHORT RATIONALE STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
EACH WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES IN ORDER.
THE SUBMITTERS ARE MR. KINGSTON, WHO IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.
UH, MR. ABDEL MOOLA, IS HE HERE? NO, UH, WE HAVE MINISTER ALEXANDER, I KNOW'S HERE.
I, UM, BUT YOU WITHDRAWN AMENDMENT 69, IS THAT CORRECT? HE SAID HE WANTED TO PUT BACK ON.
AND OUR, WE HAVE, UH, MR. SMITH AND JUST, JUST, DO WE HAVE THE AMENDMENT NUMBERS HERE? YES.
AND, AND JUST, JUST FOR, FOR THE RECORD TO BE CLEAR, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ARE THE NUMBERS ARE AMENDMENT SIX, AMENDMENT 52, AMENDMENT 69, AND AMENDMENT 79.
UM, MINISTER ALEXANDER, DO YOU WANT TO TALK TO US? AND, AND WHAT'S YOUR, UM, UH, WHAT'S YOUR ITEM NUMBER, DO YOU RECALL? 69.
UM, UH, MINISTER DOMINIC ALEXANDER AGAIN, UM, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, CARRIE AND JAKE FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING, UM, TO HELP ASSIST.
LAST WEEK, UH, WAS MY BIRTHDAY.
UM, SO, UM, KIND OF GOT A LITTLE CONFLICTED ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS OR WHATEVER.
'CAUSE OF COURSE I HAVE A, A LOT OF DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT I'VE PUT FORTH.
I'M NOT GONNA BOTHER YOU GUYS DOWN.
OF COURSE, WE KNOW THAT 14 ONE HAS WAS PROPOSED, UM, IN 1990.
THE CITY HAS GROWN, UH, TREMENDOUSLY.
AND YET AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE KNOW WE HAVE A NEIGHBORING CITY CALLED THE CITY OF FORT WORTH THAT HAS INCREASED THEIR COUNCIL.
AND YET, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, THE CITY OF DALLAS SHOULD DO ALSO.
I'M NOT GONNA BOTHER YOU GUYS TOO LONGER WITH THAT.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
MR. ALEXANDER, UH, WE'VE GOT A FEW BEFORE US TODAY.
WE'VE GOT ONE THAT'S 21 THAT'S 18 AND ONE, AND YOU WITHDREW YOURS.
IS THAT CORRECT? NO, I, I'M, I'M PICKING MINES BACK UP.
SO YOU HAVE THE 16 TOTAL, RIGHT? 15 1 15 PLUS ONE.
IS THERE, WHAT, CAN YOU KIND OF DESCRIBE THE RA THE, YOUR RATIONALE BETWEEN ADDING THE 15 PLUS ONE IS THAT WOULD MAKE IT AN EVEN NUMBER? IS THAT RIGHT? WHAT, 15 15 1? YES SIR.
ADDING 15 ONE, UH, THAT WOULD BASICALLY MAKE 16 PEOPLE ON THERE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE OTHER AMENDMENTS BEFORE US? THE, THE 20 PLUS ONE OR 18 PLUS ONE? WELL, I THINK THAT THE, UM, 20 PLUS ONE WOULD DILUTE, UM, THE COUNCIL TREMENDOUSLY WOULD D DILUTE.
AND WHAT I DID WAS, IS USE DATA THAT WAS USED WHEN, UH, THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE, UH, USED POPULATION.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KIND OF USED A LOT OF THE MAPS THAT WERE ACTUALLY CREATED TO ACTUALLY COME UP WITH THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT 21 WOULD ACTUALLY FURTHER DILUTE THE ACTUAL COUNCIL, UH, VERSUS WHAT 14 ONE WAS CREATED WAS TO GIVE VOICES TO SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
I THINK THAT WOULD JUST PRETTY MUCH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD, THE MATH WOULDN'T EVEN BE IN, IF YOU DO 21, I BELIEVE YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GONE TO GO BACK TO AT LARGE SEATS
I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, MR. CHAIR.
UM, SO MR. ALEXANDER, UH, THE TOP OF YOUR RATIONALE, UH, FOR EXPANDING THE CITY COUNCIL FROM 14 TO, UH, TO 14, ONE TO 15, ONE IS BASED ON MORE DIVERSE REPRESENTATION.
UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, HOW THE CITY IS CURRENTLY ORIENTED IN THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, BELOW THE 30 LINE, THERE ARE ONLY SIX DISTRICTS WHILE ABOVE 30, THERE'S EIGHT DISTRICTS.
HOW WOULD YOU, UH, HOW WOULD YOU POSITION THE AMENDMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE REPRESENTATION STAYS EQUAL GIVEN THAT AN ADDITIONAL DISTRICT COULD POTENTIALLY GO ABOVE NORTH OF 30 RATHER THAN SOUTH OF 30? WELL, I THINK WE ASKED IN THE QUESTION THAT WE PICKED UP DURING THE REDISTRICTING, UH, PROCESS.
OF COURSE A LOT OF OUR ORGANIZATION DID NOT AGREE WITH THE MAP THAT CAME OUT.
BUT I'M NOT GOING TO RE-LITIGATE
[01:50:01]
THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW.UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT IF WE DO A GOOD JOB IN BEING ABLE TO FOLLOW THE DATA, UM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT THESE DISTRICTS ARE, UM, ARE DRAWN THE WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE.
UM, PARTICULARLY I'LL POINT OUT DISTRICT ONE, UM, THAT HAS CONTINUED TO, UH, BE DRAWN IN A WAY THAT ELIMINATES EFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION.
SO PROCEDURALLY, WOULD IT BE YOUR SUGGESTION TO RELY ON THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT, OR ARE YOU IMAGINING SOME OTHER PROCESS THAT WOULD MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE IF WE ADD AN ADDITIONAL CITY COUNCIL, UH, AREA FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS? I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO USE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY DO THAT.
LIKE ANYTHING ELSE WOULD BE GOING BACK AND FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO USE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN CREATE DISTRICTS.
'CAUSE YOU PARTICULARLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT WAS SOUTH OF 30, RIGHT.
SO YOU HAVE TO USE THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
AND SINCE YOU WENT THROUGH, SINCE YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS, AT LEAST ANECDOTALLY, UM, AND ENGAGED WITH YOUR VOICE, DO YOU THINK THAT PROCESS IS CURRENTLY FLAWED? YES.
UM, IS MR. SMITH, UH, IF YOU COME UP AND TALK TO US A SECOND, THREE MINUTES PLEASE, AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE REMIND US WHICH, UH, UH, AMENDMENT NUMBER WAS YOURS.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD, WHAT AMENDMENT NUMBER WAS YOURS, DO YOU RECALL? UH, 79 I BELIEVE.
UM, I WORKED AT THE CITY OF DALLAS DURING THE TIMEFRAME OF 1987 TO 1991.
I WAS ACTUALLY HERE WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO GO FROM A THREE TO 14 ONE.
SO AS A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND EVEN BACK THEN, I SAID IF WE GO TO 14 ONE, WHICH WILL BE COMPLETELY BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE AT ALL AT AT LARGE, WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR THE WHOLE CITY IN THE 30, 40 YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD.
14 ONE, I'M LOOKING AND FOCUSING ON DISTRICT SEVEN SOUTH DALLAS FAIR PARK, WHERE I LIVE AND HAVEN'T SEEN THAT MUCH BENEFIT THAT 14 ONE HAS PROVIDED.
NOT THAT IT'S A BAD SYSTEM, BUT WE HAVE TO WORK ON THE THINGS THAT WILL HELP AID 14 ONE BEING BETTER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WAS HAVING ONE OR TWO AT LARGE, ADDITIONAL AT LARGE POSITIONS.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO TO A COUNCIL PERSON, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT SEVEN NECESSARILY, BUT YOU GO TO A COUNCIL PERSON AND YOU HAVE AN ISSUE AND YOU HAVE DISAGREEMENTS WITH THAT ISSUE.
WHERE DO YOU GO TO THE MAYOR? A PERSON THAT DOES NOT HAVE, NOT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT A POSITION THAT DOES NOT HAVE, UH, MUCH AUTHORITY.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH HAVING AN ADDITIONAL ONE OR TWO AT LARGE PERSONS WHO WILL ALWAYS BE THERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE ENTIRE 368 SQUARE MILES OF THE CITY? WHAT I THINK HAS HAPPENED IS IN OUR INDIVIDUAL FIEFDOMS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED THROUGH 14, ONE, NOTHING WRONG WITH 14 ONE IN IT IN AND OF ITSELF, WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO BE MYOPIC AND LOOK AT ONLY WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT.
BUT TRUST ME, WHEN YOU ARE FROM A COMMUNITY TRYING TO PETITION THE CITY OF DALLAS, THERE'S NO ONE DEPARTMENT THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
YOU'RE DEALING ALWAYS WITH MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN INTERSECTION OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN MULTIPLE PARTIES AND MULTIPLE THINKING TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
IF YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO FULFILL AND EXPLAIN YOUR COMPLEX CASE AND EVERY CASE IS COMPLEX, WHERE DO YOU TAKE THAT APPEAL IF YOU CAN'T TAKE IT TO YOUR LOCAL COUNSEL PERSON? I THINK HAVING PEOPLE WHO HAVE A BROADER VIEW MIXED IN WITH THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE FOCUSED VIEW WILL PROVIDE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, V REVIEW AND THOUGHT AND ACTION FOR THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
[01:55:02]
OKAY.DON'T HEAR ANY QUESTIONS? MR. STEIN? I HAVE A QUESTION, SIR.
IF YOU HAVE TWO AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP A BALANCE SINCE YOU JUST HAVE 14 DISTRICTS? WELL, REMEMBER WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD A SYSTEM BEFORE PRIOR TO 14 ONE WHERE THERE WAS AT LARGE, IT WASN'T THE BEST.
UH, YOU HAVE, WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THE BEST.
BUT THE BALANCE, I THINK IS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT ITSELF.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 14 PEOPLE LOOKING AT AN AREA THAT COVERS 90,000 FOLKS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THE, THE THRESHOLD.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE 90,000 TO CREATE A DISTRICT.
WELL, WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW IS WHEN A DISTRICT LOSES POPULATION AS SOUTH DALLAS HAS BACK IN THE SIXTIES, SOUTH DALLAS, AT 70,000 PEOPLE LIVING THERE, WE NOW HAVE 28,000.
SO WE CAN'T SAY THAT EVERY DISTRICT HAS THE PROPER NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO CONSTITUTE A DISTRICT.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? WE GET SPIT AND BUBBLEGUM AND WEAVE TOGETHER DISPARATE COUNCIL AREAS LIKE DISTRICT SEVEN THAT ARE NOT CONTIGUOUS, THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN AND TRYING TO GOVERN PLACES THAT IS AS FAR AWAY AS CHOPPY AND, UM, FERGUSON ROAD.
THAT'S HARD TO CREATE A COHESIVE DISTRICT WHEN YOU DON'T, DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT TO CREATE A DISTRICT.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSTANTLY KEEP IN MIND IS DALLAS IS NOT GROWING.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT SEVEN WILL HAPPEN IN OTHER PLACES.
YOU'RE, WE'RE DWINDLING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR IN A CITY TO ATTRACT THEM.
THESE ARE THE OTHER THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES ON WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT REDISTRICTING AND THESE TERM LIMITS AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND IF WE THINK WE'RE GONNA THINK THAT WE ARE GROWING, WE'RE FOOLING OURSELVES.
SO YOU THINK IT'S BEST TO INTERMINGLE WITH SOMEONE ANOTHER DISTRICT THAN TO STAY INDEPENDENT? BECAUSE EVERY PROJECT THAT WE PRESENT TO THE CITY AS AN ISSUE IS A COMPLEX PROJECT THAT INVOLVES MULTIPLE DISTRICTS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR 10 YEARS ON THE SM RIGHT PROJECT.
LITERALLY WENT FROM ZERO KNOWLEDGE TO PERHAPS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE LOCAL GROUP IN TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE TDOT ON HOW CITIZENS ENGAGE WITH THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
WELL, DOES SM WRIGHT JUST STOP AND START AND SOUTH DALLAS THE FREEWAY, IT CONNECTS TO OTHER PLACES.
SO IF WE KEEP LOOKING MYOPICALLY AT JUST OUR LITTLE PIECE OF DIRT, WHAT THERE ARE IMPACTS THAT EVERY ISSUE HAS WITH CONNECTING DEPARTMENTS, WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION OR THE OTHER COMPLICATED ISSUES UNLESS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT I 30 AND THE OTHER CORRIDORS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND, AND THE DART RAIL SYSTEM AND THE FAST BULLET TRAINS TO FORT WORTH AND ALL THAT.
