Local Elections Filing Period Opens Wednesday With Dallas Council, Suburban Mayors on May 6 Ballot

The candidate filing period for the May 6 local elections opens Wednesday with Dallas City Council races, a Plano bond election and suburban mayoral races among the highlights.Every spot on the Dallas City Council, except the mayor's job, is up for grabs this year. But only a few races may be contested. Council members Monica Alonzo, Tiffinni Young, Lee Kleinman, Erik Wilson and Casey Thomas are expected to face competitive races. Several former City Council members are also expected to enter the race to win back their seats.It's still possible that Dallas voters will also get to decide on an $800 million bond package in the same election, but it's more likely that the council will delay the bond vote until November.In Plano, a decision on whether to call a $226.1 million bond election for May is planned Feb. 13. Street repairs, public safety projects and the restoration of one of the city's oldest homes would be in the package. The bond could raise tax rates about a half center per $100 valuation, which equals about $14.46 a year on the average Plano home value of $326,099.Over in Arlington, Mayor Jeff Williams is expected to draw at least one challenger. Williams helped successfully spearhead a $500 million bond referendum in November to help build a new $1 billion stadium for the Texas Rangers. The referendum drew bitter opposition in the months leading up to the election. Arlington has called another bond election in May, this time for a $37 million senior activity center to be built to the east of Lake Arlington.Mayors top suburban ballots  Continue reading...