The Dallas City Council swore in four new members on June 14, with three of the new council members replacing term-limited members, according to NBCDFW.
One of the most significant tasks the new members will have is budgeting and spending almost $400 million in federal COVID relief, according to Texas News Today.
“We are Dallas, Texas,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson tweeted. “We refuse to stay down, and our determination and ingenuity can and will carry us to new heights.”
Paul Ridley, who defeated David Blewett in the May primary for the District 14 council seat, said his victory occurred despite the fact that both Blewett and another opponent raised more campaign funds.
“This is very important to the future of Dallas, that qualified candidates can run and be successful without having to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars provided that they listen to their constituents and they develop a message that resonates with them,” Ridley told NBCDFW.
Additionally, Ridley said he was pleased that two of the other winners overcame negative campaign attacks.
“People looked through the negative campaigning, they saw through it, and they looked instead to the issues,” Ridley told NBCDFW.
Ridley is joined by Jesse Moreno in District 2, Jaynie Schultz in District 11 and Gay Donnell Willis in District 13 as the newest members of the Dallas City Council after winning their runoff elections on June 5.
Mayor Johnson delivered the inaugural speech at the members’ swearing-in ceremony, but instead of emphasizing the city’s accomplishments, he focused on the city’s issues, which varied from inadequate garbage service to difficulty calling 911, according to a report by Fox 4.
At the conclusion of his speech, the mayor urged council members to set aside their political differences, saying that party labels “don’t help us pick up bulk trash on time or answer the phone on the first ring when someone calls 911.”