BUT IF I'M GONNA JUST FOCUS ON MY LITTLE PIECE OF DIRT, I'M GONNA MISS OUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE LARGER CONTEXT TO THINK ABOUT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. CHAIR? I HAVE ANOTHER, A QUESTION FOR MR. SMITH.
I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, UH, YOUR CONCERNS AROUND HAVING SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE MAYOR LOOKING OUT FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE IN ITS INTEREST.
UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS FROM A A PRACTICALITY STANDPOINT, UH, JUST BY THE NATURE OF OUR CITY, WHOEVER THAT WE ELECT, UH, YOU KNOW, AT LARGE WILL BE FROM A PARTICULAR DISTRICT MM-HMM.
HOW DO WE ENSURE THROUGH THE CHARTER IN, IN THIS LANGUAGE THAT WHOEVER WE ELECT AS A AT LARGE PERSON WILL ENSURE THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE FULL CITY'S INTERESTS IN MIND WHENEVER THEY MAKE DECISIONS? WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I CAN ANSWER IT.
WE NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT WE GET UNTIL THE PERSON TAKES OFFICE.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF FRONTING AND PUTTING OUT THEIR CANDIDATES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
IT REALLY MEANS THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO PUT ON THEIR BIG BOY PANTS AND, AND REALLY DO SOME SCREENING
[02:00:01]
OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE REPRESENTING US DALLAS' MAJORITY MINORITY.THAT IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE FROM 40, 50 YEARS AGO.
SO THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OR PROBABILITY WITH GOOD CANDIDATES, WE COULD HAVE AN EXTRA MINORITY REPRESENTATION IF WE CHOOSE RIGHT FUND RIGHT AND HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON.
SO THAT MEANS THERE'S A LOT MORE DUE DILIGENCE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVELS TO FIND THE RIGHT CANDIDATES AND TO SUPPORT AND FUND THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.
WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT IN MANY CASES.
AND THAT'S THE ONLY RESPONSES I CAN GIVE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE, MR. SMITH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, MEMBERS, BEFORE I ASK FOR MOTIONS, I JUST WANNA GO BACK AND EXPLAIN AGAIN, MAYBE I DIDN'T EXPLAIN IT WELL EARLIER.
UM, YOU CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MOTION YOU WANT TO, OBVIOUSLY ONLY THINGS THAT PASS A MOTION TO INCLUDE WILL BE CONSIDERED IN OUR FINAL ITEM.
HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AN ITEM, YOU CAN DO SO.
UM, IF YOU WANNA MAKE A A POINT OR TAKE A FIRM POSITION ON IT, THAT'S FINE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT.
UH, SINCE ONLY THINGS THAT PASS A MOTION TO INCLUDE WILL BE CONSIDERED AT OUR FINAL MEETING.
UH, SO WITH THAT CLARIFICATION OUT THERE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT MS. HUNT? THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.
I, I, I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT PROCESS JUST BECAUSE THESE ITEMS ARE ON THE AGENDA.
I THINK IT WILL BE CLEANER FOR THE MINUTES IF WE HAVE AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON THEM.
IF IT'S EXCLUDE, I THINK THAT'S FINE AND WE CAN DO IT IN BULK.
UM, BUT I WOULD OFFER THAT AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
SO, SO AN UP AND DOWN, UP OR DOWN ITEM ON WHETHER THERE'S A MOTION FOR EACH SPECIFIC ONE? YES.
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS, FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER ITEM F FOUR.
SO I THINK WE CAN, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I MOVE TO EXCLUDE ITEMS 42, 51, 0 2 76.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS, I GUESS TRYING TO EXPLAIN EARLIER.
MAYBE I DIDN'T DO A GOOD JOB, BUT YOU KNOW, ON OUR PREVIOUS AGENDA ITEM, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WERE ANY MOTIONS TO INCLUDE ANY OF THOSE ITEMS OR EXCLUDE ANY OF 'EM.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR.
UM, THEN IF WE MAY, BECAUSE I, I'M SORRY, I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT.
UM, IF WE MAY, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO ITEM F THEN, BECAUSE I DO HAVE A MOTION.
LET'S GO BACK TO THAT ITEM AND I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE MOTION.
I MOVE TO EXCLUDE ITEMS 42, 50 76, AND 1 0 2.
ANY DISCUSSION? IT'S ALL THE ITEMS UNDER ITEM F.
AGENDA ITEMS. F THERE WERE AMENDMENTS 42, 50, 76, AND 1 0 2.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT HER MOTION TO EXCLUDE IS.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON, ON THAT? I WILL, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, IN 2005, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR A STRONG MAYOR SYSTEM THAT WAS VOTED DOWN 62%.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING IN THIS CITY HAS CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY TO SUGGEST THAT VOTE TODAY WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE CITY AUDITOR, CITY ATTORNEY AND CITY SECRETARY REPORTING TO THE CITY MANAGER, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC, THOSE, UH, POSITIONS CURRENTLY REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CHECKS AND BALANCES.
UM, AND, AND, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR, UH, FORM OF GOVERNMENT TO RETAIN THAT INDEPENDENCE.
SO THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, MR. CHAIR.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION ON THIS? OKAY.
UH, MR. SLIS? AYE, THE CHAIR AND I AS WELL.
SO THEN GOING BACK TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM G, UH, AND THOSE WERE AMENDMENTS.
IS THERE A MOTION? OH, MR. SLI, I'M SORRY, BEFORE I ASK FOR THE MOTION, DO YOU, YOU WANTED TO, UH, TO SPEAK ON THESE? WELL, UH, I JUST HAD A CLARIFYING QUESTION, RECOGNIZING THAT THE MOTION ON, OR SORRY, THE ITEM, UH, STICKS, WHICH WAS SUBMITTED BY MR. SLI, YOU'RE CUTTING OUT ON US.
[02:05:01]
20 TO ONE.I RECOGNIZE PHILIP KINGS IS NOT HERE TO ADDRESS ANYTHING, BUT I DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF IF THEY HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS.
AND THAT IS, UH, HE HAS SUGGESTED THAT MOVING TO 21 PUTS US IN PROPORT, UH, THE TODAY'S POPULATION WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, UH, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION GROWTH IN POPULATION SINCE 1991 WHEN 14, UH, PLUS ONE WAS ADOPTED.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE FROM CITY STAFF THAT CAN VERIFY THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CASE, THAT THAT WOULD MOVE, UM, THE POPULATIONS OF DISTRICTS BACK TO ABOUT 65,000 PEOPLE ROUGHLY.
UM, WHICH IS ROUGHLY IN LINE WITH WHAT, WHAT IT WAS WHEN 14 ONE WAS PUT IN PLACE.
SO MY SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WAS REFERENCED BY A PREVIOUS SPEAKER, MR. SMITH.
UH, IF, I THINK I HEARD HIM CORRECTLY, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE 90,000 TO, TO, TO HAVE A DISTRICT.
DID I MISINTERPRET THAT? I I BELIEVE THAT, UH, 90, THE AVERAGE DISTRICT IS ABOUT 93, 90 4,000.
UM, AND AS PART OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, ALL DISTRICTS NEEDED TO BE WITHIN ABOUT 10% OF, UM, THERE NEEDED TO BE 10% VARIANCE OR LESS IN ORDER TO ALIGN WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
UM, AND SO EVERY DISTRICT HAD TO HAVE MORE THAN ABOUT 88, 80 9,000.
SO 90,000 WAS, UH, ROUGHLY CORRECT? YES.
SO, SO IF I'M THEN UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY MOVING TO 20 PLUS ONE, IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ACTUALLY DO AND STAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULE THAT YOU JUST STATED.
UH, SO THE RULE THAT I STATED WAS BASED ON THE POPULATION AND NUMBER OF DISTRICTS.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A PROPORTION, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL DISTRICTS ARE ROUGHLY EVEN IN, UH, IN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THEY REPRESENT.
UM, SO IF YOU ADDED MORE SEATS, THAT NUMBER WOULD GO DOWN, UM, IN ORDER TO, TO MATCH THAT.
SO, SO YES, THAT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE.
IT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE TO MOVE TO 2020 PLUS ONE? YES, SIR.
UH, THEN, THEN, MR. CHAIR, IF I JUST HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, AS YOU LAID OUT WHAT YOU HAD ASKED US TO DO, I'D ACTUALLY OFFER, WHICH IS YOU, YOU CUT OUT ON THIS AGAIN.
CAN YOU YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADOPT AMENDMENT STICKS, WHICH IS TO EXPAND COUNCIL FROM 14 ONE TO 21, MAKING 20 SINGLE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS IN ONE AT LARGE.
MAYOR, IS THERE A SECOND ON THE MOTION? THERE'S NOT A SECOND ON THE MOTION.
UH, MEMBERS WITH REGARDS TO AGENDA ITEM G, THE AMENDMENT'S, UH, ON AMENDMENT ITEM G, IS THERE A MOTION, UH, FOR ANY OF THOSE AMENDMENTS? CHAIR, OH, GO AHEAD,
CAN YOU, WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS AGAIN? MS. CAN CLAP.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE MOTION, PLEASE? MS CLAP.
OH, I MOVE TO EXCLUDE, I THINK I'VE GOT THESE RIGHT.
ARE THOSE THE RIGHT? IT'S ALL ALONG.
SHE'S, UH, MS. CLAP, MOVED TO EXCLUDE ALL FOUR ITEMS UNDER AGENDA ITEM G, ALL FOUR AMENDMENTS.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THE MOTION? MS. HUNT? A SECOND.
ALL, UH, ANY DISCUSSION, UH, MS. LOWRY? YES, MR. CHAIR? DIDN'T SOMEONE EARLIER MENTION THAT 69 HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN? DID I DREAM THAT? UH, HE SAID IT HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN, BUT HE CHANGED HIS MIND ON WITH WITHDRAWAL.
HE CAME AND SPOKE TO US ABOUT IT, NEVERTHELESS.
AND, AND TO CLARIFY, YOU CAN'T WITHDRAW FROM THE AGENDA.
SO, SO THAT HAD BEEN A REQUEST MADE.
UM, AND THEN THAT WAS CLARIFIED FOR ME.
ANY DISCUSSION ON, UH, MS. CLAPS MOTION? MR. CHAIR? I, MR. CAMPBELL? ALRIGHT, HANG ON, MR. SISE, I'LL COME BACK TO, YOU'VE GOT MR. CAMPBELL UP RIGHT NOW.
MR. SICE, YOU GO FIRST, PLEASE.
UH, UH, THE ONLY REASON WHY I WILL VOTE NO ON THIS, UM, MOTION IS BECAUSE AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW AND IT'S GROWN, UH, IT HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, AT LEAST SINCE 1991.
UH, HAVING BEEN AN ELECTED HAS BEEN, UH, VERY POLITICAL CONDIT.
IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT, UM, AS YOUR CITY GROWS TO REPRESENT
[02:10:01]
DISTRICTS THAT WERE CUT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.UH, AND IT ONLY INCREASES THE UQ OF GERRYMANDERING AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS TO, NOT THE REPRESENTATIVE, BECAUSE BY EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF
SO, AS I THINK ABOUT THE NEXT TEAMING IN THE CITY OF DALLAS' GROWTH, AND WHY, I RECOGNIZE MRS. POINT, THE CITY OF DALLAS TODAY IS NOT, CERTAINLY NOT GROWING AS FAST AS SUBURBAN DISTRICTS.
UM, CITY OF DALLAS WILL GROW, AND IT WILL, IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A HOTBED COMING TO NORTH TEXAS.
UM, WE ARE MAKING IT MORE CHALLENGING FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DO THEIR JOB, BE APPROXIMATE TO THEIR PEOPLE, AND TO REPRESENT THEIR PEOPLE.
SO I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO CONSIDER, UH, EVEN IF IT IS EXPANDING TO 15 POINT, SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THAT SO THAT OUR PEOPLE COULD BE REPRESENTED A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY BY A CITY COUNCIL.
UH, MR. CAMPBELL, I'D LIKE TO ECHO A LOT OF THE SAME SENTIMENTS THAT MR. SISE JUST LAID OUT, BUT ALSO POINT OUT THAT WHENEVER THE COUNCIL WAS EXPENDED TO EXPANDED TO 14 ONE, THE RATIO WAS ONE REPRESENTATIVE, ONE COUNCIL PERSON PER 71,920, UH, BACK IN 1993, UH, SORRY, THAT WAS 1993, NOT, NOT 1991.
