Sunday, May 11, 2008

2008 Dallas election results

By Teresa Gubbins

Dallas voters said yes to a $1.35 billion bond program for the Dallas school district to build 15 new schools and renovate more, with 10,178 voting yes and 8,693 voting no, or 54% yes to 46% no. The DMN says that $521 million will go for renovations, $450 million for new schools, and $96 million for technology upgrades.

Voting yes to more schools is a feel-good shoo-in -- Dallas voters have never said no to a school bond in the last 60 years, says the DMN -- but look at all the ways this thing stinks:

• The district still hasn't released a financial audit that was supposed to come out in December. School officials promised the audit would be done by the election, but then said, nevermind. They don't know when it will be done. Sorry! They'll get to it whenever they can.
• Companies with ties to school board officials -- including Board president Jack Lowe -- have been paid for services by the district, as reported by the DMN. Lowe is chairman of the board at TD Industries, which offers design, construction, and maintenance; TD has been paid either $2.1 million or $9.6 million by the district, depending on which paperwork you look at.
• The school board can't really respond to that story by the DMN hinting that there are ethical problems because they don't have documents that they're supposed to have.
• Former Mayor Ron Kirk was a co-chairman of this bond campaign. Out of the goodness of his heart?
• Less than 5 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.

The other issue before Dallas voters was filling the Place 8 Dallas ISD Trustee; Adam Medrano won by 627 votes to Pedro Alvarez' 177 votes, which boils down to 78% versus 22%.

Board president Jack Lowe and trustee Carla Ranger ran uncontested in their districts and will retain their seats for three more years.

See more stories in:

• Politics and Government > City Government > Dallas