How ‘defund police’ perceptions drove a political wedge in upcoming Dallas City Council elections
How ‘defund police’ perceptions drove a political wedge in upcoming Dallas City Council elections
Claims of the Dallas Police Department being defunded are playing prominently in mailers to voters ahead of Saturday’s election.
File photo.(Irwin Thompson / Staff Photographer)
The Dallas City Council last fall voted to take $7 million from the police department’s overtime budget to spend on streetlights and hire civilians to replace cops working desk jobs.
Now, the issue is driving a political wedge in Saturday’s municipal elections as candidates who oppose the decision are accusing those who supported the move of “defunding the police.”
She’s organized walkouts, hunger strikes, marches and has experience lobbying in D.C.
She marched shoulder to shoulder with activists against police brutality in Dallas. After the death of Botham Jean, Cortez helped launch the city’s first community police oversight board.
Throughout the pandemic, she helped provide communities in District 2 with millions of masks, books and supplies for thousands of students, as well as over a million fresh produce boxes and meals.
Last summer, after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, Cortez marched for social change, budget reform and a more equitable public safety model.
When it comes to environmental issues like Shingle Mountain, she said the city needs to make zoning work for its communities. Part of that starts with ensuring residents know what developments are being proposed in and around their neighborhoods.
4 challenging Carolyn King Arnold say progress too slow in Dallas’ Oak Cliff district
The incumbent is asking voters to reelect her in District 4 to keep a steady hand in development. Johnny Aguinaga, Matt Canto Maxie Johnson, Lelani Russell are also in the running.
A street sign topper reminds residents of the historic Tenth Street Freedmanstown east of I-35E in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Monday, January 28, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News)(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
The Dallas City Council elections are May 1; early voting starts Monday. All 14 council seats are contested, and three districts, 2, 11 and 13, will see new faces as incumbents have reached term limits. The other 11 incumbents face challengers. This is the sixth of 14 stories on the races, a series that debuted with coverage of the three open slots. The rest are being featured in ascending numerical order.
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