Pizza and Local Politics Were on the Agenda at Dallas’ First Youth Town Hall 

High schoolers gathered to eat pizza and learn about local government at the first Dallas City Council Youth Town Hall on Aug. 15. 

While the town hall was focused on City Council District 11 and hosted by District 11 council member Jaynie Schultz, youths from several different districts were present. 

Schultz was joined by interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert as they shared what their average day looks like and talked about the importance of community engagement events like the town hall. 

The students shared and asked questions about issues they care about, including homelessness, gun safety, and the environment. 

Tolbert discussed Dallas’ Rapid Rehousing program, which helps unsheltered individuals by not only providing housing but also other services and coaching to help participants become self-sufficient.

Schultz talked about the lack of funding for Dallas’ environmental plan and how concerned residents can be more vocal about what they want to see their government doing. 

“The city has adopted one of the most progressive environmental plans in the country. However, the city’s not investing in the environmental plan,” Schultz said. “And part of the reason that the city budget doesn’t reflect the kind of work that we need to be doing to implement the actual plan that we’ve adopted is because there’s not political pressure.” 

The meeting also went over how the city can be more accommodating to youth involvement. Tolbert suggested the possibility of one of Dallas’ live stream channels being operated and having content developed by youth. 

Another suggestion was a speakers bureau within the city to make it easier for high schoolers to reach out to and coordinate speaking arrangements with city officials. 

The meeting was planned by District 11 youth commissioner and Hillcrest High School student Toni Okon, who hopes this will encourage younger residents to be more involved in government through positions like the youth commission. 

“I think it went well, and I hope to have many more successful meetings in the future,” Okon said.