Memorandum

DATE October 4, 2023 CITY OF DALLAS

TO Members of the Charter Review Commission
SUBJECT Follow-Up from the September 27th Charter Review Commission Meeting

Thank you for making the first meeting of the Charter Review Commission a success. As we
organize in the coming weeks, it is important that we set in place processes that best serve
the residents of Dallas. In an effort to provide timely responses and to best inform preparation
for the upcoming meeting on Thursday, October 12, below is information requested during
our orientation this week.

What is the proposed process for reviewing amendments?

Charter Review Commissioners, City Councilmembers, city staff and external stakeholders
will be invited to submit suggested amendments for consideration by the Charter Review
Commission. Suggested amendments and comments may be submitted in the following
ways:

• Email charterreview@dallas.gov
• Call 214.670.3390
• Microsoft Form (to be distributed following CRC approval 10/12)
• Attached Form (to be distributed following CRC approval 10/12)
• In person at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla, 4BN

Suggested amendments must include:

• Name
• Contact email
• Chapter and section amending
• Proposed amendment
• Rationale
• Category (policy, operational, technical, other)

Suggested amendments must be submitted by Friday, December 15, 2023.

Charter Review Commission members may submit their proposed amendments in any of the
ways listed above and then will be expected to present their suggested amendments to the
commission.

What is the proposed schedule for reviewing amendments?

As amendments are received, they will be reviewed by city staff and the City Attorney’s Office.

Amendments will be divided into one of three categories as identified by the submitter: policy
amendments, technical amendments, and operational amendments. The Commission will
direct how they want to prioritize and review the amendments. The proposed schedule is as
follows:
“Our Product is Service”
Empathy | Ethics | Excellence | Engagement | Equity
 DATE October 2, 2023
SUBJECT Follow-Up from the September 27th Charter Review Commission Meeting
PAGE 3 of 3

• October – December 2023: Call for amendments to be submitted by all stakeholders;

informational, external speakers at CRC meetings; presentation of amendments
proposed by commissioners.
• December 15, 2023: All amendments due.
• January 2024 – March 2024: Amendment review and discussion. Subject matter of
each meeting to be determined by Commission. Staff can provide more guidance
based on previous Charter Review Commissions if requested.
• April 2024: Consideration of draft report; submission of report to the city council.

This is a suggested schedule and process and subject to change. For alternative schedule
suggestions, please contact me or OGA staff.

What is the proposed agenda for the upcoming October 12th meeting?
The proposed agenda includes the following voting and briefing items:
• Adoption of minutes from the September 27th meeting.
• Introduction of CRC Members.
• Election of the Commission’s Vice Chair.
• Adoption of the proposed calendar for the Commission.
• Charter Overview and Chapter Review.
• Presentation of the amendment submission process.
• Review of Commissioners’ amendment proposals (standing item).

An agenda forecast will be provided at the October 12th meeting.

What amendments has the city received?

The city has received four suggested amendments to date. CRC support staff maintain a
running list of all amendments submitted, including the date of submission, their
categorization (policy, technical, or operational), and other relevant information. See the
appendix.

How will we be notified when new amendments are submitted?

Staff will distribute updates on all new proposed amendments. Staff proposes to provide these
updates on a bi-weekly basis, or at intervals as directed by the Commission. Staff will also
provide access to a running list of all proposed amendments submitted available on the city’s
Charter Review Commission web page here. You will be notified when access is available.

Where can we find the Dallas City Charter amendments made before the 2014
Commission?
In your binder, there is a table at the back of your Charter section that provides a list of
amendments to the Dallas City Charter and the disposition of those amendments, beginning
with the amendment of June 12th, 1973. City staff will work with the City Secretary’s Office to
furnish a more detailed list to you in the future.

Where can we find amendments proposed in 2014 that did not make it to the ballot
or past the ballot?

“Our Product is Service”

Empathy | Ethics | Excellence | Engagement | Equity
 DATE October 2, 2023
SUBJECT Follow-Up from the September 27th Charter Review Commission Meeting
PAGE 3 of 3

The list of amendments that were proposed and either did not make it to the ballot or did not
move past the ballot is being compiled by the City Secretary’s Office and will be made
available to you when complete.

When can I expect my City of Dallas email address to be operational?

You will receive a city email address in the format of firstname.lastname@dallas.gov. The
Office of Government Affairs submitted those forms on the morning of September 28 and will
update you via your personal email as soon as those are accessible. A full contact list for the
Commission will be provided to you next week and added to your binder on October 12th.
Your city emails will be posted publicly on the OGA website.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. For questions to
staff, please contact Jake Anderson at james.anderson1@dallas.gov or 469.934.1500.

Allen Vaught
Chairman, Charter Review Commission

c: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmember

Bilierae Johnson, City Secretary
T.C. Broadnax, City Manager
Carrie Rogers, Director, Office of Government Affairs
Tammy L. Palomino, City Attorney
Jake Anderson, Manager, Office of Government Affairs
Anna Lamberti Holmes, Assistant City Attorney
Laura Morrison, Assistant City Attorney

“Our Product is Service”

Empathy | Ethics | Excellence | Engagement | Equity
Appendix

Proposed amendments submitted as of October 3rd, 2023.

Suggested Amendment Chapter Section Proposed By

CM Moreno has asked if it was possible to change the wording in the

city charter to be more inclusive and use “resident” or “people”.
Councilmember Jesse Moreno

Substituting out language in Section 11 to switch City of Dallas away IV 11

from a runoff system to a ranked choice voting system once state law
permits. The substituted language is identical to what City of Austin
put in their City Charter after vetting by their attorneys and approval
by their voters. David de la Fuente

Moving election date to November in odd-numbered years IV 3

David de la Fuente

Allow City Plan Commission to contain "a minimum of 15 members" Andreea Udrea / Andrea Gilles