RIGHT NOW, IT, IT'S, AS WAS DETAILED JUST A SECOND AGO, UH, ROUGHLY 94,000, I THINK, UH, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT MR. SALI JUST DETAILED, BUT ALSO FOR THE SAME VOTING RIGHTS ACT REASONS THAT WERE DETAILED IN MR. ANDERSON'S PRESENTATION EARLIER.
UM, TO, TO MO TO HAVE THE MOST EQUITABLE DALLAS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT WHITE, THAT ARE, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR, IT WOULD BE TO EXPAND THE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO INCLUDE, UH, MORE MINORITY DISTRICTS.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'LL BE VOTING NO ON THIS MOTION.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR MS. KLAS? MOTION, UH, MR. CHAIR? I DO HAVE A COMMENT.
MR. FRANKLIN, UH, FOR COMMISSIONER SALIS AND COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL, UH, YOUR ARGUMENTS ARE WELL PLACED, BUT I STILL THINK THAT THE EXPANSION OF CITY COUNCIL INTO MULTIPLE DISTRICTS REALLY PRESENTS A RISK OF DILUTION OF POWER THAT AL THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN THIS CURRENT STRUCTURE.
UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I MEAN, THERE IS AN INHERENT IMBALANCE OF THE DISTRICTS BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH.
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS DOES NOT ENSURE THAT THAT IMBALANCE IS NOT EXACERBATED.
AND, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IT PROPORTIONAL, I UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CITY HAS GROWN.
THERE'S SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT THE, THE, THE CITY POPULATION IS, IS TRENDING DOWN DOWNWARD.
BUT YOU CAN KEEP THOSE SAME PROPORTIONS AND KEEP THE REPRESENTATION THE SAME WITHOUT ADD, ADDING THIS EXTRA HURDLE OR EXTRA, UH, MEANS TO BE EXPLOITED WHERE A PART OF THE CITY CAN CONCENTRATE POWER VERSUS ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY.
14 ONE IS NOT PERFECT, BUT I THINK EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS WILL SUBJECT US TO, UH, VOTING RIGHTS, UH, LITIGATION THAT'S PRO, THAT'S UNWARRANTED.
UM, AND SO I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE POINTS, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE NEED FOR GREATER REPRESENTATION, BUT I THINK THAT'S AN EXERCISE FOR, FOR REDISTRICTING AND, AND, AND NOT JUST ADDING ADDITIONAL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP, AT WHAT POINT DOES IT BECOME UNWIELDY AND WHAT POINT DOES IT, UH, BECOMES DILUTED? AND SO FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE, UH, 6 52, 69, AND 79.
UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF MS. CLAPS MOTION? SAY AYE.
UH, THIS ITEM WAS HELD, UH, FROM THE JANUARY 23RD MEETING OF THIS COMMISSION AND RELATES TO THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM POSITIONS ON CITY COUNCIL, WHERE THE POSSIBLE ELIMINATION OF
[02:15:01]
THESE OFFICERS, THE COMMISSION HELD THIS ITEM IN ORDER TO INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT 95, WHICH SUGGESTED THAT THE POSITION SHOULD BE ELECTED VIA AT LARGE ELECTIONS.UH, SHOULD THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED? NEITHER SUBMITTER OF THE FIRST TWO SUGGESTIONS ARE HERE TONIGHT.
MR. KINGSTON PROVIDED COMMENTS TODAY BY EMAIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER DELSON IS UNABLE TO JOIN US.
UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE, GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CO COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL TO PROVIDE STATEMENTS IF HE DESIRES ON THIS ITEM, YOUR HONOR.
UH, OKAY, BECAUSE
I'M GOING TO BE WITHDRAWING NINE FIVE.
UH, ANY COMMENTS? UM, WELL, LEMME BACK UP, MR. CHAIR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A MOTION.
SO CAN I GET A MOTION FIRST ON THIS ITEM BEFORE WE GO TO COMMENTS? THEN I'LL RECOGNIZE YOU FOR COMMENTS ON, UM, I WOULD, WELL, I'D RATHER MAKE COMMENTS FIRST BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION.
THIS IS CHAIR I'LL MAKE, NO, THERE'S GOTTA BE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
SO I'M TOLD THERE HAS TO BE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT EIGHT.
UM, BRIEFLY, I'VE, I HAVE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS SINCE THE LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED IT.
AND, UM, THE ARGUMENT THAT THE POSITIONS OF DEPUTY MAYOR PROTI AND MAYOR PRO TEM ARE IRRELEVANT, I THINK IS JUST NOT SOUND.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT TILL AFTER OUR LAST DISCUSSION WAS NOT JUST HOW IT FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE CITY, BUT HOW OTHER PEOPLE AND OTHER ENTITIES AND OTHER CITIES VIEW THOSE DIFFERENT TITLES.
AND IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN ONE OF THE MAYOR PROAM OR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM SHOWS UP AT AN EVENT ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND THEY HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL TITLE.
EVEN THOUGH IT, IT IS LARGELY CEREMONIAL, IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO, UM, THOSE ENTITIES AND THOSE GROUPS, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT PERSON HAS BEEN AT LEAST VOTED TO THAT POSITION.
AND SO, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY TO HAVE GREATER REPRESENTATION AT DIFFERENT EVENTS AND DIFFERENT, UM, OCCURRENCES.
AND SO, UM, I, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THOSE POSITIONS AND, UM, GO FROM THERE.
FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, UH, WHEN THE MAYOR IS ABSENT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN STEP IN, WHO CAN RUN THE MEETING.
I DON'T THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE, UH, EFFICIENCY WISE TO ALWAYS HAVE TO VOTE, UH, TO DECIDE WHO WILL BE RUNNING THE MEETING.
UH, WE'LL START, WE'LL GO MRMA.
UH, UH, I AGREE WITH BOTH OF YOU.
UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IF THIS IS THE PLACE OR THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE WHERE WE COULD PERHAPS SUGGEST TO COUNSEL THAT THEY CHANGE THE ORDER OF WHEN THIS IS DONE.
MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE, THE ELECTION PROCESS.
WELL, THERE WERE, IT, IT SOUNDED, I, TO ME, LIKE THAT PROCESS NEEDS TO CHANGE NO MORE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MEET HERE AND YOU MEET HERE, UH, PRIOR TO THE FIRST MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THAT WOULD BE AN INFORMAL RECOMMENDATION THAT I WOULD HOPE WE COULD INCLUDE AT THE, AT THE END.
AM I MAKING SENSE HERE? KIND OF, SORT OF THE, THE, WHAT PEOPLE WERE UPSET ABOUT WAS THE PROCESS.
AND SO HOW MAYBE WE COULD JUST SUGGEST THEY LOOK AT THE PROCESS.
I STILL WOULD SUPPORT THE, WHAT? YOUR PROPOSAL, MS. LOWRY.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, IN ADDITION TO CEREMONIAL AND, UH, HELPING WITH EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY, WE HAVE A VICE CHAIR.
IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY IN THE CITY, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED THAT REQUIRED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION, YOU DON'T WANT 14 PEOPLE TO GO VOTE ON WHO'S GONNA BE IN CHARGE.
YOU, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO KNOW, WE ALL HAVE EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS.
WE HAVE COUP PLANS, WE HAVE CLEAR LINE OF COMMAND SO THAT WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, YOU KNOW WHO'S GONNA STEP IN.
AND I, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THE MAYOR OF DALLAS
[02:20:02]
DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR THAT.UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON, UH, OH, SORRY.
MR. SLIS? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
I, UH, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY COMMISSIONER.
HE MADE THE MOTION FOR ADMIT AND FOLLOWING ROBERT RULES OF, I WOULD ALSO, UH, MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WOULD INCLUDE AMENDMENT NUMBER 39, UH, WHICH I KNOW I CAN DO VIA ROBERT.
AND MY COMMENT THAT I'LL MAKE IN MAKING THE AMENDMENT AND ASKING FOR A SECOND AMENDMENT.
UM, IS THAT ALSO PLACING MR. S, MR. SLES? I APOLOGIZE.
UM, BEFORE YOU CONTINUE WITH YOUR, UH, DEFENDING YOUR MOTION, WE NEED A SECOND ON THE MOTION.
SO WILL YOU RESTATE THE MOTION? SURE.
IT'S TO ADD AMENDMENT NUMBER 39 TO AMENDMENT EIGHT FOR THE, UH, FOR THE MAIN MOTION, ORIGINAL MOTION.
SO, SO THE AMENDMENT WOULD CON, WOULD THE AMENDMENT IS TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH WOULD EXCLUDE AMENDMENT EIGHT.
AND HE'S, HE'S ADDING TO THAT MOTION AN INCLUSION OF AMENDMENT 39 FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO MY, MY OH, MI MR. SLE, WILL YOU CLARIFY? UH, C CAN WE DO THIS? CAN WE JUST HAVE TWO DIFFERENT MOTIONS ON THIS? JUST KEEP IT CLEAN.
WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT
I'M JUST CALLING ROBERT ORDER, AND MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO VOTE ON BOTH OF THOSE IN THIS MAIN MOTION VERSUS TAKING THE VOTE ON A, FINALIZING THAT VOTE, AND THEN AMENDMENT 39 TO HAVE A SECOND VOTE.
SO I, I'M GONNA KEEP MY AMENDMENT TO THE MAIN MOTION.
I ASK FOR A SECOND, BUT IS THE MOTION TO ALSO EXCLUDE 39? IS THAT HOW YOU ARE AMENDING? THAT IS HOW I, SO, SO HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN.
RELEASE, OR NO, WE, WE WOULD HAVE TO FIRST VOTE ON HIS MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ULTIMATELY, IF THAT CARRIES, THEN VOTE ON THE MOTION AS IT EXISTS.
AND MR. SOLIS, WOULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY? WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAY INCLUDE ITEM 39, ARE YOU, ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT WE INCLUDE IT FOR FINAL CONSIDERATION, OR ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE WE EXCLUDE? YES, SIR.
IT FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION, LIKE WE'RE DOING WITH THE, IT'S KEEPING WITH THE, IT'S KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE MOTION COUNTS THAT COMMISSIONER
I WOULD INCLUDE TO ALSO ELIMINATE AMENDMENT 39 FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE FINAL VOTE.
IS, IS THERE A SECOND ON MR. ALISA'S? MOTION TO AMEND? OKAY.
IS A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION OF DISCUSSION? I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS.
IT'S GETTING REALLY CONFUSING WHAT NOW? AND I YEAH.
AS THE PERSON WHO MADE THE, OF THE MOTION, MY HOPE IS THAT I'D BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE RATIONALE, BUT I'LL ALLOW US TO TAKE THE VOTE OR I CAN EXPLAIN IT.
UH, YOU, YOU CAN EXPLAIN YOUR MOTION IF YOU'D LIKE.
I AM ALSO IN AGREEMENT WITH COMMISSIONER MCC, WHO'S ORIGINAL MOTION THAT I, THAT I'M ASKING TO AMEN.
UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THE MAYOR AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR POSITION, UH, IS AN IMPORTANT POSITION THAT HAD TIME TO REFLECT SINCE MEETING.
AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT GIVING ONE PERSON POWER TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHO THE MAYOR AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR ARE, IS ADVISABLE.
THE CURRENT PRACTICE IS STILL ALLOW FULL BODY ACCOUNTABLE, UH, TO DETERMINE WHO THAT SHOULD BE.
UH, AND I WOULD
ALL IN FAVOR OF MR. LIC DISCUSSION.
YOU OKAY MR. MCGILL? SO, I AM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 12 MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION.
SHE'S NOT AVAILABLE TO BE HERE TO SPEAK.
SO I WANTED TO, TO CARRY HER COMMENTS ON THIS.
I KNOW SHE SPOKE ON THIS THE LAST TIME, SO I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL ON IT.
UM, BUT AS WAS DISCUSSED AND WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE PROCESS BY WHICH THE, UM, DEPUTY MAYOR, PRO TIMMA, THE MAYOR PRO TIMMER SELECTED IS, IS MESSY AT BEST AND PROBLEMATIC AT WORST.
[02:25:01]
I, I HEARD THE DISCUSSION LAST TIME, AND I THINK THERE WAS A SORT OF A CONSENSUS AROUND THIS BODY THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE TAKING THE POWER AWAY FROM COUNSEL.AND AS WAS MENTIONED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER.
SO LEE GIVING IT TO ONE PERSON, I, THE MAYOR.
AND SO AS I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT SINCE THEN, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST IS, AND AGAIN, JUST TO GET THE FEELING OF THIS BODY, THAT THE MAYOR MAKE A, MAKE A PROPOSAL THAT IS THEN VOTED ON BY THE, UM, BODY.
