Dallas City Councilman Adam McGough delivers his second State of the District message
Dallas City Councilman Adam McGough is up for reelection Saturday, but the first-termer drew no opponent. Someone should probably tell the councilman that. The ubiquitous public servant has been campaigning like a house afire, planting yard signs and shaking hands at community events.
McGough hosted a State of the District meeting Tuesday night, updating residents on which of his goals have been accomplished and which need doing in his second term.
“Two years ago when I knocked on doors,” he said, “I got the feeling people were frustrated. Crime persisted at Forest/Audelia and the Skillman/LBJ bridge project had stalled. Progress was not happening quickly.
“A year ago, I said Lake Highlands was turning a corner. Now, with all the progress we are making, I feel like we are on the rise.”
McGough referenced the opening of Sprouts at the Town Center and revealed 3 new tenants – Fish City Grill, Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s – which will soon move in along with Taco Diner, Hollywood Feed, Yogurtland and others. He also mentioned progress at Skillman/Abrams, where Alamo Drafthouse is expected to open in the fall.
“Two years ago, developers told me they weren’t interested in District 10. Now they say, ‘we can make it work.’”
Also high on McGough’s priority list has been reducing crime, in part via partnerships with Dallas Police Nuisance Abatement RISK teams which target uncooperative property owners. The Violent Crime Task Force has seen a reduction in violent crime by more than 20%.
“One year ago I made a promise to try to get 2 Lake Highlands areas off the TAAG [Targeted Area Action Grid or high-crime] Top Ten – Greenville/LBJ and Forest Audelia. We were successful in doing that. Now we want to move them out of the top fifteen.”
With funding for School Resource Officers (SROs) now secured, McGough said he is focusing on social media training for the campus cops since “so many school fights and issues start on social media now.” Additional school zones, ‘Principal for a Day’ programs, Youth Community Court and Summer Civic Leadership Summit are among other programs in the works.
Delay of the bond was a blow, he said, but once the funds are available they will primarily focus on fixing streets (“we heard you loud and clear”). The new Forest Green Library, the Skillman LBJ bridge project and trail connectivity are also high on his spending radar.
Though he admitted he’s no social media guru, McGough said he’d like to improve communication throughout the district, especially since different neighborhoods communicate differently. Informing residents isn’t easy, he said, when some watch Facebook, some prefer email, and some want a good old fashioned face-to-face.
“We have the most diverse district in the city,” said McGough, “with the wealthiest of the wealthy living among the poorest immigrants. We live together and work together and help each other. That’s what it means to be #ALLinD10.”
Model of the soon-to-be-built Skillman-LBJ bridge
