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Dallas City Council (Place 1)

NOTE: Only Dallas residents living in Place 1 may vote in this race. Find your place.

Dallas Morning News stories:
• Editorial board recommendations
• Six look to define election for Oak Cliff council seat
• Quarter of candidates skip voting in elections
• Some candidates report vast investment holdings
• Some candidates have run before and lost
• Incumbents facing strong challenges
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  • Candidate Picture

    Justin C. Epker

    Community Development Consultant
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  • Candidate Picture

    Delia Jasso

    First Language Lab Owner, ESL School
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Justin C. Epker
Delia Jasso
  1. Biographical Information
  2. Candidate for (please include district):
  3. Length of residency in the city of Dallas:
  4. Length of residency in your current council district:
  5. Occupation/main source of income:
  6. Current civic involvement/highlights:
  7. Previous civic involvement/accomplishments:
  8. Previous public offices sought/held:
  9. How much funding have you raised for your campaign?
  10. Who are your top three contributors?
  11. Have you ever been arrested or involved in any criminal proceedings or civil suits? Please explain:
  12. Why are you running for this office? Describe your vision for the city of Dallas and, specifically, how you would accomplish your goals.
  13. Contrast your leadership style with the current mayor and council members.
  14. How important are coalitions on the council, and how would you work to build consensus?
  15. Why does Dallas remain a divided city, and what immediate steps should be taken to bridge the divide?
  16. What is an uncomfortable truth about Dallas that your constituents need to confront?
  17. Dallas has committed to add more police officers each year for the foreseeable future. What else must the city do to help bring down the crime rate?
  18. The city manager’s office already predicts up to a $100 million shortfall, with the hard budgeting work still ahead. How would you advise making up the difference: a property tax increase, cuts to city services or a combination?
  19. If the city faces difficult service cuts in this budget cycle, please list the three areas, in order, you consider to be off-limits for cuts and the three areas where you would start cutting.
  20. With The Bridge homeless assistance center up and running, what next step should Dallas take to address the needs of the homeless and to reduce the homeless population?
  21. Do you favor the city’s effort to build an attached Convention Center hotel? Do you also favor the plan to pay for the construction through taxpayer-backed bonds? If not, how would you rather see the city fund this hotel project?
  22. Should the city continue twice-weekly trash pickup? Or do you believe the city is moving quickly enough toward once-weekly trash pickup, supplemented by once-weekly recycling pickup?
  23. Do you support Mayor Tom Leppert’s push to fast-track the Trinity River Corridor project? And with the toll road reportedly $1 billion short of being built, how would you suggest making up that funding?
  24. What role should the city take in improving education in Dallas’ public schools?
  25. Is the city doing enough to encourage and support denser, more pedestrian-friendly development, especially around DART stations? If not, what specific steps would you propose?
  26. Do you believe the city has done enough to encourage and support a water conservation strategy? If not, what specific steps would you propose?
  27. Do you support building the Marvin Nichols Reservoir in northeast Texas as part of the city’s overall water strategy?
  28. For decades, the southern half of Dallas got short shrift from City Hall in development and other resources. In which specific ways should the city redress this neglect and bolster southern Dallas neighborhoods?
  29. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing southern Dallas? Conversely, what are southern Dallas’ biggest assets?
  30. Would you support creating an economic development corporation to oversee redevelopment efforts in southern Dallas? If so, how would you fund it?
  31. Is the city doing enough to encourage and support development in and around the International Inland Port of Dallas? If not, what specific steps would you propose?
Justin C. Epker: Dallas City Council District One
Justin C. Epker: Eight years
Justin C. Epker: Five Years
Justin C. Epker: Community Development consultant for local government.

I have helped communities across North Texas obtain over twenty-five million dollars in grant funds for infrastructure improvements, affordable housing and park & recreation development. In addition, I have been involved with several long-range comprehensive planning studies that analyzed such components as water, sewer, drainage, housing, transportation, zoning and recreational development.
Justin C. Epker: Oak Cliff Lions Club, Austin College Alumni Board, L.O Daniels Neighborhood Association, Volunteer for J. Erik Jonsson Community School, Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Club,

Justin C. Epker: Oak Cliff Lions Club, Austin College Alumni Board, L.O Daniel neighborhood Association, Volunteer for J. Erik Jonsson Community School, Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Club

Justin C. Epker: None
Justin C. Epker: I'll be releasing that information in my TEC filing report due April 9th.
Justin C. Epker: I'll be releasing that information in my TEC filing report due April 9th.
Justin C. Epker: No
Justin C. Epker: I love Oak Cliff. My wife and I work here, purchased our first home here and plan to raise our family here. As a community development consultant, I have helped cities all across North Texas achieve their goals. Now it’s time for me to put my experience to use here at home.

