In the City of Dallas, council members may come to mind. But behind every council member are topical boards and commissions that advise the council. Volunteer-based positions are appointed by council members for their district, with exceptions for district-only boards. Often we see the same 10 people in our neighborhoods jumping up to volunteer and speak out for their community, but volunteers can only serve on two.
So where are the people who represent you?
When a charter amendment passed last year that allowed the public to sue the City for not complying with laws outlined in the charter, a petition signed by more than 80 neighborhood leaders came forth, demanding that the City remove those who have exceeded their term or be sued. The letter alluded to a number of commissioners fitting this bill without naming many names.
So, we did a deep dive into the City’s database of all boards and commissions and their members.
What are the rules to play?
Council members begin the nomination process during August of every odd year. Nominees:
- Must live in the city for at least six months.
- Must have no serious convictions.
- Must not have pending litigation against the City or a City employee.
- Must not owe any taxes or other obligations to the City.
- Must not be an employee of the City.
- Does not have to live in the district for which they are appointed, unless expressly noted.
- May serve a maximum of four consecutive two-year terms with at least one term elapsed before being on the same board again.
Another notable issue is that 75 commissioners reside in a different district than they serve across district-based boards/commissions. While this is allowed per the City Charter and residence in or prior knowledge of a district is not required for service, it highlights a problem that we’re all aware of but rarely see evidence of: Residents of several wealthy neighborhoods (like 14, which makes up the majority of those serving in other districts) have a greater voice in City Hall than the rest of us.
Additionally, each district-based board or commission also holds space for a commissioner nominated by the mayor, who is also required to appoint a chair of the commission from the members appointed. Of these positions, six out of 22 (27%) are vacant, and two are past their term limit.
Out of 330 positions in district-based boards and commissions, 44 are vacant / 75 reside in a different district than they serve / 25 are at the end of their allowed term, unable to serve again in September, and their seats will be up for grabs / 235 are on citywide boards and commissions
How can those interested in filling vacancies get involved?
Explore the City’s boards and commissions webpage to see available positions.
Fill out an online application.
Introduce yourself to the council member who is set to make the appointments in the fall and keep in communication.
*All data represented in this story was taken from the City of Dallas Boards & Commissions website and, thus, is likely to have errors. Data was pulled on May 5, 2025, and is reflective of information available on the website at that time. Additionally, while we are sure that lots of time and effort go into carefully choosing the boundary lines for City Council districts, to our untrained eyes, it looks like a mis-filled color-by-numbers sheet. Most of the districts exceed our neighborhood and coverage boundaries, so district data is reflective of more than just the neighborhood. I mean, look at District 2. What is that?
