Dallas, TX
Dallas charter amendment plan is a progressive mess
We’ve worried for some time that our Dallas City Council is becoming disconnected from the people of this city. Now the evidence is in, and it’s damning.
Most of the 15 proposed charter amendments the council is scheduled to debate today demonstrate that too much of the council is out of touch with what residents want this city focused on and what they think of the job the city council is doing setting policy for Dallas.
The charter review process presented the council with a golden opportunity to look seriously at the function of local government and to recommend to voters reforms that could increase efficiency, lower cost, raise voter participation and improve Dallas’ standing as a city on the rise.
Instead, the amendments on the table largely serve to give the council more power, more money and less accountability while also indulging progressive pieties.
The first proposed charter amendment on the council’s agenda is a rambling “preamble” to the charter that promises Dallas’ commitment to “justice and equity for all residents.” Modeled on a New York statement and dripping with language ripped from a cultural studies seminar, the proposed preamble is not the inclusive statement its authors intend it to be.
From the holier-than-thou land acknowledgement that disregards the complex local history of indigenous tribes, to the commitment to relieve systemic inequities, to the assurance of providing “trauma-informed child and youth educators” and “trauma-informed health and mental health care,” the statement makes promises it cannot keep while emphasizing racial and class divisions.
Even as we wrote this editorial, there was a behind-the-scenes scramble to soften the excited undergraduate tone, but the effect appears to be the same.
From there, it’s on to the money, for the council naturally. Some council members want a big raise, from $60,000 a year to $125,000. No one doubts that serving on the City Council is hard work. But it’s also a volunteer role, or at least it was intended to be.
The people who formed Dallas’ strong-manager government did so to avoid creating the sort of professional political class that has corrupted so many American cities. The current council appears to want to reverse the intentions of those who created Dallas as we know it — a place with a government that has proved surprisingly resistant to the sort of endemic corruption that plagues cities with highly paid council members and aldermen. (Chicago pays its aldermen six figures, and need we say more?)
Some council members argue they deserve the money, and they work for it. But a council member is not supposed to be a miniature city manager, resolving code complaints or negotiating zoning deals. We’ve reached a point where some council members carry two phones — one is just for constituents trying to hop the line for service that comes too slow from City Hall.
It can’t be that way. The council must set policy, and the bureaucracy must implement it while handling the day-to-day concerns of residents. The role of the council has become distorted in practice, requiring more time from council members. The answer is not to reward the distortion, but to restore the appropriate balance between what city management does and what council members do.
Meanwhile, council members want to answer to voters less often, switching the charter from four two-year terms to two four-year terms. There is some value in this debate. So few eligible voters cast ballots in municipal elections that we might get more participation with fewer terms.
But debate is the key word here. We would be more inclined to support two four-year terms if the council agreed to hard term limits. Once a person has served eight years on council, they shouldn’t be able to run again for that council seat or for any other council seat other than mayor. There are examples of people doing eight years on council, then sitting out a term or so and running again, pushing out fresh voices with new ideas.
The next substantial item the council wants to try to force on voters is the diminishment of citizenship in local government. Voters already rejected this idea the last time it was raised. The planned amendment would eliminate the provision that members of the city’s charter-required boards and commissions be registered voters, qualified voters or qualified taxpaying citizens.
All residents of Dallas deserve to be heard. But boards and commissions are invested with important powers that affect the governance of the city. Such a power is appropriately reserved to citizens. Citizenship has been a cornerstone of democratic governance since the creation of representative government. Dallas voters made their support for that principle clear in 2021, when many members of this council were serving.
Some council members would also like to make it easier to govern by referendum by extending the time period from 60 to 120 days to collect the required signatures for a referendum and to reduce from 10% to 5% the total number of registered voter signatures needed to call a referendum.
Referendums are usually bad ways to govern. Government works best when elected representatives consider policy carefully, weigh pros and cons, and work through compromises. Referendums more commonly empower populist sentiments, or throw so much sand into the gears of government that nothing gets done while a referendum is debated and voted on.
Another bad amendment would reduce the mayor’s power to appoint committee members, giving the council veto power over mayoral appointments. The mayor is the sole person elected by the entire city and committee appointments are one of the few charter powers the mayor enjoys. It should remain vested in the mayor.
With so many bad amendments, we are left with little room to focus on good amendments that got left on the cutting room floor. First among these was a plan to put the office of inspector general in the city charter to provide greater independence and more oversight to prevent fraud.
As the council begins debate today, this looks like a do-over. The amendments on the floor are, by and large, either divisive statements of activism or self-serving sops to the council itself.
There are good ideas out there, but what the council has decided to debate is largely bad. It’s time to begin again and get it right. Or if these are our only choices, do nothing and do less harm.
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Dallas, TX
Triggered Fire Alarm Evacuates Dallas Love Field, Disrupts Flights And Security Screening
Dallas Love Field airport in Dallas, Texas | Image by Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.