UM, THE REASONING BEING THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE POWER HAS BEEN LOST SO MUCH IN THESE TWO POSITIONS IS BECAUSE QUITE OFTEN THEY'RE USED AS BARGAINING CHIPS AND, AND SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED PEOPLE THAT WERE OPPOSITIONAL TO THE LEADERSHIP AND WHAT WAS GOING ON AND, AND WHEN THIS WAS, WHEN IT WORKS BEST.
THE MAYOR, WHICH I'VE GOT TO EXPERIENCE A FEW TIMES, THE MAYOR'S ABLE TO HAVE ACTUAL PREPARATION MEETINGS OF HOW THE MEETING'S GOING TO GO WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME COLLABORATION IN SORT OF THE MEETING THAT DOESN'T WORK WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THERE, THERE'S NOT TRUST AND THERE'S NOT RELATIONAL THERE.
THAT BEING SAID, I, IF Y'ALL ARE FOLLOWING ME, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT COM NOT SPEAKING VERY CLEARLY, BUT KEEPING THE POWER IN THE, IN THE COUNCIL TO SAY, HEY, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
WE PUT, WE PUT FORTH THE OTHER TWO, BUT AT LEAST GIVING THE FIRST ROUND TO THE MAYOR TO SAY, THESE ARE THE TWO COUNCIL DOESN'T LOSE THE POWER.
BUT, UM, THERE'S AT LEAST A, A PROCESS THERE.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY I WOULD SUPPORT THAT OPTION.
OTHERWISE, UM, I THINK IT'S OKAY NOT TO HAVE IT.
'CAUSE I THINK THE TWO IMPORTANT, THE POSITIONS ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO KEEP 'EM.
MAYBE THAT'S AS CLEAR AS MUD, BUT THAT WAS MY REASONING.
I I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. MASTER A QUESTION AGAIN, THAT MAY BACK TO THE CITY ATTORNEY.
IS THAT ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT SHOULD GO IN THE CHARTER, OR IS THAT A POLICY OR A CODE OR A JUST PRACTICE FOR THE COUNCIL TO DECIDE? THAT COULD GO IN THE CHARTER, ESPECIALLY, UM, COMMISSIONER MCGEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, LET LET, LET ME JUST TAKE A STAB AT, AT MAYBE SUMMARIZING WHAT YOU SAID, THAT THE MAYOR WOULD NOMINATE A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL AND THAT NOMINATION WOULD BE VOTED ON BY THE FULL COUNCIL, UM, CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT.
OR THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE AUTHORITY TO PUT FORTH TWO OTHERS.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY VOTED DOWN, THEN SOMEONE STILL HAS TO BE IN THOSE POSITIONS, AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL FOR THE FOLLOW UP NOMINATION.
SO, SO THE MAYOR NOMINATES THE COUNCIL, VOTES IT DOWN, THEN ANY COUNCIL MEMBER COULD NOMINATE ANOTHER MEMBER.
THEN IT JUST DEFAULTS TO THE WAY IT IS NOW.
YEAH, THAT COULD, THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE IN THE CHARTER.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. STEIN? UH, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, AMENDMENT 95 HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN.
RIGHT? UH, YOU, YOU CANNOT WITHDRAW ANYTHING THAT'S ON AN AGENDA.
UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE THAT MR. CAMPBELL'S SPIRIT WAS SAYING THAT HE, HE DID NOT RECOMMEND IT TO BE INCLUDED BECAUSE IT RELATES TO AT LARGE ELECTIONS THAT WERE VOTED DOWN ON THE PREVIOUS AGENDA.
SO NOW WE ARE ONLY DEALING WITH 39 AND EIGHT.
UH, THE, THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, UM, WAS TO EXCLUDE NUMBER EIGHT.
AND THEN MR. ALI'S AMENDMENT WOULD ALSO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 39.
THAT'S WHAT I SUPPORT THAT, BECAUSE I THINK DELEGATING THE POWER FROM THE COUNCIL TO THE MAYOR IS, AS HE SAID, IT WAS MESSY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND THAT'S MAKING IT MORE MESSY YEAH.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE, WE JUST MAKING IT CREATING A, A BIGGER MESS THAN WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO, UM, I THINK WE'LL JUST LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS.
IT'S ALREADY A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
SO, UH, SEEING NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS, UH, WITH REGARDS TO, UH, COMMISSIONER ALI'S AMENDMENT? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES ONE NAY, OTHERWISE ONE NAY.
SO NOW WE'RE BACK ON THE MAIN MOTION.
THERE'S NO OPPOSED, UH, MOTION CARRIES AS AMENDED.
[02:30:01]
YES, I MOVE TO EXCLUDE ITEM 95.ALRIGHT, WE'RE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IF I'M ALLOWED.
CAN YOU HANG ON? YES, YOU ARE, BUT I'M STILL READING SOMETHING HERE.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 82 AND USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND, AND, OH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 82.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO FILED THESE HERE TO SPEAK TO AND THE PEOPLE ALREADY TALKED SECOND MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 82.
AND I GOT A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER HUNT.
SO MY LOGIC HERE, SO IS ACTUALLY MR. DE LAPUENTE.
SO WE'RE, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS STICK WITH THE SAME SAME FORMAT WE'RE DOING.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION.
'CAUSE I WANT TO ASK THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO PRESENTED THESE TO, IF THEY WANT TO TALK ON THE FIRST.
UM, SO WITH REGARDS TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON THE AMENDMENTS, ON AGENDA ITEM, I, UH, WE HAVE, IS MR. BRIAN HERE? NO.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT? WHICH ONE IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, UH, HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT IS.
VERY BRIEFLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE THE TERMS FOR THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOUR YEARS AND, UM, MOVE THEM TILL NOVEMBER, HOPEFULLY IN A EVEN NUMBERED YEAR.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF A SECONDARY ISSUE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, I GOT A QUESTION.
UM, UH, YOU, MR. STEEN HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU, SIR.
MR. STEEN HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UH, MR. SMITH, UH, I, WHY WOULD YOU WANNA MOVE THEM? THE ELECTION TO NOVEMBER AFTER YOU WANT TO HAVE A FOUR YEAR TERM FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND FOR THE MAYOR? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ELECTIONS MOVE TO NOVEMBER BECAUSE THAT IS THE TIME, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A COUPLE OR MORE PEOPLE.
I'M, I'M TOLD WE'RE GOING OFF THE AGENDA ITEM.
WE, WE, WE GOTTA STICK TO THE GERMAINE, HAVE GERMAINE QUESTIONS TO THE AGENDA ITEM.
CAN YOU REPHRASE YOUR QUESTION, MR. STEVE? WELL, NO, THAT WAS MY QUESTION, SO I JUST, I TALKED ABOUT IT ON SOMETHING ELSE BECAUSE OKAY, SIR.
HE SAID HE WANTED TO EX, I MEAN, EXTEND THE TERM TO FOUR YEARS, BUT HE WANTED TO MOVE THE ELECTION AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THAT'S WHY I ADDRESSED IT THE WAY HE POSTED IT.
I SHOULD HAVE, SEE WHAT I'M SAYING, JUMPED ON THAT CENTER.
HE DIDN'T SAY, I JUST WANTED FOUR YEARS FOR THE MAYOR AND FOUR YEARS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
HE SAID, I ALSO WANT TO MOVE IT TO NOVEMBER.
BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE AMENDMENTS.
BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, MS. LEMASTER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO OFFER THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY GIVEN US IN YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT? I, I THINK I'VE, I'VE MADE MY CASE, I THINK.
I THINK THREE YEARS IS THE RIGHT TIME.
UH, I, I'M WORRIED ABOUT FOUR YEARS, JUST BEING TOO LONG.
UM, I THINK I'VE COVERED EVERYONE THAT HAD A PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
UH, SO WE'LL ENTERTAIN MOTIONS NOW.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 82, LOOKING FOR A SECOND.
UH, THE REASON I MADE THIS MOTION IS TO ENTER DISCUSSION.
NOW WE CAN DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF AMENDING TERM LINK FOR CITY COUNCIL.
[02:35:01]
IF NOT DONE CORRECTLY, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING, I MEAN, THIS DISCUSSION, IF THIS DISCUSSION IS NOT DONE CORRECTLY, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND BE VERY CONFUSED, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE IS THREE OPTIONS.MOST OF THE TIME WE, WE BASICALLY HAVE A BINARY CHOICE, BUT IN THIS TIME WE HAVE THREE OPTIONS.
AND MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY HAVE A FIRST, SECOND, OR THIRD CHOICE.
MAYBE IT'S NOT FULLY FLESHED OUT YET, BUT YOU'LL GET THERE.
UM, SO I THINK OPENING THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE MOST FOLKS ARE.
WHAT'S YOUR FIRST CHOICE? WHAT DO YOU FIND ACCEPTABLE? WHAT'S A RED LINE? AND TRY TO BUILD CONSENSUS AROUND THERE WITHOUT HOLDING AN ACTUAL VOTE.
JUST HAVING A DISCUSSION AND, YOU KNOW, PLEASE STAFF, YOU KNOW, INTERRUPT US IF WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THIS WRONG.
AND THEN I PLAN TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION EVENTUALLY ON AMENDMENT 82 TO EXCLUDE IT IN HOPES THAT SOMEBODY WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE A MOTION TO EITHER INCLUDE AN INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENT THAT THEY LIKE, PERHAPS, UH, AMENDMENT FIVE OR AMENDMENT 21, OR TO EXCLUDE ALL AMENDMENTS IN CATEGORY I TOGETHER.
UM, DISCUSSION, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
UH, IN A GALAXY LONG, LONG AGO AND FAR, FAR AWAY, UH, BACK IN OCTOBER, I THINK IT WAS, I SUBMITTED THE MINORITY REPORT FROM THE 2003 CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, SPEAKING IN AGAINST THE ENLARGEMENT OF COUNCIL TERMS. I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING LATE ALREADY AND WE'VE GOT A LOT TO GO.
I THINK THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR MY POSITION ON THAT IS COUNCIL ACCOUNTABILITY.
IF YOU HAVE A THREE YEAR TERM, THEN DURING ONE THIRD OF A FULL TERM TERMED OUT COUNCIL MEMBER'S TENURE, THAT PERSON IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
IF YOU HAVE A FOUR YEAR TERM, THEN DURING HALF OF THAT COUNCIL MEMBER'S TERM, THE PERSON IS NOT ACCOUNTABLE.
ADDITIONALLY, I THINK THE EXTENSION OF TERMS CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH REDISTRICTING IN LIGHT OF NEW CENSUSES.
UH, I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE MAIN RATIONALES THAT IS GIVEN FOR GOING TO A MORE EXTENDED COUNCIL TERM IS THAT IT WILL FREE UP COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM CAMPAIGNING.
FRANKLY, IN 40 YEARS OF DOING THIS, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DISTINGUISH A TOWN HALL MEETING FROM A CAMPAIGN MEETING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE CAMPAIGNING 24 7, 365 FROM THE DAY THEY WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR UNTIL THE DAY THEY GET THEIR GOLD WATCH OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY GIVE THEM.
SO FOR THAT REASON, UH, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE, UH, AND WE'LL MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY WITH RESPECT TO OTHER ITEMS THAT WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING NOW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 82, MR. STEIN? I'D LIKE TO TURN FOUR YEARS FOR THE MAYOR AND FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE THAT, UH, WE DON'T TRUST THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH FOUR YEARS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE TRUST THE MAYOR FOR FOUR YEARS.
SO I THINK IF I CAN TRUST THE MAYOR FOR FOUR YEARS, I CAN TRUST THE CITY COUNCIL FOR FOUR YEARS.
MR. MAGOO? YEAH, I, I THINK I'M FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE ON WHEN TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS AT THE RIGHT TIME, BUT I, I JUST, UM, I'M SUPPORTING THREE YEAR TERMS AND FOR THE REASONS THAT TWO YEARS HAS NOT FELT LIKE LONG ENOUGH AS FOR A LOT OF REASONS, IT'S ALREADY BEEN STATED AND FOUR YEARS SEEMS TOO LONG.
AND, UM, THREE YEARS SEEMS TO BE THAT THE SWEET SPOT THAT THAT HELPS A COUNCIL MEMBER BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME IN THEIR SWEET SPOT, I WOULD SAY AS FAR AS BEING EFFECTIVE AND BEING A GOOD GOVERNANCE, AND YET, UM, I THINK THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST THE SPOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE AT AND HOPE THAT WE'LL GET THERE AT SOME POINT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, MR. CHAIR.
