Donna Halstead

So Long, Suhm

As the city manager rides off into the sunset, let's get a strong mayor in the saddle.

Citizen Council PAC Paves Way for Trinity Toll Road

City council members grilled over whethere they support a boondoggle

Vonciel Hill: City Council Member, Prophet, Theologian and Sell-Out

This is a little embarrassing. Nobody wants to say it. It's sort of rude, I guess. Uh-oh. Sounds like my job. OK. Here goes. Dallas City Council member Vonciel Hill is a mean-spirited, spiteful suck-up to the rich who is also increasingly unhinged. Ugly-talking. And way over the top out of bounds ... More >>

Why Wait for Mike Rawlings' Trinity Toll Road Speech When We Know What He'll Say?

Yesterday Joe told you that Mike Rawlings, our mayor, is having a press conference today to announce how he feels about the Trinity River Toll Road. So guess who's got to go to the damn thing at 12:30? OK, OK, I'm doin' it. Wow, everybody doesn't just need to get in a big huge wad about it. I'll g ... More >>

Garcia Defends Private Redistricting Meetings; Calls Morgan, Halstead "Dinosaurs of Dallas"

Ruth Morgan addressing Mayor Mike Rawlings in a clip that follows after the jump​As we noted yesterday, during her presentation of the Redistricting Commission's proposed map to the city council, chair Ruth Morgan mentioned that one member of the commission, whom she later identified as Domingo Ga ... More >>

So Much For Transparency: Garcia Held Private Meetings Before Redistricting Map Hit Council

Domingo Garcia, a week before he called his closed-door meetings with the Redistricting Commission​This morning, the city council got its first formal look at the just-completed redistricting map proposal, Plan 16d, presented by redistricting chair Ruth Morgan and vice chair Billy Ratcliff. And du ... More >>

Marvin Crenshaw, Dwaine Caraway and Sandra Crenshaw on the Fate of Dallas's Black Districts

Anna's gotten to know the city awfully well in a very short amount of time -- that's what sitting through every single redistricting meeting will do to and for you. And she was there for four hours last night, even though she's got a cover story due, like, now. And she'll be there all d ... More >>

Dwaine Caraway Speaks at Longest Redistricting Commission Meeting Ever & Other Highlights

The end is near ... sort of. The city's Redistricting Commission is inching towards putting together a city map it can forward on to the city council, and everyone -- the public and commissioners alike -- is trying to get in a parting shot before then. Last night's meeting was a marathon ... More >>

This Whole Commission's Out of Order: City of Dallas's Redistricting Fun Really Begins

Wonder if Ruth Morgan's having fun right about now​OK, no one has actually studied the effects of redistricting on the human body, but after last night it seems safe to say that the longer a redistricting process goes on, the grouchier everybody gets. At the county level, we have Maurine Dickey's ... More >>

Domingo, As a Member of the Redistricting Commission, You Should Really Know Better

Click to embiggen Domingo Garcia's submitted map.​Like I said Friday, when we looked at Dwaine Caraway and Carolyn Davis's messed-up maps, Anna's heading to that Redistricting Commission meeting this evening at City Hall -- sooooo lucky. (Tell Sandra Crenshaw that Schutze sends his warmest regards ... More >>

Redistricting Commission Nixes Halstead's Map But Praises the Work of One Sam Merten

Photo by Anna MerlanAt right, a former Unfair Park-er makes the case for his map to the Redistricting Commission last night.​At last, an interesting Redistricting Commission meeting. And a vaguely star-studded one too. Among those in attendance at last night's meeting: council members Dwaine Caraw ... More >>

Fun With Redistricting, or: Well, Look Who Done Submitted a Map to the Commission

Map by Sam MertenClick to embiggen a former Unfair Park-er's proposed redistricting map​Steve Thompson beat me to it, but no matter. Because, see, in advance of this evening's meeting of the city's Redistricting Commission, some of us were sneak-peeking the public's submissions made to the commiss ... More >>

When City Unveils Its New Districts, It's Hoping to Avoid Mess Facing State and Dallas County

Ruth Morgan​In case you hadn't heard, the state and county redistricting processes have already gotten a tad ... heated, let's say, what with all the threats of lawsuits and the temper tantrums. The city of Dallas's Redistricting Commission is trying to avoid the same fate on the local level: Its ... More >>

As Commission Begins Redrawing Dallas's Districts, Barton and Smith at War Over State's

Congressman Joe Barton​The Redistricting Commission, charged with redrawing city council district boundaries, meets tomorrow at 6 p.m. at City Hall, at which time commission members Domingo Garcia, Donna Halstead and Gary Griffith and chair Ruth Morgan will present to the public early-look maps an ... More >>

Mayor Dwaine Caraway's "Calling a New Play"

Photos by Sam MertenMayor Dwaine Caraway, his wife and council member Dave Neumann this morning at the City Hall Flag Room.​Just minutes before presiding over his first meeting as the city's newly minted mayor, Dwaine Caraway assured a group of around 150 folks gathered for a light breakfast i ... More >>

While Breaking Ground for Convention Center Hotel, Mayor Tom Leppert Unveils Updated Design and Becomes Bellhop for a Day

Sam MertenCaption contest!It took Mayor Tom Leppert approximately two years to accomplish what no one else in Dallas could: begin building a convention center hotel. And hundreds of assorted politicos, city officials, business leaders and supporters were on hand Tuesday afternoon at the site of the ... More >>

The Convention Center Hotel Vote is Not Just About a Building. It’s About a Mayor.

Jerry Allen and the Former Dallas City Council ... All-Stars? Sure. Go With That.

Bill Blayes, Alan Walne and Donna Halstead -- The Ex-Council Members out of costume!Few days back we peeked at Carolyn Davis and Dwaine Caraway's what-updates as served up on Dallas Delivers, the city's riotous no-holds-barred talk show served up on Time Warner Cable Channel 16. Alas, some of us don ... More >>

Dallas' Political Designing Woman

When Dallas' political elite need a win, Carol Reed cheers them on and calls the plays

Politicians Uniting Behind the Trinity Toll Road

Nov. 6? Yeah, We Can Clear the Day.

Think, Goddamnit!

The Magic Touch

Want to know who to vote for? Whatever you do, don't ask Jim.

Doom, Gloom and the Undeniable Truth

Ethical dilemma

It was reformers vs. the business-as-usual crowd on Dallas' ethics task force. Somehow the reformers won. Sort of.

Buzz

Spanish flyways; Friends in low places; So long, friend

Peep-hole power

It's a scary world out there, but someone's gotta keep it under control. Jim Schutze uncovers the secret agony of the Dallas Citizens Council.

Parting shots

As Laura Miller rides off to tilt at political windmills, we recall some of her choicest words

Private dealing

How Ron Kirk killed the public arena briefing

Spouting rubbish

Dallas has run out of recycling excuses

Sex and city hall

How strip bars have their way with the Dallas city council

Blood sport

There are two to blame for the Kirk-Fielding feud

Lies on Tape

Secret city documents expose arena-study coverup at City Hall.

Behind closed doors

What the council says in secret.

Buzz

Who ya gonna call?

City Hall's top brass use taxpayer-provided mobile phones to call sweethearts, power brokers, and Pizza Hut.

Desperate dealing

City scrambles to finance arena privately--and steal racetrack back from Fort Worth

Let them cast ballots

Why can't citizens vote on new arena?

The racer's edge

Hunt alliance gives weaker track developer big edge

The Arena Papers

Inside the secret City Hall files: A tale of dupes and deception