vote today

We apologize for the hiatus we've accidentally hit upon this month, but would like to remind you nonetheless to get out to the polls today before 7 p.m.!

Readers, please leave any recommendations on who to vote for in the comments.

In the city of Dallas, NTL likes more than one candidate for mayor, but in Place 12 we can wholeheartedly recommend the progressive candidate, John McClelland.

In Arlington, we'd like to recommend a vote for Marvin Sutton in Place 3, and so would several Star-Telegram readers.

In Flower Mound, we recommend re-electing the incumbents (Lindsey, Tasker and Trotter) and in Highland Village we recommend Pete Silva.

Anyone else have any suggestions for North Texas voters? Keep us in the loop in the comments!

Meet McClelland at Timberglen Library

Residents in the area of the Timberglen Branch Library of Dallas have an opportunity to meet John McClelland, candidate for Dallas City Council District 12. Mr. McClelland will be appearing at a Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday night.

What: Meet and Greet with John McClelland

When: April 11 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Where: Timberglen Branch of the Dallas Public Library

18505 Midway Road, Dallas 75287

Don't miss this opportunity to meet John and hear him discuss his plans for reducing crime, wasteful spending and other ideas to achieve a safer city and make Dallas a better place to live.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the McClelland campaign. Join me. ]

Whosplayin Interviews John McClelland

A new political season is kicking off and Whosplayin is back doing what it does best -providing in-depth interviews with the candidates. Here's a preview of Steve Southwell's interview of Dallas City Council candidate John McClelland. To read the rest, click here.

WhosPlayin: Dallas, and indeed the entire North Texas area suffers from very poor air quality. As you know, the air we breathe doesn't respect city limits and state borders. Mayor Laura Miller has taken a pro-active role in reaching out with other cities to prevent the proposed TXU coal-fired power plants to our west. What actions can the City of Dallas take to protect its natural resources and still be the thriving center of commerce that it is?

John McClelland: I believe the city could be a model in using alternative energy if we put our minds to it. Many of the DART buses already run on natural gas, which keeps emissions lower than diesel burning engines. We could possibly replace other city vehicles with flex fuel vehicles once they become cost effective for the city to purchase. DART's 2030 plan may also help to lower car use in the city once it expands the bus service and builds new rail lines throughout the city. Using mass transit is a matter of convenience to people, so it has to be easy to access. And in reference to what Mayor Miller is doing, I think it is wonderful. The air quality here certainly does not need to be made worse by TXU. My allergies are bad enough as it is. I can not imagine what asthma sufferers go through. I believe Rick Perry has been enjoying too much of the TXU Kool-Aid if he thinks fast tracking these polluting plants is a good idea.

WhosPlayin: What is your view of the proper role of city government, and is the Dallas Council getting it right? In other words, where would you do more, and what do you think the city council should avoid?

John McClelland: I think the current City Council and Mayor all have the right intentions for our city. I don't believe they intentionally try to do the wrong thing. But I think our Council has lost sight of what reality is sometimes. Some of the City Council members would rather rule their own little city district as a principality unto itself and ignore everyone else, but I do not believe that is how our city should be run. We need to look at the broader picture and help the entire city, even though as a Councilman I would represent only a smaller section. However with the
situation being that we have a City Manager who is supposed to actually run our city, with the support of the City Council (and a Mayor who is no more than just another Council member in terms of power), we all need to work together to make the city function. And that will especially be true this spring when we are set to replace at least ½ of the current City Council, as well as the Mayor. It will be a new Council with fresh ideas, I hope.

WhosPlayin: I can see your point there. When I think of the reality of what I expect out of my city, the first things that come to my mind are reliable utilities, garbage pickup, code enforcement, and police and fire protection. Do you think the council spends too much time on lofty ideas for "projects" rather than oversight of essential city services? You mentioned the Trinity River Project on your website.

John McClelland: Some of the council has its head in the clouds, no doubt. The goal is to make Dallas an attractive, nice place to live. But when you're a citizen of the city, the small things are what matter in every day life. And they need to be taken with as much seriousness as any project that wants to reroute a river. Making sure Time Warner is doing what it is supposed to be doing; making sure the trash collection is being managed in the right way; helping to alleviate why it took a fire station 15 minutes to respond to a lightning strike that burnt a house to the ground- those are the items a Councilman should be more in tune with. They may be small to people with lofty goals, but they are no less important.

Please visit his website and make a generous contribution to John McClelland's campaign.

north texas municipal election results

In Dallas County, things are looking up. Irving residents overwhelmingly approved a new tax on fans and players at Texas Stadium to be used for redevelopment.

Coppell residents approved bonds that would buy land from developers near North Lake in Dallas. The incumbent Mayor Doug Stover was able to easily defeat his challenger to secure another term.

Carrollton voted to return all incumbents to the city council: Tim Hayden, Larry Don Williams, Pat Malone, and Herb Weidinger all held off challengers to keep their seats.