HAVING SERVED ON MY LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD AND HAVING HAD THREE YEAR TERMS, I AGREE WITH WHAT'S BEEN SAID ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THREE YEAR TERMS. I THINK IT GIVES YOU THAT TIME TO
[02:40:01]
BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH WHAT YOUR ROLE IS AND WHAT THE BUSINESS OF THE ORGANIZATION IS, BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S SHORT ENOUGH THAT HOLDS YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR VOTERS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS.ANYONE ELSE ON, ON THE MOTION WE HAVE BEFORE US, WHICH IS TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 82, MR. CHAIR? UH, YES.
MR. SLIS? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, I, I THINK AT THE MOMENT THEY GIVEN, UH, THE THOUGHT AS I'VE BEEN CONSIDERING THIS FOR SOME TIME, I WOULD BE OPEN TO CONSIDERING FOUR YEAR CURRENT, AND IT'S WHERE I THINK I'M HEADED.
HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT A SUCCESSFUL COMMIT, UH, OR MOTION MADE.
UH, I COULD ALSO SEE MYSELF SUPPORTING THREE YEAR TERM, HAVING SERVED IN A THREE YEAR TERM AS BOARD MEMBER AND FOUND THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO BE SOMEWHAT FREE TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PAYING SERVED THAT YEAR TWO.
BUT AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, I THINK I'LL, I'LL BE SUPPORTING FOUR YEAR TERMS TO GIVE COUNCIL MORE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK, UH, THEIR CONSTITUENTS DO BEFORE HAVING TO TURN ON THE CAMPAIGN BUTTON, UH, WHICH THEY THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON, ON THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 82? JUST ONE HERE.
UH, MR. MASTER, I'M PUTTING MY POLITICAL HAT ON.
I, I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I DO THINK EVENTUALLY WE WILL TALK ABOUT SALARIES, UH, INCREASING SALARIES, AND I THINK WE, WE NEED THIS.
WE NEED, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT IT.
ARE WE GOING? I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THE DOUBLING THE TERM AND THEN IF WE WERE TO DECIDE TO INCREASE THE SALARY MAKES IT HARD POLITICALLY TO WIN, AND I THINK WE'D BE, I THINK ONE ADDING ONE YEAR AS OPPOSED TO DOUBLING IT MAKES IT EASIER THAT I DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
I'M TRYING NOT TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER ONE, BUT, BUT POLITICALLY DOUBLING THE TERM AND THEN MAYBE INCREASING SALARIES IS GONNA, IS HARD TO WIN.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. CAMPBELL? THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UH, SO WE'VE DISCUSSED, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER AMENDMENTS.
UM, SO, WELL, I GOT SOME CLARIFICATION.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT REASONS WHY YOU'RE NOT GONNA VOTE FOR IT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, MS. LEMASTER WAS CORRECT, AND YOU KNOW WHY SHE SAID TOTALLY GAVE HER A POSITION I WAS BEING SNARKY WHEN I SHOULDN'T HAVE.
UM, BUT IF WE HAVE A THREE YEAR TERM STARTING ON THE 25TH, OR SORRY, STARTING ON THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE, IT MEANS THE NEXT, THE SUBSEQUENT ELECTION WOULD BE ON THE, ON 2028, RIGHT? RIGHT.
IF ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES IS PARTISANSHIP AND THE INJECTION, THE PARTISANSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP AND NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS, DO WE THINK HAVING A MAY ELECTION, WE'VE GOT TWO OPTIONS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT EITHER EITHER MAY ELECTIONS OR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
HAVING A MAY ELECTION DURING THE HEIGHT OF A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR, DURING THE PRIMARY SEASON ACROSS, WHICH IS LIKE THE MOST CONTENTIOUS POLITICAL DEBATES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IS AVOIDING PARTISANSHIP.
I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT IS CLEAR.
AND SAME, EVEN MORE SO IF IT'S, IF IT'S IN NOVEMBER, I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT TO NOVEMBER, WHICH I'M A SUPPORTER OF, BUT THEN TO HAVE IT ON A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR IN NOVEMBER, UH, IS DOING THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT SOME STATED STATED INTENTIONS HAVE BEEN, WHICH IS OF AVOIDING PARTISANSHIP.
UH, I WILL BE SUPPORTING FOUR YEAR TERMS, BUT NOT THREE YEAR TERMS. I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, CONFUSION IN THE PUBLIC FOR HAVING A THREE YEAR TERM RIGHT NOW.
WE KNOW THAT WE VOTE FOR CITY COUNCIL IN ODD YEARS.
WE KNOW THAT WE WOULD KNOW IF THEY'RE THE FOUR YEAR, UM, TERMS THAT WE WOULD AGAIN, VOTE FOR THEM IN A, IN A ODD YEAR.
UM, I THINK WE WOULD CONFUSE THE PUBLIC AS TO WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO VOTE IN CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS, AND I THINK WE RUN THE RISK OF SEEING A FURTHER REDUCTION IN VOTER TURNOUT.
UH, VOTE'S GONNA BE ON THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 82.
I WILL WITHDRAW MY MOTION NOW.
UM, AND I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE AMENDMENT FIVE.
[02:45:02]
OKAY.YEAH, WE CAN, YOU CAN'T WITHDRAW IT SINCE THERE'S BEEN A SECOND, SO THERE HAS TO BE A VOTE.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 82.
THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 82 CARRIES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS ON AGENDA ITEM? AYE.
WELL, UH, YES, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE TO ADOPT THREE YEAR TERMS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR, WHICH IS AMENDMENTS TO 17 AND 21.
SO MS. LEMASTER, YOUR MOTION IS ON AMENDMENT 70, 17 AND 21? NO, IT'S JUST 21, I THINK CAN, OKAY.
SO YOUR, YOUR MOTION IS TO ADOPT THREE YEAR TERMS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, CORRECT.
AND, AND FOR THE MAYOR, OR JUST, YES.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
I AM OBVIOUSLY VOTING AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT.
UM, REGARDLESS OF MY OWN PERSONAL PREFERENCES ABOUT OTHER THINGS, I DO THINK OUT OF ALL THE OPTIONS, UH, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, THREE YEAR TERMS IS THE LEAST, UM, LOGICAL, THE LEAST PRACTICAL.
I THINK OTHER CITIES HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM THREE YEAR TERMS. UH, PRETTY, PRETTY STANDARD.
AUSTIN HAS MOVED FROM THREE TO FOUR.
EL PASO HAS MOVED FROM THREE TO FOUR OF THE TOP 10 LARGEST CITIES IN TEXAS.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS CHOSEN TO MAINTAIN THREE YEAR TERMS AS THE OTHER NINE CITIES, UH, EITHER HAVE FOUR OR TWO YEAR TERMS. THIS IS QUITE FRANKLY A MATTER OF PRACTICAL CONVENIENCE.
THERE'S A REASON WHY MOST ELECTED OFFICES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY HAVE A TERM LENGTH.
THAT'S AN EVEN NUMBER, WHETHER IT'S 2, 4, 6.
UH, A WHILE AGO I PULLED DATA ON, UH, MY ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THIS IS TRUE OF ANYONE HERE THAT LIVES IN DISD, ATTEND BOUNDARIES.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS AND DISD, YOU HAVE 123 ELECTED OFFICIALS REPRESENTING YOU FROM THE FEDERAL TO THE STATE, TO THE COUNTY, TO THE CITY, TO THE ISD AND COLLEGE LEVEL.
OF THOSE 123 ELECTED OFFICIALS, 122 OF THEM ALL BUT ONE HAVE A TERM LENGTH THAT IS AN EVEN NUMBER.
AND I THINK THAT IS BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU WANT A SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM, THE EVEN NUMBER IS JUST SIMPLE ARITHMETIC AND BEING ABLE TO BUNCH ELECTIONS TOGETHER.
SO THAT IS MY ACTUAL MAIN OPPOSITION TO A THREE YEAR TERM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, COMMISSIONER LAMA'S MOTION TO MAKE COUNCIL AND MAYOR TERMS THREE YEARS.
UH, HEARING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? AYE.
AND ACTUALLY, IF YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE AN AYE.
IF YOU WERE A NAY, WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN? I VOTE NO.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE MATH WORK, HUH? FIVE EYES IN 10 DAYS.
SO THE, UH, MOTION DOES NOT CARRY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, MOTIONS RELATIVE TO AGENDA ITEM? I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE.
THERE'S BEEN A SECOND DISCUSSION AS TO EXCLUDE AGENDA ITEM 17, RIGHT.
[02:50:01]
CARRIES.ANY OTHER MOTIONS RELATIVE TO, UH, THE AMENDMENTS IN THE AGENDA ITEM? I, WHAT? THAT'S WHAT HE'S ASKING.
I WOULD MOVE TO EXCLUDE WHATEVER THE LAST ONE IS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, IS THAT AGENDA BEFORE YEAR, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THERE'S, UM, MR. MCGOO, UH, HAS A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT FIVE.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND MS. CLAP A SECOND DISCUSSION.
I JUST REITERATE, I JUST THINK FOUR YEARS IS TOO LONG, UM, FOR THESE COUNCIL POSITIONS AND IT JUST SEPARATES THE COUNCIL MEMBER FURTHER FROM THE, THE VOTERS.
AND I JUST, I, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD GOVERNANCE.
SO ESSENTIALLY THIS IS STATUS QUO STAYS THE SAME, RIGHT? BY EXCLUDING THIS, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL I BELIEVE THERE, THAT TAKES CARE OF ALL THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SO, UH, IF WE WANNA ASK FOR ANY MORE MOTIONS ON THAT ONE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM J.
UM, THIS ITEM RELATES TO STAGGERING OF COUNCIL TERMS. UM, IS MR. BRYANT HERE? NO.
UH, HE HAD A PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
UH, MR. MAGOO, YOU, UH, SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL ON THIS? I BELIEVE TOO, ON STAGGERING TERMS. I'M LESS EXCITED ABOUT IT NOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THREE OP THREE YEAR OPTIONS.
UM, THAT WAS REALLY PART OF WHAT I WAS THINKING.
OR IF IT, IF IT DID CHANGE TO FOUR, I JUST STILL LIKE THE IDEA.
BUT, UM, YEAH, AT, AT THIS RATE, I'M NOT AS EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS HERE THAT HAD PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FILED ON THIS ITEM.
UM, SO CAN, UH, I'LL ASK FOR MOTIONS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE 1 0 5.
AND DO I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE 17 AS WELL? SO YOU HA YOUR MOTION TO EX YOU HAVE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 17 N 1 0 5? YES.
UH, COULD I PLEASE GET CLARIFICATION ON WHY IT WOULD BE NECESSARY, WHY AMENDMENT FIVE WOULD BE NECESSARY? I DON'T THINK IT WOULD, SINCE TERM LINKS HAVEN'T CHANGED, BUT I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER EARLIER SAID THEY WANTED TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING.
AND IS IT NECESSARY TO, TO, TO MOVE, TO EXCLUDE THAT? I'M JUST WONDERING IF DON'T HAVE TO ANYTHING THAT'S NOT INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
SO IF YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE IT, YOU CAN, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY.
I'LL, I'LL SECOND THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE 17 AND 1 0 5.
SHE SECONDED THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT 17 AND 1 0 5.
UH, DISCUSSION CHAIR? YES, SIR.
I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO ALSO EXCLUDE AMENDMENT FIVE WITH THOSE.
UH, DISCUSSION ON HEARING NONE.
OKAY, THE MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION CARRIES.
UH, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS ON THE UNDERLYING MOTION? ALL RIGHT.
OPPOSED? NAY? NO NAYS? UH, MOTION CARRIES.
OKAY, WE'RE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM K.
UM, THIS WAS SUBMITTED BY THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE AND WOULD
[02:55:01]
AMEND THE TERMS FOR MEMBERS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO MATCH THE TERM LENGTH OF COUNCIL.SHOULD WE RECOMMEND LONGER TERM LIMITS? UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, THAT'S CORRECT HERE.
BUT SINCE THERE AREN'T ANY CHANGES, THAT WOULDN'T BE A NEED FOR THE, THE AMENDMENT.
IT WAS IN CASE COUNCIL TERMS CHANGED.
IS THERE A MOTION? MOTION TO EXCLUDE, IS IT 36? IT IS 36.
IS IT ALSO, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS 36? YEAH, THIS, THIS AGENDA ITEM IS 36, ALSO 48.
DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE GET TO THAT AGENDA ITEM? CAN I DO BOTH AGENDA ITEMS? YEAH, DO A SEPARATE, YEAH.
