Making City Government Accountable and Transparent

As the former Vice-Chair of the Citizen Participation Committee of the Community Development Commission, I worked diligently with my fellow commissioners to ensure that the tens of millions of dollars that the city of Dallas received from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) were being used efficiently and effectively to benefit the citizens of Dallas.

It’s critical for public involvement that citizens of Dallas have access to and awareness of public meetings, and their voices are heard. As a City of Dallas Community Development Commissioner, I championed increasing emphasis on social media comments and surveys to provide feedback when making decisions on essential programs.

 I’m supportive of ideas and ways to increase accountability and transparency at City Hall, including: 

• Increasing outreach to neighborhood associations, apartment managers, and concerned citizens
• Increased citizen involvement in the budgeting process
• Increased focus on listening to the issues affecting citizens in Lake Highlands 
• Quarterly District 10 Commissioners Meetings – open to the public 
• Continue the efforts of Councilman McGough promoting collective impact working groups for increased neighborhood involvement. 

I understand how important it is for citizens to easily engage in the political process and see first-hand what is happening with their tax dollars. However, politicians and city staff are ultimately accountable to the people they serve. Therefore, we must hold our government officials responsible for their actions and make sure that they are easily visible and citizens can provide feedback.

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