One thing is clear from Dallas attorney Marcos Ronquillo's first mayoral campaign press release: He's looking to make his May 2015 contest with incumbent Mike Rawlings a single-issue showdown, a third referendum on the Trinity toll road.
"The proposed Trinity River toll road project has been controversial from day one," Ronquillo said. "With the promise of new park space and fancy sailboats along a series of new Trinity River lakes, voters narrowly approved the project. But this plan has evolved into nothing more than a $1.5 billion boondoggle -- a poorly conceived idea that gets drastically more expensive every time it is discussed."
Last Friday, during a meeting with the editorial board of The Dallas Morning News, Rawlings made it clear that he believes those who oppose the toll road -- the Greyson/Griggs/Kingston/Medrano faction on the City Council and others -- are disrespecting the will of Dallas voters.
"What voters voted on has not changed. ... The bigger question there is really respect for the rule of law and respect for democracy," he said.
Ronquillo accused Rawlings of abdicating his fiscal responsibility to the city.
"Last week, we had city leaders doubling down on their support for the $1.5 billion toll road project. But, they are gambling with our tax dollars on a high risk venture that threatens the future of our great city," he said.