SO THE MOTION WE HAVE, UM, FROM THE VICE CHAIR IS TO EXCLUDE, UH, 36 AMENDMENT 36.
UH, ALL, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ITEM L UM, SUBMITTED BY, UH, THE MUNICIPAL JUDGE AND WOULD AMEND THE TERMS FOR MUNICIPAL JUDGES TO MATCH THE TERM LENGTH OF COUNSEL.
SHOULD WE HAVE RECOMMENDED LONGER TERM LIMITS? UH, AGAIN, MAYBE A, A MOOD ISSUE HERE, BUT, UH, NEVERTHELESS, I THINK THERE'S A MOTION FROM OUR VICE CHAIR ON THIS ONE.
OH, YEAH, THERE'S A MOTION TO EXCLUDE.
AGENDA ITEM M UH, THIS PROPOSAL WOULD MOVE THE ELECTION DATE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER.
UH, OPTIONS INCLUDE SPECIFYING ODD NUMBERED YEARS, EVEN NUMBERED YEARS, OR NOT SPECIFYING IN THE CASE OF THREE YEAR TERMS, WHICH IS, I GUESS THAT'S SMOOTH ACTUALLY.
UM, THE SUBMITTERS OF SOME OF THESE, UH, ITEMS ARE HERE TONIGHT OR WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, WE INVITE THEM TO COME FORWARD.
UH, MS. HOPKINS, I BELIEVE YOU.
WE HAVE MS. HOPKINS AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MS. MEEK, I THINK WHO'S ONLINE AFTER THAT.
AND I HAD A PRESENTATION THAT I HAD SENT IN IF, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE TO PUT IT UP OR IF STAFF CAN PUT IT UP.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE AND I'M HERE MY CAPACITY HAVING BLOCK WALKED IN PARTISAN AND NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS, AND ALSO DONE A LOT OF BLOCK WALKING JUST TO GET RESIDENTS IN DALLAS INVOLVED IN NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING AND AREA PLANNING PROCESSES AT THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WANTS THEM TO GET ENGAGED IN, UM, AND ALSO HAVING VOLUNTEERED AND SERVED AS AN ELECTION JUDGE.
UM, I AM PROPOSING CHARTER AMENDMENT 59 TO ASK THE CITY TO TAKE A GIANT LEAP FORWARD FOR VOTER KIND.
UM, COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE IS ASKING YOU TO TAKE A STEP FORWARD FOR VOTER KIND AND INCREASE OF VOTER TURNOUT BY MOVING ELECTION TO NOVEMBER OF EVEN OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
AND I'M ASKING FOR VOTER TURNOUT TO BE, UH, INCREASED EVEN MORE AND GO TO NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS IF WE CAN MOVE THE SLIDE FORWARD.
UM, OUR VOTER TURNOUT IS ABYSMAL FOR A WORLD CLASS CITY, BUT IT'S EVEN MORE DEPRESSING IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY SITTING IN A POLLING PLACE THE ENTIRE DAY AND SEEING HOW FEW VOTERS SHOW UP.
AND THEN ALSO SEEING PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY'RE REGISTERED, BUT THEY'RE NOT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE SAME DAY REGISTRATION IN TEXAS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS IT'S DIFF MORE DIFFICULT TO VOTE IN TEXAS THAN IN OTHER STATES.
AND IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, THERE IS SOMETHING VERY EASY WE CAN DO STRUCTURALLY TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT.
AND WHEN OUR STATE IS MAKING IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE, THE CITY SHOULD BE MAKING IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE.
IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IF THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION HERE ABOUT CONCERNS THAT SHIFTING ELECTIONS FROM MAY TILL NOVEMBER, THIS FEAR OF THE UNINFORMED VOTER, THAT IS A FEAR OF DEMOCRACY.
[03:00:01]
IF WE LOOK AT THE VOTER TURNOUT STATISTICS, WE ALSO HAVE A RACIAL EQUITY PROBLEM WITH HAVING ELECTIONS IN MAY.IF YOU LOOK DISTRICTS 1, 2, 5, AND SIX, WHICH ARE, ARE MAJORITY HISPANIC DISTRICTS IN DISTRICTS 3, 4, 7, AND EIGHT, WHICH ARE ARE MAJORITY, AFRICAN AMERICAN DISTRICTS HAVE THE LOWEST VOTER TURNOUTS STA UH, UH, IN MAY ELECTIONS, WHEREAS THE MAJORITY WHITE DISTRICTS HAVE MUCH HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT IN MAY ELECTIONS.
AND THIS ISN'T ABOUT THERE BEING LESS INFORMED VOTERS IN SOUTHERN DALLAS OR IN MAJORITY HISPANIC AND MAJORITY AFRICAN AMERICAN DISTRICTS.
THIS IS ABOUT THERE BEING A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM AND STRUCTURAL BARRIERS TO PEOPLE VOTING.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, COMMISSIONER DE LA ENT THAT JUST SHOWS THAT TEXAS IS A DIFFICULT STATE.
UM, COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE WAS TALKING ABOUT NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.
THE STATISTICS IN HOUSTON BEING YOU GET VOTER TURNOUT BETWEEN 18% TO 25%.
CITY OF AUSTIN WENT TO EVEN NUMBERED YEARS IN NOVEMBER, AND THEIR VOTER TURNOUT HAS RANGED DEPENDING ON WHAT WAS ON THE BALLOT FROM 47.7% TO 70.89%, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BLACK VOTERS, HISPANIC VOTERS, YOUNG VOTERS GETTING OUT TO VOTE.
AND THAT IS A REASON THAT WE SHOULD BE PUSHING THOSE VOTERS TO BECOME INFORMED.
PUT THE ISSUE SQUARELY BEFORE THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER WHEN THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND THEY WILL BE MORE INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THE CITY WANTS THEM TO BE INFORMED ABOUT.
JUST LIKE MAYOR RAWLINGS SAID IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT, YOU GET THE ENGAGEMENT UPFRONT IN THE VOTING YEAR IN NOVEMBER.
YOU DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED TO GET PEOPLE ENGAGED LATER ON FOR MUNICIPAL ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEIR TAX RATE, ET CETERA.
UM, THE WE CAN'T ARGUMENT IS NOT AN ARGUMENT WE CAN, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE TWO STEPS.
YOU PASS THE CHARTER AMENDMENT AND THEN YOU GET LEGISLATIVE PERMISSION, PERMISSION.
UM, SO I WOULD JUST SWITCH, SWITCH TO THE LAST, UH, VERY LAST SIDE, WHICH IS ABOUT OUR CORE VALUES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
WE WANT EQUITY, WE WANT ENGAGEMENT, WE WANT ETH ETHICS, EXCELLENCE, AND EMPATHY.
WHILE YOU GET ALL OF THAT MORE, WHEN MORE VOTERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, AND YOU HAVE A MORE DIVERSIFIED VOTER BASE AND AGRO GREATER NUMBER OF VOTERS ACTUALLY CHECKING THAT BOX FOR WHO THEIR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE IS, KNOWING THEIR NAME AND THEN SEEING WHAT THEY DO AND DON'T DO FOR THEM.
LATER ON, PEOPLE WILL BECOME INFORMED.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR OUR CITY IS TO MOVE ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS AND TAKE THAT BIG LEAP.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT TONIGHT AND IT'S TOO SCARY, THEN AT LEAST TAKE THE SMALL STEP FORWARD TO DO THE ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? MR. DE LA LAE? YEAH.
UH, MS. HOPKINS, THANKS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY BOTH OF THESE PROPOSALS COME FROM DISTRICT ONE RESIDENCE, YOURSELF AND, AND MYSELF.
UM, FOR AWARENESS OF OTHER FOLKS.
I THINK YOU AND I RESPECT EACH OTHER A LOT, BUT OFTEN FIND EACH OTHER AT DIFFERENT SIDES OF ISSUES AND DISTRICT ONE.
UM, BUT I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, I I THINK YOU ARE ONE OF THE PEOPLE I RESPECT THE MOST IN THE CITY.
AND HOW MUCH VOLUNTEER TIME YOU PUT IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL TIME THAT YOU COULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS TO GET FOLKS ENGAGED IN BOTH THE CITY AND THE CITY'S ELECTION PROCESS.
I WOULD EASILY ESTIMATE THAT YOU WERE PROBABLY ONE OF THE 200 PEOPLE IN THE CITY THAT KNOCKS ON THE MOST DOORS DURING OUR MAIN MUNICIPAL TIMES.
WOULD YOU THINK THAT THAT'S AN ACCURATE GUESS? YES.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE'S REALLY ANYTHING THIS ELSE THE CITY COULD DO THAT WOULD MAKE A MEANINGFUL IMPACT? AN INCREASING VOTER TURNOUT, PAYING FOR BILLBOARDS, DOING CITY COUNCIL COMPETITIONS TO GET VOTER TURNOUT OUT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ELSE BESIDES A CHANGE OF ELECTION DATE DO YOU THINK WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT? THE THERE IS NO SOLUTION.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE ON THE GROUND GRASSROOTS VOTER TURNOUT GROUPS TRYING TO DO THIS.
LIKE SOMOS TEJAS HAS GONE OUT THERE AND TRIED TO DO IT AND GET MORE HISPANIC VOTERS TO VOTE IN CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
IT DOES, IT JUST DOES NOT WORK.
YOU NEED IT TO BE FRONT AND CENTER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THIS? OKAY.
UM, SO WITH REGARDS TO AGENDA ITEM, MA'AM, UH, CAN I GET A MOTION? YES.
MOTION TO, UM, EXCLUDE AMENDMENTS 3 57 82 59.
[03:05:03]
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.DID YOU? JUST A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY.
OKAY, MR. ALI, I JUST WANT TO SEE, I I DO BELIEVE I HEARD VICKI MEEK'S NAME CALLED TO SOMEONE, I THINK SPEAK TO THIS ITEM, BUT I OH YES, VERY.
I, YEAH, I, I DEF I I'M STILL HERE.
I, I KNOW VICKY MEEK AND I'VE SEEN HER ON THE SCREEN, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE SHE CAN SPEAK.
WILL YOU, BEFORE WE MOVE ON WITH THE PERMISSION LEAVE OH, I UNDERSTAND.
IT'S, IT'S VERY LATE AND, AND IT'S BEEN BEAT TO DEATH, THIS DISCUSSION.
SO I WILL JUST SIMPLY SAY THAT I AM, UH, VICKY MEEK.
I LIVE IN DISTRICT 14, AND I WAS SUPPORTING, UH, THE AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE VOTING FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER FOR A SIMPLE REASON.
I, I FEEL THAT IT REALLY WILL INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT.
UM, AS SOMEBODY WHO'S OVER 70, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE DON'T VOTE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU.
UM, BUT I DO FEEL THAT AS MANY BARRIERS AS CAN BE, UH, ERASED AS POSSIBLE, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
UM, AND WE SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THAT PEOPLE ARE UNINTERESTED.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE HERE IN TEXAS.
I'M NOT FROM TEXAS, SO I, I CAME HERE AND WAS VERY APPALLED AT THE LOW VOTER TURNOUT THAT I, I SAW HERE.
UM, BUT I DO FEEL THERE ARE LOTS OF STRUCTURAL THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE TO HAVE THAT BE THE REALITY.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS, I THINK OUGHT TO BE DONE.
AND, AND MOVING ELECTIONS TO NOVEMBER WHEN PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT VOTING, I THINK IS, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK CAN BE DONE ODD YEARS IF YOU WANNA KEEP IT NONPARTISAN.
BUT I DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A BEEN A, A A A A SMOKE SCREEN THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING HERE IN, IN DALLAS ABOUT THIS NONPARTISAN SITUATION.
I THINK THINGS ARE PARTISAN, WE JUST DON'T CALL 'EM THAT.
UM, AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD HAVE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE VERY FEW PEOPLE VOTING WHO SHOULD BE VOTING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.
I'M SORRY FOR, UH, THAT HICCUP ON MY PART.
UH, SO WE HAVE A, A MOTION, UH, TO EXCLUDE AMENDMENTS 3 57 82 AND 59.
MS. HUNT, I APPRECIATE THE SPEAKERS WHO HAVE WORKED HARD, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A GREATER VOTER TURNOUT.
CLEARLY, YOU HAVE PERSONALLY INVESTED A GREAT DEAL OF TIME.
I VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE MOVING OUR COUNCIL ELECTIONS TO EVEN NUMBERED YEARS IN NOVEMBER.
HAVING SERVED ON THE COUNCIL, I CAN TELL YOU IT IS IMMENSELY IMPORTANT TO THE HEALTH OF OUR COUNCIL FOR OUR ELECTIONS TO BE NONPARTISAN.