My vision for Oak Cliff is that we will have safe, walkable neighborhoods. I also think it is important to ensure that we maintain the multi-generational aspect of our community. The seniors in Oak Cliff have invested their lives in South Dallas. They have done the responsible thing by paying off their mortgages. But without a Tax Freeze, their tax burden will continue to increase along with property valuations and/or increases in the property tax rate. In light of the shrinking spending power of most pension plans, we must do everything we can to ensure that our seniors are not unduly burdened by local taxes.

Justin C. Epker: I'm running for City Council in order to represent the people of Oak Cliff. My most important duty as a councilman will be to listen to the concerns of constituents. I look forward to working with fellow members of the council to solve the pressing issues that face my community (Oak Cliff) and the city as a whole.
Justin C. Epker: Again, my top priority as a Councilman will be to represent the interests of the people of Oak Cliff. I will work with any member of the Council on any measure that advances the public good.
Justin C. Epker: Oak Cliff is one of the most diverse areas of the city. Our community is made up of people of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and economic situations. In my campaign, I am focusing on what unites us as a community. Everyone wants our streets to be safe, and everyone can agree that we should not tax our seniors out of their homes. If we begin with what unites us, then we can work together to solve the issues that still divide.
Justin C. Epker: Due to the current economic crisis, citizens of Oak Cliff are faced with cutting back on spending in order to balance the family budget. This is an uncomfortable truth that my constituents already face every day. I think it is time for City Hall to face this "uncomfortable truth." In this next session, we will have to make some tough decisions about how to handle our 100 million dollar shortfall. As the council, we will need to make the same sort of tough decisions that families have to make every day.
Justin C. Epker: First and foremost, we must actually deliver on the promise to bring more police officers to our neighborhoods. Recent staff reports indicate that the current budget deficit might prohibit us from achieving this goal. However, this past year, the City found the money to put flat screen TVs in the parking garage at City Hall and GPS units in the garbage trucks. Public Safety is the number one duty of local government, and I’m frustrated that wasteful spending at City Hall is draining resources that would be better used to protect our families.
Justin C. Epker: First of all, I would cut wasteful spending. This past year, we spent over $1,000,000 on gadgets (flat-screen televisions for City Hall and GPS units for garbage trucks). Over the past three years, we spent over $3,000,000 on artwork for police & fire stations. These are just a few examples of taxpayer funded luxury items purchased by the City. Given the current economic environment and the predicted budget shortfall, these items hardly seem to be the best use of taxpayer dollars.

