07/18/05  Ethics over Tax Base.

One would have thought Dallas City Council member Maxine Thornton-Reese would have embraced Mayor Miller?s moratorium on new applications for tax-credit housing projects.  But then, one would have thought Dr. Thornton-Reece would have learned from her display of a lack of ethics last Fall when she openly stated during a council meeting she had discussed a multi-family development proposal for Provident Realty with Councilman Fantroy before the council voted on that proposal. Councilman Fantroy could not vote due to conflict of interest concerns.

The multi-family proposal for Provident Realty had previously been denied by both city staff and the city planning commission because it required zoning change from single-family residential to multi-family zoning in Dallas? southern sector where there is an abundance of multi-family zoned property with high vacancies.

Raising the tax base is important.

Maintaining a high standard of ethics and giving priority to affordable single-family home ownership opportunity would better serve the citizens of Dallas at this time.

Equally, waiting for the FBI investigation to run its course represents the highest standard of fiduciary duty for any elected official. 

Gehrig M. Salda?

Vice President

Dallas LULAC Council 4496