Carolyn Davis Won Tough Election Campaigns, Fought for Affordable Housing Before Bribery Charges Surfaced

Former Dallas City Council member Carolyn Davis, 57, was killed in a crash involving a possibly drunk driver Monday night in east Oak Cliff. She was first elected in 2007 and served until she was term-limited out of office in 2015.Throughout her career, Davis fought for projects to help bring affordable housing to underserved communities, but during her final term on the council, she was entangled bribery charges that led to a guilty plea earlier this year.What follows is a timeline of key events in Carolyn Davis' life.Dallas City CouncilJune 16, 2007 District 7 Dallas City Council runoff election: Davis, after finishing third in the general election, qualified for the runoff when residency issues forced general election winner Billy Ratcliff out of the race. In the runoff, Davis defeated Donald R. Parish with 57 percent of the vote.First reelection: Davis defeated Ronald Price in another runoff election on June 13, 2009 to secure a second term.Second reelection: Davis won a third term and avoided a runoff in the May 4, 2013 general election, defeating Helene McKinney and Casie M. Pierce.Third reelection: Davis won her final term by defeating Ona Marie Hendricks in the May 11, 2013 general election.Council highlightsIn 2012, Davis pushed to prohibit massage and tattoo parlors and to make it harder for smoke shops and car washes to do business near Fair Park. She said at the time she wanted only "wholesome" businesses in her community, which was historically plagued with liquor stores.In 2013, Davis persuaded Texas Department of Transportation officials to add ramps back on Pennsylvania Avenue that had been eliminated in a project that links Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 175 in South Dallas.Davis served on the city's Community Development Commission and the Urban Rehabilitation Standards Board.Home burglarizedA month before another city council election, burglars broke into Davis' Fair Park area home on April 9, 2013 and stole $2,220 worth of property, including a wallet and two flat-screen television sets.Legal problemsMarch 1: Davis pleaded guilty to charges that she took bribes from a developer while she served on the city's Housing Committee. The violations took place sometime between 2013-15 and alleged that Davis pocketed $40,000 to get an affordable housing project before the city council.The official charge against Davis was conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs using federal funds. The offense carries a punishment of up to five years in prison, but Davis had an agreement with the government for no more than three years.The first check -- one for 2,500 -- was issued to Davis on Nov. 18, 2013, records show.She was scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 20.  Continue reading...