AND IT IS WITH RESPECT TO ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS, IT IS NOT A SMOKE SCREEN.
HAVING SERVED ON THE COUNCIL, I WAS ABLE TO WORK ON CITY ISSUES, ON LOCAL ISSUES WITH PEOPLE THAT I KNEW WE WOULD DIFFER ON NATIONAL ISSUES.
AND IF WE BEGIN TO INTERJECT NATIONAL PARTISANSHIP INTO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE WILL LOSE THAT COMRADERY, THAT ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON ISSUES THAT SHOULD NOT BE ADDRESSED AND CANNOT BE ADDRESSED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
UM, I HAVE TO OPPOSE THIS AMENDMENT.
UH, I WAS WAITING FOR MS. MEEK TO BE, OR TO BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SPEAK, TO MAKE MY AMENDMENT BECAUSE ALL THE AMENDMENTS WERE WRAPPED UP INTO ONE EXCLUSION.
IF YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA, OR EVEN, UH, EXTENDED DISCUSSION ABOUT MOVING TO NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS, YOU HAVE TO VOTE THIS DOWN.
AND I, AND I URGE YOU TO JOIN ME IN VOTING THIS MOTION DOWN IF YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD SUPPORT NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS.
AGAIN, I'M, I'M REALLY SORRY TO MISS MEEK THAT WE HAD A MOTION THAT WAS MADE BEFORE SHE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN SPEAK.
SO I URGE THIS COMMISSION TO VOTE THIS MOTION DOWN, AND I WOULD EVEN ASK, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU STAND, VOTE THIS MOTION DOWN SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT AMENDMENT THREE.
ALLOW ME TO, TO MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE IT, SEE HOW THAT VOTE GOES, OR AMENDMENT THREE SLASH 57.
UH, AND THEN WE MAKE A MOTIONS TO EXCLUDE
[03:10:01]
EITHER 59 AND 82 OR ALL, ALL FOUR.SO I'M ASKING HONESTLY, A COURTESY, VOTE THIS DOWN AND GIVE ME A VOTE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MR. MAGOO? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
UM, I WAS, I THINK IN MAYOR ROWLING'S OFFICE WHEN HE FIRST STARTED THIS, THIS SUGGESTION AND PUSH.
AND MY INITIAL RESPONSE WAS, YEAH, I MEAN, IT JUST, THERE'S MORE VOTERS.
A LOT OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT YOU HEAR AND HAVE HEARD, I MEAN, IT, IT MADE SENSE TO ME.
AND THEN I RAN FOR OFFICE AND I KNOCKED ON ALL THOSE DOORS.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST LESSONS I LEARNED WAS WHEN WE GOT THE, THE APP THAT TELLS YOU WHICH DOORS TO KNOCK ON AND EVERYTHING.
AND I'D WALK BY AND I'D SEE A, A, A HOUSE THAT HAD EVERY SIGN IN THEIR YARD.
THEY'RE ENGAGED IN EVERY PART OF THE CITY AND HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I'D SIT THERE AND I'D, AND, AND MY APP TOLD ME NOT TO TALK TO 'EM.
AND THEN I'D GO TALK TO 'EM ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTIVE.
I WANNA TALK TO EVERYBODY, AND I'D HAVE A 20 MINUTE CONVERSATION WITH THEM, AND WE'D END BY SAYING, WELL, CAN I COUNT ON YOUR VOTE? CAN I HAVE YOU COME OUT? THEY'RE LIKE, NO, WE DON'T VOTE.
AND IT'S LIKE, WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? AND, AND SO I'M APPALLED BY VOTER TURNOUT IN MAY AND IN NOVEMBER, GOING TO NOVEMBER IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. THERE'S APATHY.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF WAYS THAT THEN I, IT BECAME MY JOB AS A CANDIDATE TO REALLY START WORKING TO GENERATE INTEREST IN THE ISSUES THAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT FOR MY DISTRICT AND TO CONTINUE TO WORK IT TO GET PEOPLE INTERESTED ENOUGH TO COME VOTE.
AND SO I'M HUGELY IN FAVOR OF MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE ENGAGED COMING OUT TO VOTE, BUT IT'S GETTING THEM ENGAGED.
AND SO IN ANY WAY WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT, UM, I'M HUGELY IN SUPPORT OF MORE EDUCATION ABOUT WHO THE CANDIDATES ARE, WHAT THEY BELIEVE, WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
WE NEED MORE CANDIDATE FORUMS. WE NEED, UM, MORE SCRUTINY ON THE CANDIDATES, MORE MEDIA FOCUS.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO INCREASE WHEN YOU START PUTTING CITY COUNCIL RACES WITH OTHER ITEMS. IT, YOU NEED THE FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY.
I 100% AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HUNT OR COMMISSIONER HUNT.
UM, WE CANNOT ALIGN IT WITH THE, THE PARTISAN RACES, BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH OUR SPEAKER.
WHEN YOU GO VOTE NOW AND LOOK, YOU'RE GONNA START GOING DOWN BALLOT AND WHO DOES ALL THE RESEARCH THEY NEED TO DO ON THE JUDGES? YOU KNOW, IT'S THE, IT'S DIMINISHING RETURNS AS YOU GO DOWN, THE FOCUS DOWN THE BALLOT REDUCES.
AND IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE SOLVING ALL OUR PROBLEMS, I'LL MOVE IT INTO NOVEMBER.
I JUST 100% DISAGREE WITH THAT.
IN FACT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH LESS FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL.
AND HAVING KNOCKED ON THOSE DOORS AND WALKED, YOU HAVE TO EACH, EACH PERSON HAS A DIFFERENT WHY ON WHY THEY'RE NOT ENGAGED, AND IT'S HARD TO BUILD THAT INTEREST.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND IF I'M DOWN BALLOT AND PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED AND THEY'RE COMING TO VOTE ON THE TOP, THEY'RE, MANY OF THE PEOPLE I TALK TO GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND THEY'RE JUST NOT PAYING AS CLOSE ATTENTION.
AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK THAT'S PROBLEMSOME WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE MIGHT END UP DOING, UM, WORSE THAN WHAT OUR GOAL IS HERE.
AND SO MORE IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER.
THAT BEING SAID, I THINK WE ALL NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED IN THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND I THINK THE MORE FORUMS YOU HAVE, THAT'S THE OTHER THING PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE.
WHEN YOU HAVE MORE THINGS ON THE BALLOT, THOSE THINGS DRAW ATTENTION OR MORE PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE FOCUSING ON OTHER RACES AND NOT AS MUCH ON CITY COUNCIL RACES.
EVEN WHEN WE HAVE OUR CANDIDATE FORUMS NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'RE HAVING TO BULK 'EM TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE RUNNING AT ONCE, AND YOU JUST LOSE SOME OF THAT ATTENTION.
SO MY PROPOSAL OR HOPE IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE MAY ELECTIONS, LET THAT BE THE TIME WHERE WE ELECT OUR, OUR LOCAL FOLKS, KEEP THE POLITICS OUT OF IT AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND DO THE BEST WE CAN FOR GOVERNMENTS IN THE CITY.
UH, THE FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS I WANNA COMMEND COMMISSIONER
HE'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I DO FEEL I, AT LEAST, SO COURTESY, WHETHER WE VOTE ON THIS NOW OR SOME POINT IN TIME, THOUGH, I WOULD INTEND ON PUTTING ON THIS NOW BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE I'VE BEEN, AT LEAST I, I THINK AS YOUR COLLEAGUE, AT LEAST THE COURTESY OF SAYING SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU PUT ARGUMENT MADE, WHICH MANY WAYS, UH, MADE THIS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT OF A DECISION, UH, THAT I'LL
[03:15:01]
MAKE.UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTFUL IDEAS AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF EVIDENCE THAT I THINK, UH, MAKE A COMPELLING CASE.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, UH, I DO AGREE COMMISSIONER MOU, COMMISSIONER HUNT, UM, HAS SAID, BUT I WANNA GO A LITTLE BIT FURTHER FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING AND FOR THAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE OFF CYCLE OR NOVEMBER ON CYCLE ELECTION.
AND THAT'S THE BIGGER
NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS DOMINO EFFECT THAT AFTER, UH, THIS WORD YOU COME INTO PLACE, UM, AND ABOUT OTHER LOCAL NONPARTISAN MUNICIPAL ELECTION, NOT FORMER FASHION, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I SERVE ON THE DALLAS I STATE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WRITTEN APPRECIATE NOT HAVING TO DEAL POLITICS OR HE'S HAVING TO DEAL WITH THEM, UH, WHEN I WAS DOING PROFESSOR
THE, THE MAIN POINT THAT I THINK I WILL MAKE ON THIS IS WHEN WE MAKE THIS DECISION, OR WE TO PASS MEMBER ON OR OFFITE ELECTIONS IS GOING TO IMPACT INSTITUTIONS LIKE DALLAS, ISD, DALLAS, ISD, HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THEY WILL LIKELY THEN HAVE TO MOVE THEIR ELECTIONS AS WELL.
BUT THEY ARE ON THREE YEAR STAGGERED TERMS FOR THEIR COUNCIL.
AND IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY WOULD THEIR GOVERNING SYSTEM AS WELL, WHICH THEN MEANS THAT EVERY OTHER NOVEMBER COULD HAVE PARTISAN SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS, WHICH IS THE LAST PLACE WE SHOULD BE INJECTING HYPER-PARTISANSHIP.
UH, IT'S ALREADY ATTEMPTING TO BE THERE, BUT LIKE, BUT FORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE IT AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD SEE AT IT ON NOVEMBER, ON OR OFF CYCLE OF ELECTION.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, I'LL BE VOTING NEGATIVE, UH, OR POSITIVE IN THIS, UH, OFF AND NOT HAVING IT CONSIDERED THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, MS. HUNT.
I, I KNOW IT'S LATE, MY FRIENDS, UM, BUT WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS HERE.
AND ONE OF US WOULD REALLY, WHO'S WORKED VERY HARD ON SOMETHING, WOULD LIKE US TO SEPARATE THIS.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT, AND WITH RESPECT TO MY COLLEAGUE, I, I HOPE WE CAN, UM, ALLOW MR. DE LA FUENTE TO HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS, UH, AMENDMENT THREE.
I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE THIS MOTION, UH, DOES INCLUDE HIS PROPOSITION.
SO WOULDN'T HE BE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS NOW, UH, BEFORE WE TAKE THIS VOTE, WHY WOULD WE HAVE TO VOTE THIS DOWN TO ALLOW HIM TO DISCUSS, AND I MEAN, HE HAS DISCUSSED TONIGHT, BUT TO LET HIM HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE THIS DOWN.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, THERE WILL STILL BE ONE AMENDMENT REMAINING.
UH, SHOULD THIS MOTION CARRY, UH, IF THE MOTION DOESN'T CARRY, THEN THERE CAN BE A MOTION TO INCLUDE AT WHICH POINT ANY MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION IS FREE TO TALK ON IT, INCLUDING MR. DE LA FUENTE.
SO CAN WE GET, UH, IS THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS IN THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE 3 57 AND 80 82 AND 59? UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I JUST, I WANNA ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS COMMISSIONER MAGOO HAS SAID, AND THAT IS, I BELIEVE THAT KEEPING OUR ELECTIONS IN MAY DOES ALLOW US TO FOCUS ON THE CITY COUNCIL, EVEN IF WE'RE IN THE YEARS WHERE THERE'S ONLY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.
THIS YEAR, THE OVERRIDING AMENDMENT WAS THE PROPERTY TAX RELEASE AND EVERYONE WAS FOCUSED ON THAT.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU GO DOWN THE BALLOT, YOU LOSE PEOPLE PAYING ATTENTION.
AND I ALSO BELIEVE, EVEN LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS, AND I'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED AT SOME, THAT THE PEOPLE THAT TEND TO VOTE IN CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS ARE THE PEOPLE THAT TEND TO VOTE IN CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ELECTIONS.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT KEEPING A FOCUS ON OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
MR. CAMPBELL, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ECHO COMMISSIONER HUNT'S SENTIMENT HERE.
[03:20:01]
'CAUSE IF YOU WANNA VOTE NO ON THIS, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU WANNA VOTE NO ON, UH, FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK IT DESERVES A MOTION TO INCLUDE, UM, I THINK IT DESERVES ITS OWN VOTE NOT TO BE INCLUDED WITH, UH, THE ODD NUMBER, OR SORRY, WITH THE EVEN NUMBER, UH, NOVEMBER VOTE.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO BE VOTING NO ON THIS MOTION.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, HANG ON ACTUALLY, MS. LOWERY.
