Trump News

Festivities underway in advance of Dallas' dueling Trump-Beto rallies

The Trump train is pulling into town.

Trump's coming to town and the action is already underway.

President Donald Trump will appear at a campaign rally at American Airlines Center on October 17, and 24 hours in advance, there's a handful of people camped out on the sidewalk outside the venue.

Trump is in Dallas to rally the troops, but his event is not the only one in town.

Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke has scheduled a dueling event called the Rally Against Fear, which will take place in Grand Prairie, calling it "an opportunity to stand up what we believe in: a country defined not by fear, but by hope, ambition, aspiration and our willingness to work together, despite the differences, to make sure that we achieve them."

The O'Rourke rally takes place at the Theatre at Grand Prairie at 6 pm. Trump's rally begins at 7 pm.

Trump's arrival is also being met by a group called the Oath Keepers, who announced on their website, and on a site called AmmoLand, that they're seeking volunteers to help "protect Trump supporters" during the Thursday rally.

"We have serious concerns for the safety of attendees as they walk from their vehicles to the venue, and then especially as they walk back to their vehicles in the dark afterward," the post says, before offering alarmed descriptions of "antifa" behavior such as hitting people on the head with a bike lock.

Oath Keepers, which has been described by its founder as "the right-wing version of the ACLU," are likely to be easily identified, as they're big open-carry fans.

According to the Observer, the Democratic Socialists of America's North Texas Chapter and a group called We Vape We Vote will also hold protests outside the Trump rally.

On October 16, Dallas Morning News reporter Jesus Jiminez tweeted photos of people outside AAC who were seemingly camping out overnight in advance of the ~~show~~ rally, some coming in from other cities.

But as one response notes of the sparse crowd, "Lining up this early appears to be completely unnecessary." Another suggests that the only reason campers would be there is if they're getting paid, saying, "Doubt their pay to be there includes hotel accommodations."

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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