By Bill Zeeble, KERA reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-571598.mp3
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: The realtors PAC invited all of the declared Dallas mayoral candidatse. Eleven met the group's criteria, and they answered questions in a packed Palomar hotel ballroom of 300 realtors. One of Keven Ann Willey's first questions? How often had each been to Dallas city all in the past year, and how might each influence the council? Businessman Tom Leppert answered first, saying he'd been to city hall at least 10 times in the last year.
Tom Leppert, Dallas Business Executive: I feel comfortable in city hall. What we need is the ability to build coalitions, to build understandings.
Keven Ann Willey, Dallas Morning News: Mr. Coats and then to Mr. Wells with this question.
Sam Coats, business executive: I've been to city all a number of times. I helped negotiate the settlement on the Wright amendment with the Mayor. We don't need a ceo at city hall though, we need a bridge builder, problem solver and a choir director.
Willey: Mr Wells?
Max Wells, business man, former Dallas city council member: About city hall, only 5 times in past year, but about 3 thousand in the past 15 years. I served 9 years on in the city council. I am a consensus builder, and I don't care who gets credit.
Willey: I'm going to go to Mr. Jordan
Darrell Jordan: I can't give you an exact number of how many times I've been to city hall, but 20 or 30. I know my way around city hall.
Willey: Mr MacLeod?
Billy MacLeod: As an outsider I would appeal to the 88 percent of our city that doesn't feel as though I have a voice. That do not get up on Saturday mornings and vote. I am one of us and imagine one of us as Mayor of Dallas . How often have I been to city hall?
Willey: Mr. Cappello:
John Cappello, CEO West Dallas Chamber of Commerce: I can't tell you how many times I've been to city hall. I've been there so much I think they're tired of seeing me. After you've had a family in Dallas almost a hundred years you get to know about every sector of the city. So I know the city. I helped bring Dallas county community college to west Dallas, I've been working on street projects in the area I serve.
Willey: Mr Herrera
Roger Herrera, attorney: In the past 12 months I've probably been to city hall about 50 times. If elected I would like to redesign city hall. If you go there you can get lost.
Willey: Mr Opka?
Edward Opka, Nigerian-born business owner: I go to city hall every week. As to influence, being someone born in a different country, who has lived here all along, my presence will inspire, motivate a lot of people.
Willey: The Next question I'll direct to Mr. Oakley, Mr. Hill and Mr. Griffith. One issue has been the importance of developing South Dallas . You've been on the council some time, why haven't you been able to get the city to accomplish more in your tenure. Mr. Oakley?
Ed Oakley, Dallas City Council Member: Obviously I need to take you and show you district 1 & 3 , there's more economic development and more jobs created in that part of the city in the last 5 years than any other part of the city. Our initiative in the Southern sector with the inland port is going to put more than 30-50thsnd jobs into south east Dallas county.
Willey: Mr. Hill?
Don Hill, Dallas City Council Member: It is still the central issue in terms of increasing the tax base and lowering the tax burden on our residents that we develop the southern sector. That's why economic development is going to be and will be THE defining issue for this election.
Willey: Mr Griffith, you don't represent the Southern part of the city, talk of your perception about what needs to be done and if enough has been done to date
Gary Giffith, Dallas City Council Member: We haven't done enough but we've taken some important steps. We set 5 priorities for the city and unanimously adopted those 5 priorities. The first priority was economic development, with southern sector development was our first priority. That's where you have to start. The other piece we need to do is really look at the remaining barriers to development in the southern sector.
Zeeble: That's just a sample of this morning's Dallas Mayoral forum sponsored by local realtors. Eleven of 23 candidates participated. They also talked about crime reduction, The Trinity River Project, taxes, and what each considers an unspoken, or inconvenient truth about Dallas that needs addressing. The 90 minute question and answer session is available online at KERA.org. For KERA 90.1 I'm Bill Zeeble
Bzeeble@Kera.Org