Dallas, TX
City Hall’s future is an opportunity for its leadership
Recent activities reminded me of a simple roadmap I laid out in these pages (Aug. 31, 2025, “Lessons from George W. Bush, his institution”) for effective leadership: providing safety, security, solvency and sanity.
In short, great leadership should provide physical safety for those being led and the security that they can trust the institutions to govern intelligently and with their best interests at heart, while ensuring both the financial solvency of the enterprise and the sanity to keep the place focused optimistically on the future.
Good leadership should do what it is strong at and be intellectually honest to own up to what it does not do well. Then, it should simply stop wasting time on those things outside its core competency. As my former boss was prone to pointing out — a government should do fewer things, but do them well!
As it relates to the current debate over the future of Dallas City Hall, applying these basic principles is instructive as the issue touches each of these priorities.
Our city government should exit the real estate business, since it is clearly not its core competency, especially given its record of mismanagement of City Hall over the years as well as other well-documented and costly recent real estate dalliances. It is time to own that track record and begin to be better stewards of taxpayer money. Plus, given the large vacancies in existing downtown buildings, relocating city functions as a renter will be much more economical.
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing and expect different results. Thinking that the city will be able to remediate City Hall’s issues in a permanent and economically feasible way is naïve. It is time for sanity to prevail — for the city to move on from an anachronistic building that is beyond repair, returning that land to the tax rolls while saving both tenancy costs and reducing downtown office vacancies at the same time.
I appreciate that the iconic architect’s name on the building is a city asset and demolition would toss that aside. But our neglect up to this point is evidence that it was already being tossed, just one unaddressed issue at a time. While punting is not ideal, neither is being in the predicament we are in. Leaders must constantly weigh costs and benefits as part of the job and make sound decisions going forward.
We now have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and apply all of our energy and careful thought to execute on a dynamic plan to activate that part of downtown for the benefit of the next generation. Engaging Linda McMahon, who is CEO of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation, is heartening on this issue given her experience and leadership in real estate.
This is a commercial decision and ignoring economic realities is foolhardy. We have the chance to do something special that future citizens will look back upon and see that today’s leaders were visionary.
I’d like to see the city exercise its common sense and pursue the win-win strategy. By doing so, all Dallas citizens will be more secure knowing that its leadership is capable of making smart decisions, even if it means admitting past mistakes. The first rule when you’ve dug yourself into a hole: “Stop digging!”
It is time for our leaders to lead.
Ken Hersh is the co-founder and former CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management and former CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
A hearing room at Dallas City Hall was packed with an overflow crowd. Supporters of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church were ready for a fight, but that fight was one-sided.
“Rainbow steps shouldn’t be controversial,” one supporter said during his 3 minutes at the public comment microphone. “It’s just paint, y’all!”
The church came to the Dallas Landmark Commission to get permission for the rainbow steps painted last month in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s order to paint over crosswalks with political or ideological references, like the rainbow crosswalk outside Oak Lawn United Methodist.
“”These rainbow steps that I’m sitting on are an art installation,” Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Reverend Rachel Griffin-Allison said. “We feel that it is urgent to make a statement, make a bold statement, and a visible statement, to say that who you are is queer, and beloved, and belongs here.”
As NBC 5 spoke with the pastor, someone yelled homophobic insults from a passing car.
“This is important to have because that kind of heckling happens all the time,” Griffin-Allison said somberly.
The church, a Gothic revival building, is a designated historic landmark, which is why it needed the Dallas Landmark Commission’s approval.
“They are not considered part of the historic preservation building; they are just steps,” one speaker said during public comments.
Several speakers pointed out that the steps had been painted a “gaudy blood red” in the past, and then a shade of gray with no comments or approval.
“When I see the stairs, I see love, support, inclusion, and kindness,” a woman wearing sequin rainbow sneakers said. “They bring a smile to my face and my heart.”
“If you don’t like rainbow steps on your church, then go to one of the 500 churches that don’t have them,” a young man said to the commissioners. “We have one street that represents this culture, and we have one church with rainbow steps!”