Second, I would seek to maximize revenue from existing sources. For example, we lost a potential $424 million in revenue due to inefficient management in our municipal courts. According to the Dallas Morning News, our courts have “an abysmal collection rate” and the city has failed to implement “better ways to get people to pay.” So, while the people who break our laws go unpunished, the City is now considering raising fees and taxes on responsible citizens. I would work to streamline the courts and update processing systems in order to collect these fees. Additionally, there are millions of dollars in delinquent property tax disputes held up in the local court system. The properties attached to these disputes represent a loss in revenue for the city and are a burden to maintain. We must find mechanisms that put these properties into the hands of tax-paying owners quickly and efficiently.
Justin C. Epker: Off-Limits: Public Safety, Tax Relief for Senior Citizens, and Code Enforcement. In this survey, I have already mentioned several examples of wasteful spending. In this year's budget process, I would look to cut such non-essential items while maximizing our current revenue sources.
Justin C. Epker: Dallas' new homeless assistance center, The Bridge, cost $21,000,000 to build and will cost another $7,000,000 a year to operate. This sum represents a significant taxpayer commitment to addressing the problem of homelessness. I think we need to evaluate the success of this program before we commit new resources.
Justin C. Epker: The taxpayers should not own the proposed Convention Center Hotel. The city has the means at its disposal, including the $75,000,000 it has already spent on the project, to entice a private developer once the economy rebounds.
Justin C. Epker: I support once-weekly trash pickup accompanied by once-weekly recycling pick-up.
Justin C. Epker: The impetus of the Trinity River Corridor project has always been flood protection, and as we move forward, we must keep this fact at the forefront. I support the Mayor’s efforts to expedite the project as long as we do not comprise flood protection. Recent reports from the Corp of Army Engineers concerning sand in the levees, and the possibility of the toll road compromising the levees, should give everyone concern. I’m sure there is a workable solution, but at what cost when the project already has a funding gap? As a member of the council, I would consider separating the question of Trinity River flood protection and park amenities from the question of funding the toll road.
Justin C. Epker: According to the Mayor’s Southern Dallas Task Force, 41% of residents in Southern Dallas do not have a high school degree. As a member of the Council, I will do everything I can do to make sure that schools in the southern part of our city get the resources they deserve. I will also work to eliminate the environment that makes it easier for young men and women to drop out of school. Increased economic development and public safety in South Dallas will go along way toward encouraging students to stay in school.
Justin C. Epker: As a citizen participant of the Davis/Bishop Land Use Study, I was convinced that high-density development is coming to our area. However, responsible high-density development must include a transportation plan that goes beyond the old model of automobile dependence. We need to take another look at the city's transportation plan with an eye toward increasing pedestrian friendly transportation options. For example, one of my long term goals is to help bring the trolley back to Oak Cliff. I also think we should look to expand our bike trails.
Justin C. Epker: In 2005, the City adopted a Five-Year Strategic Plan on Water Conservation, which has already yielded significant results. As we move forward, we need to expand upon this success. As the city grows, water demand will increase and we must look to any conversation methods that allow affordable and clean access to water.
Justin C. Epker: The population in North Texas is expected to double by 2060. To meet the growing water demands in North Texas, we must increase supply and improve conservation. I support building the Marvin Nichols Reservoir as it would provide nearly one-fifth of our new water supply.
Justin C. Epker: Historically, while the city grew north, the southern sector inherited heavy industrial zones and landfills that have made reinvestment difficult. Today, the economic geography of North Texas is more complex and there is great potential to link the southern sector of our city to multi-node developments.

While there have been historical imbalances toward the southern sector, the city has recently made progress. $1 billion of the last 3 bonds have been dedicated to the southern sector, TIF capacity has been doubled, the new South Central Police Headquarters opened, and code compliance has been reorganized. As a member of the Council, I would look to build upon this new trend in Southern Dallas development.
Justin C. Epker: It’s unfortunate that most Dallasites perceive Southern Dallas as the crime-ridden part of Dallas. When people feel safe, neighborhoods will flourish and commerce will grow, providing job opportunities for residents in Southern Dallas.

