Amid a contentious debate over immigration in Texas, the Dallas Charter Review Commission narrowly voted to approve a proposed amendment that would allow all residents— including noncitizens — to serve on city boards and commissions.
The amendment, which was introduced by District 7 Charter Review Commissioner Stuart Campbell, would allow Dallas residents to serve on the Redistricting Commission, the City Plan Commission, the Civil Service Board and the Park and Recreation Board.
Currently, the city charter only allows for “citizens or registered voters” to serve on those four boards and commissions.
“This amendment has nothing to do with what’s going on in [Washington D.C.]…it has nothing to do with what’s going on at the border right now,” Campbell said during a meeting Tuesday night. “But it has everything to do with I think he way people should be treated fairly, justly and with morality if they’re residents of the city of Dallas.”
Campbell said if you’re a taxpaying resident — you should have an equal shot at being able to influence municipal government.
“And to deprive someone the right to serve their community on a board or commission but also to demand they pay taxes is just absurd, injustice and illogical.” Campbell said.
And the rest of the city’s taskforces, commissions and boards — governed by city ordinance — already changed the language to open up those appointments to all Dallas residents.
District 1 Commissioner David De la Fuente also voted to approve the proposed amendment. De la Fuente said during the meeting that only 25% of District 1’s population age 18 and older are not U.S. citizens.
“So when I look at the current practices here, I feel like District 1 is disproportionately impacted by the charter,” De la Fuente said. “Our council district has its pool automatically limited compared to a lot of the rest of the city.”
But not everyone one the commission agreed with the proposal. Commissioners narrowly approved the amendment with a 7-to-6 vote.
District 3 Commissioner Lisa LeMaster was one of the first to voice opposition against the amendment.
“For some it’s a moral issue, I get it. But I have one overriding concern,” LeMaster said. “It’s a political problem…I think this issue could draw people to vote against everything that we propose, because it will draw MAGA voters.”
LeMaster argued that with a divisive presidential election on the horizon, it may be better to wait to place this on a future ballot.
“I think it’s a worthy thing to keep discussing and finetune. But I think to do it this year is crazy,” LeMaster said. “I get the moral issue. But I am saying trouble, trouble in River City, if we put this on the ballot in November 2024.”
The proposal comes after a similar measure was placed on a 2021 ballot for Dallas voters to decide on. That initiative failed with 65% of people who showed up voting against it.
“I was involved in the discussion last time,” District 12 Commissioner Adam McGough said. “One of the reasons was…I did not think it would pass the vote and I still do think it will and I do think there’s enough negativity that would surround it that it could hurt some of the rest of the work that we are doing.”
McGough is a former city council member and represented District 10 before reaching his term limit during the last general election in 2023.
Advocates of the amendment argued that one ballot measure isn’t enough to sink an entire ballot They also argued Dallas is a staunchly Democrat held city — regardless of conservative political ideology at the state level.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson — who served in the Texas legislature in the Democratic Party — announced his switch to the Texas GOP shortly after being reelected in 2023.
The commission will have a final vote on all amendments that make it through the initial approval process. That discussion is slated for mid-March.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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