W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research<\/a> suggested, for example, that the ward structure of the government may have a bearing on the number of building permits issued.\u00a0 \u201cAfter switching to ward voting,\u201d the study indicated, \u201ctowns reduce housing permits on average by 21 percent. The decline is even larger for multifamily housing permits, especially in towns with high homeownership rates.\u201d The study did mention that \u201cWard voting, however, affects many outcomes, and can increase minority representation in local government.\u201d<\/p>\nThe turn of the screw<\/p>\n
In 1990, Dallas took a step that seemed forward-looking but may have helped trigger a long downward turn. A voting-rights lawsuit before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas resulted in a court order that created the 14-1 structure in the name of democratization and greater racial diversity.<\/p>\n
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By expanding the council and redrawing districts to change its political, racial and ethnic composition, Dallas may have lost much of the civic effectiveness that once defined its \u201ccan do\u201d spirit. The intentions were good, but the results have been disappointing.<\/p>\n
Anyone who then listened to council meetings broadcast on WRR radio would get an earful of how the new system was not working. The haranguing was exhausting. Verbal brickbats across the horseshoe created a corrosive environment, and Dallas began to lose momentum.<\/p>\n
In those early years, the Dallas Citizens Council functioned at times like an informal inspector general. Its behind-the-scenes influence was imperfect, but it helped keep city decisions pointed toward a broader civic perspective rather than narrow district interests. And it groomed civic-minded citizens.<\/p>\n
The DCC still exists, a shell of its former self. It talks the language of leadership, but without the voice it once had. It no longer appears to develop or advance strong civic leaders with a citywide view. Experienced, effective leaders are needed. Citizens who can move the city forward \u2014 not activists focused on narrow interests or on their districts that operate as silos of influence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What about reforms?<\/p>\n
Admittedly, the problem is less with individual council members than it is with the 14-1 system itself. I am sure our council members have the best of intentions. Yet the structure would seem to encourage parochialism and create political silos. Reducing the number of districts could improve collaboration and strengthen representation. I would keep the council-manager system, as Dallas Morning News contributor Dallas Cothrum suggests, but restructure representation this way:<\/p>\n
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Reduce the number of single-member districts to eight, creating an 11-member council.
\nElect three members at-large: a mayor, a deputy mayor, and one additional at-large council member for a broader focus on the entire city.<\/p>\n
A smaller council could reduce political crosstalk and horseshoe posturing. The 435-member U.S. House of Representatives offers a warning: When too many competing interests harden into factions, consensus becomes nearly impossible. Dallas should encourage council members to listen more closely to one another, give citizens meaningful time to be heard and build a governing mindset that puts Dallas first.<\/p>\n
Mayoral leadership<\/p>\n
The mayor and council members too often rely on \u201cstaff.\u201d The word is repeated so often around the horseshoe that it has become a substitute for decisive leadership. Examples from other cities demonstrate that strong mayoral leadership can make dramatic progress when they guide both the council and the city manager toward a clear civic agenda. But under the 14-1 system, even a committed leader faces a difficult task.\u00a0 We will need to carefully define what our strong mayor means to us. In too many cases, self-interest can overwhelm servant leadership.<\/p>\n
To be clear, earlier eras were not perfect. No system of government is, and every system requires vigilance. But Dallas once felt less dominated by parochial favoritism and narrow district interests. The council appeared more concerned with the city as a whole.<\/p>\n
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The silo effect of 14 competing fiefdoms is real. Anyone who has tried to speak at a council meeting knows that the exchanges are closely held. The structure and the sheer number of competing voices have weakened the city\u2019s ability to govern in the broader public interest.<\/p>\n
How do we stop the slide? One possibility is to form a politically diverse, ad hoc action committee made up of experienced executives from Dallas\u2019 corporate community and other citizens with the judgment and experience to identify potential council candidates. Its charge would be to find, recruit and prepare servant-leaders who genuinely love the city.<\/p>\n
Such a group might resemble the Dallas Citizens Council, supplemented by a Dallas Regional Chamber element focused only on the core city, and strengthened by leaders from other civic organizations.<\/p>\n
True servant leaders are hard to find. Many office-seekers are simply trying to climb another rung on the political ladder. Others are reluctant because public office demands sacrifice, invites criticism and offers little reward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Effective civic leaders often must be recruited directly and persuasively \u2014 almost, metaphorically, pulled by their lapels. Perhaps that is the biggest problem: There does not seem to be anyone obvious to turn to.<\/p>\n
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Dennis D\u2019Amico, a 52-year resident of Dallas, is a retired advertising agency owner and executive, and a management consultant.<\/p>\n
Have thoughts about this? Send a letter to the editor using our letters form<\/a> or email letters@dallasnews.com. Letters should be no more than 200 words and include the first and last name of the writer and city of residence.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reducing the number of districts in the Dallas City Council could improve collaboration and strengthen representation, writes Dennis…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410907,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103],"class_list":["post-410906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}