City News Roundup
Big action on May 4 election dominates this draft of Dallas news
With Election Day on May 4, much attention is being paid to the races to elect a new mayor and city council. But a shooting by fired Dallas Police officer Amber Guyger returned to the front burner following the leaked release of a 911 call.
Here's what happened in Dallas this week:
Early voting numbers
Early voting for the May 4 election ended on April 30, and the numbers are in: 4.5 percent of registered voters participated, with council districts north of I-30 accounting for about 60 percent of the votes.
The race between District 13 incumbent Jennifer Staubach Gates and former Mayor Laura Miller had the biggest numbers, drawing 6,129 voters.
A new polling location at Lakewood Branch Library was among the 10 most popular early vote sites, drawing 1,642 voters.
East Dallas districts 9 and 14, which also encompasses parts of downtown and Uptown, were the second and third most active voting districts in the city.
Neighborhoods with the lowest early voter turnout included Lake Highlands, Oak Lawn, Deep Ellum, West Dallas, Pleasant Grove, and Southwest Dallas.
District 10, currently represented by Adam McGough, had the lowest turnout, with a paltry 55 early voters. District 5, currently represented by outgoing Rickey Callahan, had the second-lowest turnout, with 845 voters.
Election Day is May 4, and polls are open from 7 am to 7 pm. DART is giving free Election Day rides from 6 am to 8 pm to residents who present a voter registration card. Our master list of all the candidates running is here, and our list of all of their campaign contributions is here.
Mark Clayton endorses Erin Moore
In response to constituent requests, outgoing city councilman Mark Clayton shared his endorsement of Erin Moore to replace his District 9 seat on the City Council.
In a Facebook post, Clayton praised Moore for her neighborhood-oriented approach to solving problems, her pragmatism when it comes to upcoming city budgeting and because she will be the most customer-focused out of all candidates.
His last-minute endorsement came after some of the other candidates implied that he had endorsed their campaigns.
Guyger's 911
Dallas Police have launched an internal investigation after someone leaked the 911 call that fired officer Amber Guyger made after she shot and killed her neighbor Botham Jean in September 2018.
WFAA released the recording, which reveals Guyger's reactions in the moments after police say she killed 26-year-old Jean in his own apartment.
"I thought it was my apartment," she said repeatedly to the dispatcher. At one point, she also said, "I'm going to lose my job."
Many open records requests for the recording had been made. Police are investigating to determine if someone inside the department leaked the tape.
Guyger is charged with murder and is being held in Kaufman County.
City Council roadshow
The City Council roadshow is headed to Pleasant Grove for the second off-site meeting of the year. In an effort to increase accessibility and allow residents convenient options to weigh in on city deliberations, the city council is holding a series of meetings outside of City Hall in under-represented neighborhoods. This time, the council will meet at the Kleberg-Rylie Recreation Center, located in Southeast Dallas outside the I-635 loop.
On the agenda is a $69 million partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers for changes to the floodway design along the Trinity River. They will also consider a feel-good measure to reaffirm protections of the Great Trinity Forest.
Perhaps the biggest change under consideration is requiring diaper changing in all publicly-accessible restrooms at city-owned facilities and most restaurants and retail shops.