Voters to Decide on City Council in Upcoming Election

Voters will head to the polls to decide the Dallas City Council members on May 3. 

In District 13, incumbent Gay Donnell Willis is being challenged by real estate professional Diane W. Benjamin.

Benjamin outlined her top issues to include a reduction of crime, fiscal accountability, and the preservation of residential zoning. 

“I, myself, was robbed at gunpoint in my house after being followed home from Tom Thumb. We need to attend to [crime] with rule of law. If you steal, you get arrested. Period,” she said.

Benjamin vows to do a deep dive into the city’s budget and implement the DOGE process, which she also refers to as “Diane’s Organized Government.”

“I love trees. I was raised on a 50-acre farm in New York State. But $6 million could pay for a heck of a lot more officers and take care of our priority, which is public safety,” she said, adding that the budget should be prioritizing police over counting trees or adding artwork to dog parks.

“I will demand thorough oversight of city spending and redirect resources to essential services that matter to residents,” Benjamin said.

Referring to a report rating District 13’s street conditions as ‘poor’, the candidate said, “When I serve on the City Council, I have to be downtown at City Hall, and I want to get there with my car intact.” 

Residential zoning in Dallas is something she also takes personally, Benjamin said. 

“I’m what they call a veteran Realtor. I have taken an oath in my industry to protect the fiduciary for my clients, and to protect the value of their homes. If an investment in [a home] is threatened by high-density, low-income zoning — like what’s happening in Pepper Square — that value in that property is diminished,” she said.

Gay Donnell Willis, who is seeking a third term as District 13’s Council representative, outlined key issues in her campaign to include public safety, growing tax revenue through retail and housing developments while keeping property taxes low, and the repair of streets, alleys, and sidewalks.

“I was the loudest voice for street and alley funding in the 2024 bond program,” Willis said. “I just would not be quiet about that one.”

She voted to increase the allocation for street repair to $521 million from a $375 million budgeted range. “In my first budget session, I led the charge to have Public Works funds earmarked for dilapidated alleys across the city.” 

Willis, who voted against short-term rentals in neighborhoods with single family homes, hopes to encourage case-by-case evaluation of the city’s housing and retail developments. 

“Each zoning case should be evaluated for its own merits, starting with an open mind and gathering feedback to shape the best possible outcome for residents,” she said. “There are some shopping centers … where nothing has happened in a long time, and it won’t be long before you see some businesses crop up that you may not want to see … or they may just be boarded up, in which case they may draw vagrants and crime.”

Willis referenced downtown projects such as Goldman Sachs and Newpark that will benefit all of Dallas, bringing in well-paying jobs and maximizing the returns on prime downtown real estate which will help drive tax revenue to city coffers.

“For the three and a half years I’ve been on Council, I voted ‘Yes’ to lowering [property] taxes. This year the tax rate was lowered more than the last 40 years,” Willis said.

The councilwoman has voted to raise police officer presence; her recent vote to increase recruitment from 250 to 300 officers garnering praise from her constituents.

“I’m proud to serve on the Public Safety Committee, where the first look at new crime reduction plans is presented and strategies for officer recruitment and retention are thoroughly reviewed,” she said.

The councilmember reports research efforts and creative thinking are being poured into boosting officer recruitment, including the offering of generous referral bonuses, a sick time buyback program, and a four-day work week to help improve work-life balance for officers.

“District 13 is one of the safest districts in the city,” said Willis, who referenced an 18% drop in crime across all categories in the district. 

“Feeling safe in your neighborhood is the cornerstone of our quality of life,” she said.