Latest news with #AdamBazaldua
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dallas City Council rejects concrete plant near major soccer complex
The Brief Dallas City Council rejected a proposal for a concrete plant near the $30 million MoneyGram soccer complex. The vote was 10-5 in favor, but 12 votes were needed for approval, despite conditions proposed by some council members. Concerns over air pollution near the complex, which hosts hundreds of thousands of children annually, were a key factor in the decision. DALLAS - Dallas City Council voted down the approval of a concrete plant just a few hundred feet from the city's $30 million soccer complex. Despite a 10-5 vote in favor, the proposal failed to pass as it required at least 12 approval votes. What they're saying Before the vote, Dallas city councilman Adam Bazaldua said that the city had to make room for concrete plants. He proposed approving the special use permit with several conditions, including a buffer of live oak trees greater than 12 feet tall, along with a 12-foot-high screening fence. City councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn was one of the council members who voted against the plant. She says a fence would not prevent fine particulates from the batch plant from being in the air just a few hundred feet away. The backstory The city built the MoneyGram soccer complex, operated by FC Dallas, in an industrial area. As other concrete batch plants already operate in the area, the owner of the concrete batch plant, BJ Johnson, argues he has been following all the rules by planning to move his plant to an area zoned for its use. "I worked with staff, staff asked me for more, I did what they asked. As an athlete, you run the plays called. I've followed the rules, I've done nothing wrong. I didn't build the soccer fields," said Johnson. "I'm not polluting the air, I'm running a reputable company." FC Dallas' president, Daniel Hunt, argues the city needs to protect the hundreds of thousands of children who play soccer at the complex. Hunt says a total of $60,000,000 has been spent building, managing, and operating MoneyGram Park. With more than a half million people visiting the soccer complex each year, the economic impact on the city is between 30 and 60 million dollars. "MoneyGram is a crown jewel soccer complex, one of the finest in America, from World Cup players, to kids kicking their first soccer ball," said Hunt. "I can't speak to how much pollution will increase. Children are more susceptible to particulate pollution." The Source Information in this article was provided by the Dallas Council Meeting on May 28.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
2025 Dallas City Council Election results
The Brief Dallas City Council will have new members next month. 13 of the 14 Dallas City Council seats were contested in Saturday's election. New City Council members are set to be sworn-in on June 16. DALLAS - Chad West was first elected by North Oak Cliff residents in May 2019 and reelected in 2021 and 2023, and reelected in 2025 after receiving 59 percent of the vote. West has lived in North Oak Cliff for nearly two decades. Council Member Jesse Moreno is a lifelong resident of District 2, where he was elected to serve in June 2021 and reelected in 2025 after receiving 90 percent of the vote. He has served the district for years, from more than seven years on the Dallas Park Board to volunteering with local schools and organizations. He's also the third generation in his family to live in District 2, and he and his wife are growing the fourth with their daughter in the same neighborhood. For the past decade, Council Member Zarin Gracey has been raising his family in District 3. Gracey was reelected in 2025 after receiving 54 percent of the vote. Zarin has served on several non-profit boards throughout the City of Dallas, including Brother Bill's Helping Hand in West Dallas, Harmony Community Development Corporation in Oak Cliff and Park South YMCA in South Dallas. He has served as the Board Chair for the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency and is currently a board member for the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the oldest Black Chamber in the country. Maxie Johnson was elected in 2025 after receiving 75 percent of the vote. For the past 6 years, Johnson has served as an elected representative on the Dallas ISD school board. Jaime Resendez was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019 and reelected in 2025 after receiving 84 percent of the vote. Resendez was born and raised in the Pleasant Grove area of Southeast Dallas. Every school that Resendez has attended has been in Southeast Dallas: R.C. Buckner, Julius Dorsey, E.B. Comstock and Skyline High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Army before graduating from high school and served for eight years as an engineer, including a year-long tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq. Laura Cadena won the May 2025 election for District 6 with 50.45% and over 1,060 votes. Laura's family has called District 6 home for over 80 years. Adam Bazaldua won the May 2025 election for District 7 with over 57 percent of the vote. For the last five years, Council Member Adam Bazaldua has served as the City Council Member for Dallas' City Council District 7. In his time as District 7's Council Member, Adam Bazaldua has worked on and supported numerous policies to enact change within the City of Dallas. These policies include The G.R.A.C.E. Act, collaborating with the Dallas Police Department Chief Garcia to deprioritize possession of Marijuana charges, joining other Fair Park stakeholders to get legislation passed in Austin that resulted in Fair Park's largest investment in history, along with many more. Erik Wilson and Lorie Blair will head to a runoff for the Place 8 seat. Neither candidate had more than 50% of the vote. The runoff election is on June 7. Paula Blackmon won the May 2025 election for District 9 with over 78 percent of the vote. Paula's diverse experience in Dallas politics makes her exceptionally well-equipped to represent the interests of District 9 effectively. Her roles as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, Chief of Staff to former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, and Senior Advisor for Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles, among others, showcase her comprehensive understanding of the political landscape. Kath Stewart won the May 2025 election for District 10 with over 93 percent of the vote. Councilmember Kathy Stewart serves as the District 10 Dallas City Council representative. Elected in 2023, Kathy is serving in her first term as the representative of northeast Dallas, including Lake Highlands and Hamilton Park. Having been residents of Lake Highlands for 40 years, Kathy and her husband Robb share a passion for serving the community. Two candidates are still vying for the seat that was open because Councilwoman Jaynie Schultz did not seek re-election. Bill Roth and Jeff Kitner were the two frontrunners, but neither secured more than 50% of the vote. They will head to a runoff on June 7. The district has received a lot of attention lately because of a dispute over a mixed-use apartment proposal at the Pepper Square shopping center. A lawsuit involving neighborhood groups and the developer is headed to trial. Cara Mendelsohn won the May 2025 election for District 12 with over 64 percent of the vote. Council Member Cara Mendelsohn was elected to the Dallas City Council in May 2019 to represent District 12 in Far North Dallas. Cara is an accomplished nonprofit executive and volunteer leader with a passion for building stronger communities. Gay Donnell Willis won the May 2025 election for District 13 with over 65 percent of the vote. Willis is a fifth-generation Texan, born in Dallas, raised in Fort Worth and worked in Dallas for 26 years, with the last 20 years in District 13. Paul Ridley won the May 2025 election for District 14. Councilman Paul Ridley was first elected to the District 14 position of the Dallas City Council in June 2021. He was reelected in June 2023, and is currently serving his second term. The Secretary of State has designated Saturday, June 7, 2025 as the election date for all runoff elections resulting from elections held by local political subdivisions on the May 3, 2025 Uniform Election Date. In a runoff election, the person with the majority of the votes will win the seat. The last day to register to vote or make a change of address for the June 7 runoff election will be Thursday, May 8. Early voting will be Tuesday, May 27, 2025 through Tuesday, June 3. On June 7, polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The Source Information in this article is provided by and Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton County election officials.
