League of Women Voters election survey: Anthony Rios, candidate for Dallas City Council, District 7

by Staff of League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters of Dallas sent a questionnaire to every candidate running for public office in Dallas County. The election on May 9 features a number of city council races.

The responses of Anthony "Tony" Rios, who is running for the District 7 seat on the Dallas City Council, appear below. Rios is running against seven other opponents - incumbent Carolyn R. Davis, Charles "Chazz" Redd, Donald P. Parish, Sr., Gary Wayne Springer, Marvin E. Crenshaw, Ron Price, and John Jay Myers.

LWV: What are your qualifications for this office?

Rios: I am involved in numerous civic activities with over thirty years of work experiences. I have a Masters Degree and I have lived in District 7 for years. I have the experience to lead, the education to inspire and analyze and the knowledge to effectively work with diverse groups.

LWV: The City of Dallas has a potential $100M shortfall in the next city budget. How would you close the gap? If you would cut services, which ones would you cut?

Rios: Our City Manager needs to analyze all components of the budget to look for abuse and waste. One area would be the municipal court system. We might consider increasing the usury tax for public cultural and entertainment facilities. I support across the board budget cuts by 3 % in five of the six budget components, without sacrificing public safety needs. We should eliminate waste, increase the usury tax and across the board cuts, no new taxes.

LWV: Are you in favor of a convention center hotel? If yes, do you support the current plan to finance its construction with revenue bonds and have the city own the hotel?

Rios: I am in favor. It is difficult to undo wishes of something that our elected officials agreed upon by an 8-2 margin. It appears the business community supports it. My position may have been different had I been involved in the planning stage and initial discussions. We failed to ask detailed questions and get precise numbers. The numbers are difficult to reconcile. The current finance plan is optimistic with little details.

LWV: What is your response to recent reports (e.g., Corps of Engineers, North Texas Tollway Authority) regarding the Trinity River tollroad/levee issues?

Rios: Anytime there is a major undertaking problems will surface. I favor those that were creative enough to bring projects like this to Dallas. The Arc in St. Louis, the Golden Gate and many more projects would be scratched at the first sign of trouble. Instead they proved to be the signature icon of the city. The Corps did their job by identifying the problems, let's address it take our time and do it right.

LWV: Do you think the City of Dallas Ethics Code needs to be strengthened? If yes, in what way(s)?

Rios: No I do not believe the code needs strengthening. If the majority thinks the code needs strengthening then I would support it, but not until such a comprehensive review has been undertaken and a convincing argument is made. As a former member of the Board of Adjustment I thought the ethics code was clear.