In Lancaster, voters approved of their incumbent by electing Joe Tillotson to another term as mayor of the city, but turned down a $93.6 million bond package.

In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, Howard Fisher will replace retiring Robert Harris in Place 3. In the Irving Independent School District, Place 3 incumbent Randy Stipes will retain his seat and newcomer Valerie Jones will take Place 4 in the stead of retiring Ruben Franco.

Richardson supported their city and their schools by approving two bond packages, totalling around $200 million. The majority of the city's package will be focused on street improvement and the school's package is mainly aimed at facilities.

Over in Collin County, Plano Mayor Pat Evans retained her seat. "I am just thrilled," she said. "I think they [voters] are really happy with the direction the city is going."

In Plano's only contested City Council race, Mayor Pro Tem Scott Johnson fended off substitute teacher Linda "Lynn" Johnson for the Place 2 seat. The two are not related.

The Plano Independent School District chose to keep Vice President Melody Timinsky in Place 6. In Place 7, Missy Bender will replace the retiring Allan Bird.

McKinney voters decided to re-elect Mayor Bill Whitfield. In District 1, voters retained incumbent councilwoman Gilda Garza. Bill Cox won an at-large seat on the council.

Out in Ellis County, Mayor Russell R. Thomas of Ennis will retain his seat. Incumbents Joe Jenkins and Ron Wilkinson retained their seats on the Waxahachie City Council and and newcomer Joe Gallo will join them.

In the Dallas Independent School District, voters ousted the head of that governing body, Lois Parrott, and replaced her with Leigh Ann Ellis. Mrs. Ellis said, "This is not just a win for me; it's a win for our district – the PTAs, the principals, the parents."

District 9 voters returned Ron Price to the seat he has held for nine years. Mr. Price, the board's first vice president, defeated Bernadette Nutall in a close race.

In District 1, incumbent Edwin Flores easily defeated challenger Linus Spiller.

None of the seven candidates in District 6 won a majority of the votes, forcing a runoff election next month between Carla Ranger, who received the most votes, and Jordan Blair.

Mr. Blair beat out candidate Carol King Arnold by three votes. Dallas County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet said it's possible that Ms. Arnold will ask for a recount.

"That's about as close as I remember for a runoff," Mr. Sherbet said of the vote margin separating Mr. Blair and Ms. Arnold.

Kathy Coffman, past president of the Dallas Council of PTAs, said Ms. Ellis' win signifies a new day in DISD.

"This is a historical day in DISD when an incumbent gets beat," Ms. Coffman said. "The sun is coming up in DISD. The fact that voters are taking enough interest to say, 'Enough is enough.' "

For Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, the election results mean he can probably move forward with his ambitious plan to transform DISD into one of the nation's top urban school systems.

In Denton County, the incumbent Mayor of Lewisville, Gene Carey, held off an interesting political challenger named Brandon Cooper, an eighteen-year-old senior at Lewisville High School. Mayor Carey also faced a high school student in 2001.

Incumbent Mayor of Flower Mound, Jody Smith, was able to easily defeat the former economic development director for the town, Jim Lang.

Ms. Smith said she'd focus her second term on finding money to fund a senior citizen center and expand the town's parks and trails. The mayor said she'd prefer to pay for her priorities by expanding the tax base with more economic development rather than increasing the sales tax, as Mr. Lang suggested.

In Highland Village, voters surprised the candidates by splitting the balance of power on the city council. Dianne Costa, former Mayor Pro-Tem and city councilwoman, was selected to serve as Mayor, but her voting bloc was dismantled when voters chose to elect Louis Robichaux to Place 4 over Costa ally and incumbent David Watrous. In Place 6, voters chose Costa ally and Wal-Mart supporter Scott McDearmont.

The Colony will see a runoff for Place 2 between John S. Marshall and Jeff Connelly. Place 1 will be filled by Allen Harris, who barely avoided a runoff himself.

In the Lewisville Independent School District, retired teacher Vernell Gregg will replace the retiring Anita Nelson in the Place 2 seat.

Perry McNeill will become the new Mayor of Denton. Outgoing Mayor of Denton Euline Brock reached her term limit this year and supported Mr. McNeill. Denton voters also chose to keep incumbents Bob Montgomery (Place 5) and Joe Mulroy (Place 6) on the city council.

The Denton Independent School District retained incumbent Curtis Ramsey in a close race for the Place 1 seat. In Place 2, voters rejected the incumbent and elected newcomer Sterling L. Smith.

municipal elections: vote today!

It's election day again across North Texas. Many registered voters will have the opportunity to choose new or retain sitting city council and school board members. In North Richland Hills, Flower Mound, Richland Hills, and Bedford, voters will decide the winner of mayoral races.

The Fort-Worth Star-Telegram reports on some of the important races being decided today in North Texas:

The hottest council races include Trophy Club’s, where nine candidates are competing for four Town Council slots just after a controversial D.R. Horton housing development was approved this week.