OH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CONCUR WITH WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HUNT AND COMMISSIONER STEWART CAMPBELL SAID.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS, AND I THINK THEY NEED TO BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
UM, COMMISSIONER CLAP BROUGHT UP A NOTION THAT THE PEOPLE THAT VOTE IN MAY OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT VOTE IN NOVEMBER OF ODD NUMBERED YEARS ARE THE SAME GROUP.
I KNOW COMMISSIONER SOLIS PUT IN A REQUEST BACK IN OCTOBER FOR THE CITY TO ASK THE COUNTY FOR DATA ON THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I'M A HUGE NERD WITH THIS STUFF AND, AND PARSING OUT WHO VOTES IN THE CITY, WHO, WHO IN THE CITY OF DALLAS VOTES IN MAY, AND WHO VOTES IN NOVEMBER.
NOT THE VOTER TURNOUT, BUT THE WHO IT IS IS SO TIME CONSUMING AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WITHOUT THE DATA FROM DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS.
I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT MYSELF.
SO I'M HOPING THAT, I THINK THIS REQUEST WAS MADE OVER A HUNDRED DAYS AGO.
HAS DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS ACTUALLY GOTTEN BACK TO US? DO WE HAVE THAT DATA? YEAH.
UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, COMMISSIONER, I AM, I'M BASING MY COMMENTS ON HAVING BEEN AN ELECTION JUDGE SINCE 1976 AND SEEING THE PEOPLE IN MY PRECINCT THAT VOTE IN THOSE ELECTIONS.
SO I'M, I DON'T HAVE COUNTYWIDE DATA.
I JUST HAVE MY OWN HOME PRECINCT DATA AND SEEING IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, MR. CHAIR? I DO, UH, MR. FRANKLIN.
AND JUST AS FOR THE RECORD, I MEAN, I DID OVER WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER HUNT SAID, UH, I, I THINK THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER DE LA FUENTE PUT A LOT OF WORK IN THIS, AND I THINK HE DESERVES AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON THE SPECIFIC, UH, AMENDMENT FOR THE ODD NUMBER OF YEARS, UH, FOR NOVEMBER ELECTION.
I'M, UH, WHOLEHEARTED IN SUPPORT OF, YOU KNOW, KEEPING OUR ELECTIONS NONPARTISAN.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT, THAT THE STATUS QUO HAS FAILED US.
I KNOW WE'VE MENTIONED FOR, FOR DECADES, AT LEAST FOR THE LAST 10, 15, 20 YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, LOWER VOTER TURNOUT IN THESE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
AND I, I, I'VE YET TO HEAR OF, OF A, OF A NOVEL IDEA THAT HAS NOT BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT OVER THAT TIME TO INCREASE, UH, UH, VOTER TURNOUT.
UH, STATUS QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME.
UH, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ALTERNATIVE, UH, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN INCREASE, UH, VOTER TURNOUT.
UH, THE DATA THAT DE LA FUENTE HAS, UH, HAS PRESENTED, HAS BEEN COMPELLING, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE SAME AMOUNT OF COMPELLING DATA, UH, OTHERWISE.
AND ACTUALLY RAISE YOUR HANDS, IF YOU WILL.
IS THAT RIGHT? NAY SIX WITH MR. SLIS, MR. CHAIR, CAN I CHANGE? I MEANT, I MEANT TO VOTE.
I MEANT TO VOTE WITH THESE PEOPLE.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE AN NAY.
THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE DOES NOT CARRY ANY OTHER MOTIONS.
WITH REGARDS TO, UH, THIS AGENDA ITEM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE AMENDMENTS THREE AND 57, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE IDENTICAL.
UH, THERE'S A SECOND DISCUSSION.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO INCLUDE, WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS AGAIN? UM, EXCUSE ME.
THIS IS WILLOW SANCHEZ, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO THE MOTION TO INCLUDE THESE TWO ITEMS, I IMAGINE YOU'RE ALSO SAYING
[03:25:01]
INCLUDES THE TRIGGER.SO THAT WHEN STATE LAW HAS CHANGED, WE ARE ABLE TO, THEREFORE OUR MOTION IS NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION.
APPROVE AMENDMENTS THREE AND 57 WITH A TRIGGER TO BE WORKED OUT BY THE CITY.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? MR. CAMPBELL? DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
I'M AN, I'M AN I AND YOU GOT SLEEVES.
NO, HE'S RAISING HIS HAND NOW.
UH, THERE ARE SIX AYES AND NINE NAYS.
SO THE MOTION DOES NOT CARRY ANY OTHER MOTIONS RELATIVE TO, UH, THIS AGENDA ITEM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXCLUDE 59 AND 82? DON'T HAVE TO.
THEY'RE ONLY INCLUDED IF, OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO INCLUDE 'EM, BUT IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN.
MR. YOUNG, I MOVE TO EXCLUDE ITEMS 59 AND 82.
DISCUSSION? UH, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ALL RIGHT, THE MOTION CARRIES.
UM, MOVING ON THEN TO AGENDA ITEM N.
IT RELATES TO THE WAITING PERIOD FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS BETWEEN SERVING THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE TERMS AND ANY FUTURE SERVICE ON COUNCIL.
TWO AMENDMENTS WERE SUBMITTED, ONE OF WHICH WOULD PROHIBIT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM SERVICE ON THE COUNCIL AFTER HAVING TERMED OUT THE OTHER WOULD SIMPLY EXTEND THE WAITING PERIOD FROM TWO YEARS OR ONE TERM TO FOUR YEARS.
TWO TERMS. UH, THE SUBMITTERS OF THESE ITEMS, UH, EITHER ARE OR WERE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WELCOME THEM TO COME FORWARD.
I, I SHOW, UH, MS. WILLIAMS. MS. WILLIAMS, ARE YOU ONLINE? I DON'T SEE MS. WILLIAMS. MS. WILLIAMS, CAN YOU HEAR US? UH, THERE'S MS. WILLIAMS WILLIAMS. MS. WILLIAMS, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU CHECK YOUR, UH, SPEAKER PLEASE? MICROPHONE, WE STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN SOMEONE MESSAGE HER? HANG, HANG ON A SECOND.
I DUNNO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME ALRIGHT.
WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT THOSE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, UM, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON, I DON'T BELIEVE SHE'S HERE ONLINE.
I KNOW SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT SHE MAY BE ONLINE, UH, FILED A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TOO.
IS SHE AVAILABLE TO SPEAK? I DON'T THINK SO.
IS KARA HERE TO PRESENT? YEAH.
SHE HAD A DEATH IN THE FAMILY AS WELL.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO MOVE TO THE OTHER INDIVIDUAL I KNEW THAT HAD A PROPOSED AMENDMENT WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO WORK OUT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH MS. WILLIAMS. SO, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YES, SIR.
SO I READ THESE AND I WAS, I FORGOT TO SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT AND Y'ALL WOULD LET ME SUBMIT ONE.
UH, CAN I ADD AN AMENDMENT THAT IF YOU RUN FOR COUNCIL ONCE, THEN YOU CAN'T RUN AND LOSE AND YOU CAN'T RUN AGAIN? I'M JOKING.
BY THE WAY, MS. WILLIAMS, WILL YOU NOD YOUR HEAD IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OR RAISE YOUR, WILL YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU CAN HEAR ME? SHE CAN'T HEAR ME.
MEMBERS, UH, MR. ANDERSON'S TRYING
[03:30:01]
TO WORK OUT THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH HER.WE'LL GIVE IT A, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK THIS OUT.
IF NOT, WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE ON.
MR. CHAIR, WOULD IT BE IN ORDER TO TAKE UP THE CALENDAR WHILE WE'RE WAITING? THAT IS A BRILLIANT IDEA.
UM, SO THERE'S A MOTION TO TAKE UP THE CALENDAR WHILE WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET MS. WILLIAMS ONLINE.
SO THAT'S, UH, AND MEMBERS, THAT'S, UH, AGENDA ITEM O UM, IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 5TH, WHICH IS ALSO THE NIGHT OF THE MARCH PRIMARY ELECTION HERE IN TEXAS.
SO, WANTED TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION WITH THIS AGENDA ITEM ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD CHANGE THE DATE OF THAT MEETING TO ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC AND THOSE OF US WHO MAY BE VOTING OR VOLUNTEERING THAT EVENING.
I ASKED THE STAFF TO LOOK AT OTHER DATES, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR, UH, THE BEST PROPOSED DATE THAT LISA, AS WE CAN SEE IT, Y'ALL MAY HAVE SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS, IS MONDAY, MARCH 4TH, MONDAY, MARCH 4TH.
DO YOU NEED A MOTION? WOULD NEED A MOTION? I WOULD MOVE TO MOVE OUR MEETING TO MONDAY, MARCH 4TH.
SECOND DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
THE MOTION, UH, CARRIES RELATIVE TO AGENDA.
ITEM O IS TO MOVE THE MEETING TO MARCH 5TH.
UH, I, I DO HAVE A MOTION OF AS CALENDAR RELATED ON BEHALF OF, UH, COMMISSIONER STEIN? YES.
OKAY, GO AHEAD MR. FRANKLIN, PLEASE.
I'LL JUST GIVE IT A FEW TAKES WHILE THE ACTUAL MOTION IS BEING, UH, CIRCULATED.
UH, SO AT THIS TIME, I, I MOVE THE FOLLOWING ITEM ON THE MARCH 4TH AGENDA, UH, CONSIDERATION OF AMENDING THE CHARTER TO REQUIRE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ONLY NOMINATE INDIVIDUALS FOR POSITIONS ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WHO RESIDE IN THE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF THE NOMINATING COUNCIL MEMBER.
IF SUCH AN, AN APPOINTEE CANNOT BE FOUND, A COUNCIL MEMBER MAY APPOINT A CITY RESIDENT OUTSIDE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S DISTRICT PENDING A VOTE OF APPROVAL OF TWO THIRDS OF THE FULL CITY COUNCIL.
THIS VOTE MUST BE SEPARATE FROM THE VOTE CONFIRMING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS.
SUCH APPOINTMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT WILL HAVE A TERM OF SERVICE OF NO MORE THAN 12 MONTHS, BUT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REAPPOINTMENT.
AND BY THE SAME FULL COUNCIL APPROVAL PROCESS, THE MAYOR CAN APPOINT ANYONE AS LONG AS THEY LIVE IN THE CITY.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO ADD THIS, IT ISN'T TO, UH, IT'S A MOTION TO INCLUDE, IT'S JUST TO ADD IT, THIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO OUR NEXT MEETING FOR CONSIDERATION.
IS THERE A SECOND? WELL, THAT WAS A MOTION, UH, ON BEHALF OF, UH, COMMISSIONER STEIN.
AND SO I WOULD SECOND THAT MOTION.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE AN AYE.
1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
UH, GOING BACK TO AGENDA ITEM N MS. WILLIAMS, CAN YOU HEAR US? WELL, THAT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD, DOES IT? SO, MS. WILLIAMS, UH, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT PROHIBITS US FROM BEING ABLE TO HAVE A, A CONVERSATION WITH YOU, OBVIOUSLY GIVEN THE, THE FORMAT WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, WITH YOU BEING ONLINE.
UH, WELL, MS. WILLIAMS, I WISH WE COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR YOU AND, AND, AND VISIT WITH YOU MORE, BUT IT'S NOT WORKING TECHNOLOGY WISE.
SO, UH, WITH REGARDS TO AGENDA ITEM N, CAN I GET A MOTION OR ANY MOTIONS? CAN I HAVE A, A MOTION TO EXCLUDE 38 AND 44 DISCUSSION? OKAY.
UH, ALL IN FAVOR? THE MOTION TO EXCLUDE.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S THE LAST AGENDA ITEM, UH, WE HAVE TONIGHT.
[03:35:01]
WE ADJOURN, I UNDERSTAND.OKAY, SO OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS ON WHAT, WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK IS THAT? ON MONDAY, MARCH 4TH IS MONDAY, MARCH 4TH AT 6:30 PM UH, WE'LL BE GETTING THROUGH THE REMAINING AMENDMENTS SO THAT DURING THE MARCH 26TH MEETING, I'M SORRY, THE MARCH 4TH MEETING, WE CAN VOTE ON FINAL.
THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING IS ON MARCH 4TH AT SIX 30.
WE'LL BE GETTING THROUGH THE REST OF THE REMAINING AMENDMENTS SO THAT DURING THE MARCH 26TH MEETING, WE CAN VOTE ON FINAL INCLUSION OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR REPORT TO THE COUNCIL WITH NO FURTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS.
THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION IS CONCLUDED AT 10:06 PM THANK YOU.