Richardson councilmember Rhea Allison will not seek re-election

by Andrew Laska of Richardson Echo

Rhea Allison

During a packed city council worksession Monday evening most people there were gathered to hear the Richardson City Council's discussion on the Neighborhood Development Overlay. However, during what was a minor item in discussion of the schedule regarding the upcoming City Council election in May, Councilmember Rhea Allison told everyone in attendance that he would not seek re-election in May.

He stated that it had been an honor to serve the people of the City of Richardson and he encouraged "fresh and new faces" to step forward.

Afterward in joking with a resident he said that he would have more time to watch "Monday Night Football," a reference to City Council meetings which occur on Monday evening.

We asked him if it was a hard decision and he emphatically said, "No." He told us that his shoes could be filled by someone who had fresh ideas and had some fire. He stated that he felt his job was done and that means he should step aside.

Rhea Allison has served two terms on the Richardson City Council. He first gained a seat when he defeated incumbent Tom Rohm in a runoff in the 2005 election.

City Council terms are two years each and every council member is elected every two years in May on odd numbered years. Four of the seven Richardson City Council members come from four districts which have residency requirements which generally match the four quadrants of the city. Allison currently serves in place 2 which covers the northeast quadrant of the city including the panhandle.

This leaves open the question of who would replace him. No other city councilmember that we know of has made their intentions known with respect to the upcoming elections. Last time an incumbent chose not to run was in 2007 when longtime council member Jim Shepherd decided not to run in place 5. That seat was eventually won by Pris Hayes in a runoff in a race that originally featured five candidates.