Meet Your Candidates for the District 11 City Council Race

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:17 p.m. April 23 in response to feedback from a reader.

District 11 will see two candidates on the ballot for the May 6 election: incumbent Jaynie Schultz and Candy Evans.

Early voting will be from April 24 to May 2.

See the candidate questionnaires they submitted to People Newspapers below. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity and to remove personal attacks, if any.

Jaynie Schultz

Can you provide a brief “elevator pitch” for your campaign? 

I will continue the excellent work I began by protecting and strengthening our neighborhoods, providing strong communication, continuing to advocate for tax rate reductions, supporting our public safety departments, being responsive to constituent concerns, and taking a responsible, reasonable approach to city-wide issues.

Please provide a quick bio about yourself.

I have been interested in local government for 45+ years. In 2014 I was appointed to the City Plan Commission representing District 11 which led to my interest in council service. I have served for more than 30 years on 25+ nonprofit boards, ran businesses for 30 years, and raised 4+ children with my husband.

What do you think is the main issue facing District 11 residents right now, and what do you plan to do about it?

A primary issue for District 11 is property taxes, and I will continue to advocate for lower rates.

How do you plan to tackle issues in the community?

I tackle community issues as I tackle all issues, by studying the problem, hearing as many voices as possible, and planning for a strategic approach to solving the root cause while working on the symptoms.

What does District 11 do well? 

District 11 has incredible residents who are kind and respectful to city staff and are able and willing to hear all sides of an issue before expressing their opinions.

If elected, what are your goals?

I will continue the work listed in the first question, complete a planning process for the Esperanza area, strengthen city-wide support for the Dallas International District, and further invest in neighborhood leadership.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I am the best candidate because the work I have done thus far is what the residents of District 11 want completed. I am balanced, able to hear many voices, and capable of getting job done well.

Candy Evans

Can you provide a brief “elevator pitch” for your campaign?

Candy can! As a City Councilwoman, I aim to create a safer, more efficient district and have that spill over to the city. This includes supporting and properly funding law enforcement, reducing bureaucratic stalling in the permitting system, and addressing the rise in short-term rental properties that has caused a rise in late-night commotion in residential neighborhoods and made buying an affordable house exceptionally harder for potential buyers. It also includes responsible, thoughtful development of properties surrounding neighborhoods. As a real estate journalist and publisher, I have heavily centered my platform on sensible real estate policies that will foster a safe and prosperous community for residents of District 11.

Please provide a quick bio about yourself.

I have a long and established history in Dallas journalism covering real estate. A graduate of Columbia University, I have published articles in numerous national outlets such as Forbes.com in addition to founding, leading, and writing for my own Dallas-based news websites, CandysDirt.com and SecondShelters.com. I broke the news of former president George W. Bush’s relocation to Dallas, which brought significant attention to my writing and made me a trusted source in Dallas journalism. I have an eye for quality real estate and real estate finance, plus what makes a community work and thrive. I currently serve on the Board of Directors for Braemar Hotels & Resorts and am a trustee on the board of Preservation Dallas and the USA Film Festival. I am ready to bring my knowledge and experience, and most of all, hard work ethic, to the Dallas City Council as a representative of District 11.

What do you think is the main issue facing District 11 residents right now, and what do you plan to do about it?

Crime rates are rising, particularly property crimes which hurts our quality of life and send many moving to the suburbs. I believe that an increase in funding for law enforcement is one answer. I not only support providing members of law enforcement with adequate funding and resources to do their jobs, including mental health care when necessary, but also increase the departmental budget to address the shortage in staffing and recruit new officers. Many District 11 residents have been disturbed by the rise in short-term rental properties, such as Airbnbs, in their neighborhoods. These properties have facilitated an increase in raucous parties, disturbances, and property-related crime. (A friend of mine was even assaulted.) My solution is to more strictly regulate or outright eliminate short-term rentals, giving the neighborhoods back to the residents. In this same spirit, I will eliminate the red tape within the Dallas Permitting Department that makes obtaining a permit for construction and renovation significantly more difficult for residents, business owners, and developers. Basically, as a only pro-neighborhood candidate, I vow to protect our single-family neighborhoods from development gone wild.

How do you plan to tackle issues in the community?

I plan to advocate for increased funding to the Dallas Police Department to address the shortage in staffing, giving the department significant resources to recruit new talent, retain old, and ultimately keep our community safe. I plan to create policies that put strict regulations on, or even eliminate, short-term rental properties, I also plan to reduce the city property tax rate, which is a direct cause of housing on-affordability. I will do this by eliminating waste and duplicity from the city budget and demanding more accountability.

What does District 11 do well?

First of all, our location is the best in Dallas: super central so we can proceed anywhere east, west, north, or south. We are at the crossroads of LBJ and Preston, and I think more advantage could be taken of that. We are blessed with many beautiful parks and playgrounds, and the best park swimming pool in Texas at Fretz Park.

Besides our wonderful restaurant, shops, and organizations — the T Bar M and Cooper Center — our biggest asset is our gorgeous, stunning housing stock in beautiful neighborhoods developed since the mid 1950s with trees, topography, landscaping, and creeks.

We absolutely need to guard and preserve these homes and neighborhoods for generations to come.

If elected, what are your goals?

Midtown and Valley View. I will communicate with the developer and see what the city can do to help get it done without requiring low income housing on the site. I will support smart growth in our residential neighborhoods, ensuring that residents are protected from swaths of densification that crowds our roads, schools, and resources. Finally, with more police I hope to put a real dent in our crime rate: Every woman like me should be able to dive, shop, and pull into her driveway at all hours without the risk of armed robbery or worse.

Why are you the best candidate for this position?

I built my businesses on excellent customer service, and I will take that ethos to City Hall. I plan to act both efficiently and immediately. During these past two years, the site of the former Valley View Mall has become increasingly derelict, leading to break ins, crime, and two fires, started by homeless people seeking shelter, the latter of which caused injury to two Dallas firefighters. I will hold Beck Ventures accountable in completing the demolition of the site and developing the new Midtown district. I will put the needs of those I represent above my own, and I will watch tax dollars like a fiscal hawk. It’s our money, yours and mine, not somebody else’s to be frittered away at every new socially aware cultural policy. Every investment we make must generate a return on infrastructure and quality of life in Dallas.