League of Women Voters election survey: Ron Price, candidate for Dallas City Council, District 7

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

LWV: What are your qualifications for this office?

Price: I've served the citizens of Dallas the last twelve years as a member of the Dallas ISD school board. I've also severed as president of two national school board organizations, and a state school board organization. I presently serve as bylaws chair for the Texas Association of School Board Members.

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?

Price: Budgets are always works in progress. I am hopeful that the City Manager with the help of the Council can find the necessary funding we need to continue to deliver services to our residents and not touch the crime prevention and reduction programs that the Council has worked so hard to achieve. If cuts have to be made, we would have to look and hard at every item and make the touch choices necessary.

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?

Price: I see this issue as much bigger than the hotel. I am very concerned about the proposed changes to our charter. If passed they will truly hamstring the Council from being able to recruit business and organizations to Dallas. I think we may need a hotel attached to the convention center, but I would hope the private sector would step forward and

build it on a ground lease provided by the city.

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

Price: This is a critical issues for the safety of the citizens of district 7. We must make sure that the levees are up to Corps of Engineers standards, if not we could potentially face a flooding problem in the lower south part of Dallas.

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

Price: The city of Dallas has done a great job of strengthening the Ethics Code the past several years. There's always room for improvement!