In Keller, three contested seats are up for a vote, as is a controversial proposition to fund a new $7.6 million library in Keller Town Center.

Voters will also decide on five Tarrant County bond proposals, which would pay for road improvements, jail facilities, county and district court buildings, a juvenile court complex, as well as medical examiner’s and crime lab facilities.

The bond proposals will be the only item on the ballot for residents in Hurst, Euless, Southlake, Watauga and the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. Their council and school board elections were canceled because of the lack of contested races.

Another controversial race that the article neglects to mention is taking place in Highland Village, as NTL previously reported. Voters will decide whether to retain or oust the rest of the bloc on the council that notoriously approved a Wal-Mart development in what is planned to become an upscale retail district in the small town.

Make your voice heard and vote in your city elections. It's more important than you might think! Getting involved in local politics is the best way to promote progressive values in North Texas. Research the candidates and proposals, find what or who best represents you and your ideals, and cast your ballot by seven o'clock tonight at city hall.

highland village municipal elections

Nestled near the ever-growing Flower Mound and only a short drive from DFW International Airport is the town of Highland Village, Texas: a small community that has caused a big uproar over the status quo in their municipal government. The citizens are banding together to vote for a change.

Last year, a controversial development plan that included a new Wal-Mart store as its anchor franchise infuriated residents. A survey was conducted and the majority of Highland Village residents opposed the Wal-Mart, but the city council approved the plan. Subsequently, a recall campaign began to circulate and the council members that approved Wal-Mart were voted out during the next election cycle.

Despite the outrage of the citizens, Wal-Mart continued to push their plan. It is a constant reminder to the concerned residents now that construction has begun on the super-size franchise store. As Saturday's municipal election draws near, the Wal-Mart remains a pivotal issue for city council candidates.

An interest group called Highland Village Unite, an organization that opposed the construction of the Wal-Mart and the extension of FM 2499, has endorsed three candidates in the municipal elections: Dave Bunnell for Mayor and Louis Robichaux and Dan Ford for City Council. These three candidates have also received the endorsement of sitting council members Brian Fiorenza, Austin Adams, and Fred Busche, who were all elected last year because of their opposition to the Wal-Mart plan.

As The Dallas Morning News reports, the candidates sparred off on the Wal-Mart issue during a candidate forum. The biggest issue at hand was whether the city government should make decisions based on public opinion or personal judgement.

"It's evil to disregard what the majority of citizens tell you to do," mayoral candidate Dave Bunnell said.

His opponent, City Council member Dianne Costa, responded: "Where would Moses be if he took a poll in Egypt? Where would Jesus Christ be if he took a poll in Israel?"

Highland Village Unite feels that Mayor Pro-Tem Dianne Costa and the candidates trying to get elected on her coattails (newcomer Scott McDearmont and incumbent David Watrous) will abuse their power if elected and disregard the will of Highland Village citizens. Dianne Costa herself has affirmed this: "My public charge in a representative form of government is to do my due diligence and, with all possible information gathered, make decisions not based on my personal preference, but on what my conscience tells me is the best possible decision." In other words, she is willing to vote against the will of her constituents if her conscience tells her to do so. It must have really been an issue of conscience when she decided to vote in favor of the Wal-Mart development deal.

Candidate Louis Robichaux is employing the same strategy, saying that incumbent David Watrous did not make a decision that was aligned with the will of the people when he voted for Wal-Mart. Robichaux wants to open communication lines even further to be sure that, when elected, he votes according to popular opinion.

Mr. Robichaux said the city should use a scientific polling system to gauge residents' views on important issues. The council would vote based on what residents want.

"If I thought Wal-Mart was a great idea and our statistically valid survey showed two-thirds of the people did not want big-box development, I'm going to let the citizens determine the future of the city," he said. "Who am I to substitute my views for the views of who elected me?"

Mr. Watrous said the council receives plenty of feedback through public forums, e-mails and conversations with residents.

"The goal was to do this in the best interest of the entire community and provide retail outlets closer to home that provide much-needed sales tax revenue," he said of the Wal-Mart decision.

In essence, Watrous has no qualms about putting aside what the majority wants. Instead, he will vote on important matters to the city without input from the people that have chosen to live there.

Some, like Costa, may point to other times in history when a majority opinion was wrong. At one time the majority held an opinion that was pro-slavery. Unfortunately for her argument (and her campaign), Wal-Mart is not as monumental an issue as slavery. This is simply a case of a town that had a master plan and held an anti-big box retail mentality that was thwarted by its elected officials. Highland Village realizes that it is time once again to "throw the bums out" and finally have an entire city council dedicated to the will of the people of their city.

NTL recommends that Highland Village residents vote for Dave Bunnell (Place 1, Mayor), Louis Robichaux (Place 4), and Dan Ford (Place 6). Show the status quo the door and prove that you mean business. Vote this Saturday, May 13, at the Highland Village Municipal Complex.