High on the list of items that are important to Dallas and this region is the economy, and we are certainly in the midst of robust financial times. From an economic point of view, things are going SO well in this city that the council has been able to slightly lower the property tax rate for the past three years.

Increased prosperity brings an increased tax base and increased sales taxes that have enabled the city to increase its services significantly. I realize that we still have potholes and streets that are in need of repair, but we are devoting an increasing portion of our budget to fixing these problems.

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During the past five years, it seems that the city and the council have been preoccupied with big projects, like the new arena and the Trinity River initiative. And, as a result, we now have a full plate of things to accomplish in the next few years. I hope that the White Rock Lake dredging project will serve as s model for these public works projects — under budget, ahead of schedule, and 25% more silt removed than originally planned.

I firmly believe that the Trinity project has a significant payback to the citizens. The significance of this prospect is underscored by the fact that approximately 49% of the landmass of the city lies south of the Trinity River, but the southern sector represents only 13% of the city’s tax base. We must do all that we can to encourage the development of the southern sector so that we can attract more businesses, jobs and housing developments in this area.

By solving the flooding problems and bringing a major traffic artery through the area, the Trinity project means that we will have the necessary infrastructure in place to make the land developable. The area is ripe for industrial, manufacturing, business and housing developments that would expand the economy and increase the job base. In turn, this will produce revenue needed to expand police and fire services, and provide additional funds for street repair and maintenance throughout the city.

As important as these special projects are to the city at large, however, we cannot let their magnitude distract us from basic services that improve the quality of life for the average citizen. Police and fire protection are our number one priorities, followed by development, code compliance, libraries, parks, cultural affairs, environmental and health services, and so much more. In the past three years, we’ve seen increased dollars and focus on important needs like street and alley maintenance, street lighting and striping, flood control, libraries and the issues that are really important to each of us today. To read more, check out my web site at dallastex.com.

With projected growth in this region from four million people to eight million people by 2010, we must do everything that we can to plan for the future. At the same time, however, we must have a proper balance between projects that look to the future and services that provide for the present needs of the citizenry. These decisions are some of the most important that the city council makes.