The biggest assets of Southern Dallas include our diverse workforce, the UNT Dallas campus, our vast expanse of undeveloped land, and the Inland Port, which has the potential to create 30,000 jobs.
Justin C. Epker: I do support creating a Southern Dallas Economic Development corporation. Traditional funding for such organizations comes from 4a & 4b sales tax, but that is not an option for Dallas as we are currently maxed out on our sales tax rate because of DART. I would support looking at creative mechanisms for funding that would not have a negative impact on the local business and/or property tax owners.
Justin C. Epker: The Inland Port of Dallas is one of the biggest opportunities for economic development in South Dallas. I oppose efforts to increase regulations or create a quasi-governmental entity that could impede the development of the port.
Name: Justin Epker
Campaign Office Phone Number: 214-941-1847
E-mail Address: info@justinepker.com
Fax Number: 888-483-3051
Street Address: 2234 Carnes St
City/Town: Dallas, TX 75208
Education/Degrees: Masters of Science in Public Administration/ Business Administration from the University of North Texas, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Austin College, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Austin College
Date of Birth: 02/21/1973
Delia Jasso: Dallas City Council District 1
Delia Jasso: 45 years
Delia Jasso: 20 years
Delia Jasso: ESL School Owner and ESL teacher
Delia Jasso: TexansCan! Board of Trustees, Chair Womens’ Council of Dallas County, Board of Directors Dallas Park Foundation, Board Oak Cliff Earth Day Volunteer Friends of Oak Cliff Parks Volunteer Ft. Worth Avenue Development Group Member Crime Watch Kidd Springs Neighborhood Lions Club of Oak Cliff Lecture Luncheon Club of Oak Cliff
Delia Jasso: City of Dallas Park and Recreation Board, Vice President Kidd Springs Neighborhood Association Past President Forward Dallas Advisory Committee Member City of Dallas Form Based Zoning Task Force Mother of the Year, 2008, TexansCan! Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Hispanic Task Force Chair
Delia Jasso: None
Delia Jasso: $25,575
Delia Jasso: The Real Estate Council Dallas Police Association Walt Roberts
Delia Jasso: No
Delia Jasso: I am running for City Council in District 1 because I have the experience, leadership and commitment to represent constituents in Dallas and District 1. During hard economic times, Dallas needs experience and commitment. My father grew up in Dallas and raised six children working as a sheet metal mechanic and my mom was a homemaker. I know he worked hard and worked long hours and I have that same dedication to the city of Dallas. I have served in volunteer positions for 20 years working with diverse people from education to recreation to economic development establishing relationships to get the job done. My leadership positions in civic involvement give me a citywide perspective as well as a neighborhood perspective to push hard to make needed projects come to fruition. As a freelance writer, I worked with deadlines while producing quality stories. This same dedication is what I bring to the council. I plan to work full time as the council representative for Dallas and District 1. I will continue to work with constituents to continue positive trends with safety as a priority. To accomplish these goals, I will work with the Mayor and City Council to develop the Southern Sector to support smooth population growth which will help the City of Dallas.
Delia Jasso: While being independent, I will try to build bridges and look for compromises on issues important to the city in order to move the city forward.
Delia Jasso: Dallas defeated the strong mayor referendum. A consensus on the City Council is important in order to move the city forward on important issues.
Delia Jasso: Dallas remains a divided city, in my opinion, because of long held perceptions. Those who hold on to negative perceptions of the southern sector may not have experienced the positive changes that are happening now. Perception is sometimes not a reality. The DMN’s editorial board has continued to show the positive things that can happen when there is light shed on disparities between the north and the south in this city (“North-South Gap”) I applaud these efforts and plan to help in any way possible as an elected representative to continue to close this gap. Changing the perception is an ongoing effort and resources must be distributed equally. Identifying areas of highest need will begin closing the gap.
Delia Jasso: Green Initiatives need to be at the forefront of the City’s five year plan for strategy. Water conservation, recycling, air quality need to be second nature in addressing what legacy we leave for those who come after us. Addressing these initiatives in all languages necessary will begin an effort to increase awareness. ie: costs of land fills versus recycling, maintaining water permeable surfaces instead of using concrete.
Delia Jasso: The city must continue to implement the efficiency studies in order to become fully staffed. The city must also continue to purchase new and innovative equipment needed to do a good job. Private partnerships like, The Caruth Foundation Initiative needs to be continued. This private partnership has been effective in bringing new equipment. All police and fire personnel need to be trained on leadership and customer service skills.
Delia Jasso: This is very early in the budget process. I would listen to what the City Manager proposes in her recommendations. I would try not to cut services that would affect the quality of life of our citizens. I would “Cut the fat without raising taxes” especially in these economic times. I would hope that more accurate numbers from appraisal reporting and sales tax numbers will clearly define what the shortfall is.
Delia Jasso: Off limits on budget cuts would be Police and Fire, Parks and Libraries and Code Enforcement. I would look at the recommendations from the City Manager but would not want to cut anything until final budget recommendations are available.
