Candidate: Chad West

Age: 48

Website: chadwestdallas.com

Why do you want to be a member of the Dallas City Council, and why are you the best person for the job?

I want to ensure Oak Cliff remains a great place to live for my seven and nine year-olds when they grow up. I want to make our streets, sidewalks, and parks safe and accessible to all children, and preserve our neighborhoods for generations to come. If reelected, this would be my fourth and final term. Over the years, I have learned how to make government work for residents whether it be making sure sanitation works with individuals on unique blocks or area planning to help neighborhoods put pen to paper for the first time to preserve what they value and encourage changes they want to see.

What is the single greatest challenge for your district and how will you address it?

There is a nationwide housing affordability crisis which is also leading to displacement and gentrification in areas like Oak Cliff. I have been one of the strongest voices on the city council for preservation efforts. Any existing home is going to be more affordable than if we tear it down and build something new. I am the only council member in the last decade to oversee the creation of a new conservation district in their council district and we have more on the way. In areas, with no existing housing, we need to build more. Increased supply has been shown to help curb price increases and in some cases even bring prices down. I have worked to bring affordable rentals to the far eastern part of my district along I-35 where no existing housing existed.

What do you see as the greatest opportunities to grow our city's tax base?

As Government Performance & Financial Management committee chair, I have been tasked with finding ways to decrease the tax burden on our existing residents and businesses. If a road or sidewalk exists in our city and it isn't in front of a residential or commercial structure, we are all paying for it. I believe one of our best ways to grow the tax base and protect our existing taxpayers is to sell city-owned land that the city does not currently use nor has plans to use in the future. To be clear, this does not mean selling off popular parks, libraries, or cultural centers, but rather vacant lots. The city owns a surprising amount of vacant land that we must maintain and does no good for anyone. We are currently working on building an inventory of such parcels.

What is your political party affiliation and what role will that play in your job as a council member?

I'm a Democrat, but I ran for city council partly because I enjoy the nonpartisan nature of this role. On council, we don't have partisan caucuses, party leaders, party whips or anything close to resembling that. Each of us is tasked with doing what is best for our district. In many split votes, you will see the majority side include both self-identified Democrats and Republicans and the minority side include both as well. I hope the city council continues to avoid tribal partisan politics. That being said, the values that guide my policy positions on city council, such as supporting small businesses, workers, caring about cost of living, and making the city inclusive for all people, are the same types of values that have made me choose to identify with the political party I do.