District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn clocked another Dallas Derby win, carried by the strong support she has maintained among her constituents.
Readers of The Dallas Express who reside in Dallas proper are invited to respond to the Rate Your Council Member survey every month. Survey respondents are asked to share how effective they feel their elected representatives on the Dallas City Council were that month on a range of key municipal issues, such as street repairs, crime, and homelessness.
Mendelsohn has been on a tear, winning every month since the Derby launched earlier this year. She continued her streak in the July survey, logging strong scores.
Her constituents gave her an 8.8 out of 10 in crime reduction. She earned an 8.5 in homelessness reduction and an 8.4 in aggressive panhandling reduction.
Previous polling conducted by DX shows that roughly 75% of Dallas voters think homelessness, vagrancy, and aggressive panhandling are “major” problems in the city. Residents also registered their support for the “one-stop-shop” homeless services model used by Haven for Hope in San Antonio. The model has been credited with a 77% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in the city’s downtown area.
Some local stakeholders want to bring such a model to Dallas. However, it is unclear whether the Dallas City Council will support such an approach to dealing with the city’s homelessness issue.
Mendelsohn’s highest scores in July’s Rate Your Council Member survey were in the categories of city cleanliness, street repair and maintenance, and park maintenance and cleanliness. She scored 8.9 in the first two metrics and 9.6 in the third.
Overall, Mendelsohn’s scores put her at an 8.8 for the month, which was not enough to affect her year-to-date score of 8.9 in the last survey.
Looking at other City leaders in the rankings, Mayor Eric Johnson earned a 4.8 on average, logging a year-to-date average of 5.0. Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert received a 2.5. Her year-to-date score, which includes the ratings given to former City Manager T.C. Broadnax, is now 1.9.
The council member who earned the lowest average score was Council Member Adam Bazaldua (District 7). His constituents awarded him a 0.6 out of 10 on average.