Not a single speaker spoke out against the rainbow steps art installation, and it was apparent there was no fight with the commissioners either, as they unanimously voted to allow the rainbow steps to stay up for 3 years.
DALLAS – Dallas police arrested a man for murder after they say he shot a couple he met through an online dating app.
What we know:
Investigators say 26-year-old Noah Trueba shot and killed a 57-year-old woman on Friday morning in Northwest Dallas. Dallas Fire-Rescue responded and pronounced one of the individuals, 57-year-old Guadalupe Gonzalez, dead at the scene.
The second victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
According to an affidavit, Trueba drank and used drugs with the two, who called themselves husband and wife. Trueba later told police that the couple tried to sexually assault him, so he opened fire.
A police drone located him hiding along a nearby highway, after he ran from the scene.
What’s next:
Trueba was arrested at the scene. He is currently booked in the Dallas County Jail and being charged with murder.
This is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Brewster Billings at 214-671-3083 or at brewster.billings@dallaspolice.gov.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from documents provided by the Dallas Police Department.
Sunday was another frustrating game for Dallas Cowboys fans who had to watch the secondary miss one tackle after another against the New York Giants.
In addition to the poor angles and inability to wrap up, the defensive backs couldn’t consistently stop an aerial attack that was without their top two players. That sums up the season for the Dallas defense, which is why Matt Eberflus being relieved of his duties feels like a foregone conclusion.
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From there, the question turns to who will replace Eberflus. While there’s no shortage of options available, here’s a look at some of the top candidates if Dallas made fixing the secondary their primary goal.
Daniel Bullocks, DB Coach/Pass Game Specialist, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the most impressive coaching trees. While Robert Saleh didn’t excel as a head coach, he returned to his role as defensive coordinator and continued to excel. They’ve also seen DeMeco Ryans do an extraordinary job in Houston as a head coach, with a staff loaded with former 49ers assistants.
That’s why looking at their staff is a wise move. One name to consider is Daniel Bullocks, who has been an assistant with San Francisco since 2017. He currently serves as the safeties coach and pass game specialist. While they haven’t been elite this year, his unit is usually among the best in the NFL.
Aubrey Pleasant, Assistant Head Coach/Pass Game Coordinator, Los Angeles Rams
Aubrey Pleasant has been a name to watch for years, even interviewing for multiple defensive coordinator vacancies. He’s been with the Los Angeles Rams since 2023, and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2024.
Cory Undlin, Pass Game Coordinator, Houston Texans
DeMeco Ryans was mentioned earlier as a great coach to come out of San Francisco. One assistant he brought along with him is Cory Undlin, who has been a pass game specialist for the 49ers (2021-2022) and now the Houston Texans (2023-present).
MORE: Dak Prescott explains why he’s not blaming himself for Cowboys’ failed season
Houston has a vicious defense led by hard-hitting safeties and physical cornerbacks. Undlin deserves credit for helping develop their young talent and could help Dallas get back on track in the secondary.
Al Harris, Pass Game Coordinator/DB Coach, Chicago Bears
Everyone who follows the Cowboys knows, and loves, Al Harris. He was part of Dan Quinn’s defensive staff and was credited for developing ballhawks such as Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland.
Harris left this offseason and while the Cowboys fell apart, the Chicago Bears began to generate turnovers at a high rate. We’ve seen enough to know Harris should have been kept.
Raheem Morris, Head Coach, Atlanta Falcons
Raheem Morris was fired after two seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. Morris remains one of the more well-respected defensive minds in the NFL, even winning the Super Bowl in 2021 as the Rams’ defensive coordinator. That was his second Super Bowl ring, as Morris earned one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2002 season. That year, he was a defensive quality control coach for Jon Gruden.
Morris excels at coaching defensive backs and brings extensive experience to the table. He may be exactly the kind of hire Jerry Jones would feel comfortable making, and one Cowboys fans could believe in.
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