Delia Jasso: With approximately 6000 homeless in our population, Dallas should ensure that the homeless have access to services. Resources must be available to provide transitioning to a functional community. The needs of the homeless include access to training, re-entry and rehabilitation in order to transition out of the system and into housing. ie: single room occupancy or permanent housing. I support the Central Dallas Ministries and their efforts in this area and would support other efforts to keep the process of transitioning moving forward.
Delia Jasso: The voters will decide whether to build a convention center hotel with taxpayer backed bonds. I believe that Dallas should stay in the convention business because it creates a tax base. Convention center business generates nearly 10% of the total sales tax receipts (10% of over 229 million last year). On the other side, I would never vote for city services to be cut in the event the hotel is not successful. I would work with the city council and the mayor to look at alternative funding.
Delia Jasso: I think the city should move quicker on once weekly trash and recycling pickup. As I have been talking to residents, a once weekly pick up for both trash and recycling would make the pickups easier to remember. The current schedule of twice trash pickup on odd days and every other week on recycling makes the schedule too confusing as per the residents. Dallas should continue to increase awareness that recycling is the right thing to do by showing the investment in reducing the amount of trash that goes to the land fill because the land fill will not be there ad infinitum.
Delia Jasso: Yes, I support the Mayor’s approach in fast tracking the Trinity River Corridor because the costs will increase as the amount of time increases. The city of Dallas needs to work with all entities involved in the project to share in current and future expenses.
Delia Jasso: The City of Dallas should continue to strengthen working relationships with DISD, the Board, and the superintendent. One major issue is that of overcrowding in schools and how that relates to new development in a particular area. DISD should be aware of new developments that would impact enrollment. A partnership could be looked at to address the dropout rate through tutoring and mentoring programs.
Delia Jasso: No, the city is not doing enough to support denser more pedestrian friendly development especially around the DART transit corridor. Dallas needs to fast track this type of development. I would work with the mayor and city manager to implement ways to expedite a customer friendly program found in other cities in which one “expeditor” or liaison from the city’s economic development staff takes a project from start to finish. This would end a new business developer’s need to go from department to department in order to move forward on a particular project. This would be a good opportunity to use the new form based zoning tool just passed by the city council and elements of the Forward Dallas Plan.
Delia Jasso: I believe the city has begun to encourage and support a water conservation strategy. The city has a five year strategy plan to reduce water consumption that began in 2005. We owe it to our children to increase awareness about why it’s important to conserve water. The steps I would take are to continue to invest in a conservation plan to achieve reduced water consumption with a message that larger populations can be served with the same resources. In addition, I would continue to support the new pluming codes that reduce water consumption by 5 percent. Per capita consumption could be reduced with ongoing awareness campaigns.
Delia Jasso: I think we should look at all options to find water supply resources and opportunities. From my understanding, the implementing of the Marvin Nichols Reservoir Project will require the city of Dallas to enter into a cooperative development agreement with the other utilities participating in the project. It will also have a significant impact on the East Texas timber industry. Much attention needs to be placed on the effects of this project prior to it moving forward. There is high opposition to this project and I look forward to being able to be part of the solution to the water strategy needs of the city of Dallas residents.
Delia Jasso: The city should do everything possible to bring economic development and jobs to the southern sector. A continued effort and support of the Southern Dallas Task Force will help bring viable venues to the southern sector. Long and short range planning should focus on bringing the middle class back to the southern sector. District 1 planning should focus on helping to alleviate old infrastructure to enable faster economic and housing development.
Delia Jasso: The biggest challenges facing Southern Dallas is the perception of high crime and lack of opportunities. We need to bring jobs and economic development back to the southern sector to become prosperous once again. The biggest asset in southern Dallas is the proximity to the downtown core. Southern Dallas has natural assets in trees, parks and water in addition to affordable land.
Delia Jasso: I support creating an economic development corporation to be utilized to attract new business and retain the current businesses. I would be looking at ways to make it happen with private/public partnerships or utilizing current fees in a more targeted way rather than a tax increase.
Delia Jasso: Dallas needs to do more to encourage and support the area around the Inland Port. I would increase the amount of economic development dollars going into the project. In addition, I would look at what private/public partnerships would be available to move the project forward.
Name: Delia Jasso
Campaign Office Phone Number: 214-789-0399
E-mail Address: delia@deliajasso.com
Fax Number: 214-941-3969
Street Address: 821 Haines Avenue
City/Town: Dallas, Texas 75208
Education/Degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Southern Methodist University
Date of Birth: 7/30/1954

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Our Voter Guide for the December 8 runoff election allows you to compare Dallas ISD trustee candidates and their responses to issues side-by-side and to create your own ballot, which you can print or e-mail.

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