A triggered fire alarm forced the evacuation of Dallas Love Field on Tuesday afternoon, disrupting air traffic, halting security screening, and causing widespread flight delays.
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, crews responded around 2:09 p.m. after a fire alarm was activated in the airport’s main terminal. The first arriving engine company reported “overheating equipment,” which officials later identified as a malfunction involving an HVAC unit. Fire officials said there was no fire, smoke, or injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ground stop for Dallas Love Field shortly after 2 p.m., which was lifted later in the afternoon. According to FlightAware, at least 87 flights were delayed during the disruption.
Dallas Love Field acknowledged the incident publicly as crews were responding.
🚨 Dallas Fire Rescue is responding to a fire alarm at DAL. For your safety, please follow the airport staff’s instructions. We will provide updates as they become available from DFR. Thank you for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/IHNbEwdhp6
— Dallas Love Field Airport (@DallasLoveField) January 13, 2026
“Dallas Fire Rescue is responding to a fire alarm at DAL. For your safety, please follow the airport staff’s instructions. We will provide updates as they become available from DFR. Thank you for your understanding,” the airport’s official account posted on X at 2:24 p.m. on January 13.
Airport officials later said the alarm had been cleared and that security screening was reopening, though passengers were warned to expect continued delays as operations normalized.
“UPDATE: Dallas Fire-Rescue has cleared the alarm, and the TSA screening queue is reopening. The cause of the alarm is under investigation. Passengers may experience delays during security screening, so please be patient. Thank you for your understanding,” the airport X account posted on X at 2:56 p.m. on January 13.
As the evacuation unfolded, travelers turned to social media seeking information about flight status and diversions. One user said their flight had been diverted and asked when aircraft would be allowed to land again. The airport account responded by directing passengers to the FAA’s ground stop status page.
Videos posted online appeared to show long lines of passengers waiting both inside and outside airport facilities as the evacuation and re-screening process played out. As of Tuesday evening, some departing flights — including Southwest Airlines flights scheduled to major hubs such as New York and Atlanta — were still listed on FlightAware as delayed or delayed but en route, though it was not immediately clear whether all of those delays were directly caused by the alarm.
Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said the HVAC issue was left to airport maintenance, and units remained on scene while the situation was assessed, according to a local television report.
Dallas, TX
Eagles Sign TE With Dallas Goedert’s Future Up In Air
In typical Philadelphia Eagles fashion, the franchise has been busy, transaction-wise, over the last few days.
The Eagles were knocked out in the Wild Card Round by the San Francisco 49ers and have started getting ready for the long offseason ahead. That already includes a lot. The Eagles signed eight to reserve/futures deals on Monday. That’s not even close to all, though. On Tuesday, the Eagles announced that the franchise has removed Kevin Patullo as the team’s offensive coordinator after a roller coaster of a season offensively.
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On top of that, the Eagles announced three more futures deals on Tuesday. Philadelphia announced that it has signed tight end E.J. Jenkins, offensive tackle John Ojukwu, and running back Carson Steele to reserve/futures deals. Of this group, Jenkins arguably is the most interesting.
The Eagles were busy on Tuesday
“The Eagles signed three players to future deals: tight end E.J. Jenkins, tackle John Ojukwu, and running back Carson Steele,” the Eagles announced. “Philadelphia has now signed 11 players to future contracts after inking eight on Monday. TE E.J. Jenkins. Jenkins signed with the Jets after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2023. The tight end first joined Philadelphia’s practice squad in 2023 and spent the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Eagles. He has played in 10 games for the Birds, two this past season, taking his only NFL catch for a touchdown.”
Philadelphia’s tight end room is completely up in the air heading into the offseason. Dallas Goedert is a pending free agent after spending the last eight seasons with the team. Goedert was third on the team with 60 catches, to go along with 591 yards and a team-leading 11 touchdown receptions.
The tight end on the team with the next-closest number of receptions was Grant Calcaterra with nine for 76 yards and a touchdown. Kylen Granson had seven catches for 40 yards. The Eagles don’t have a long-term solution in place at tight end. Calcaterra and Granson are also free agents this offseason, like Goedert.
Jenkins is 27 years old and has just one catch for seven yards and a touchdown while appearing in 10 games for Philadelphia. He’s likely not the long-term answer either, but with Goedert, Calcaterra, and Granson all heading to free agency, keeping at least one potential option with the team throughout the offseason is positive.
Tight end arguably is the position to watch for Philadelphia this offseason.
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Dallas, TX
FC Dallas Opens Preseason as Eric Quill Sets the Tone
FC Dallas officially opened preseason this week, with manager Eric Quill beginning his second full season in charge of the club. On Monday, players and coaches took to the training pitch at the Toyota Soccer Center for the first time in 2026 as preparations for the upcoming MLS season got underway.
“It feels like you’re a kid again. Even as I coach, I don’t touch the ball, but to be able to touch the grass and see the youthful exuberance, energy, and the guys getting back with their chemistry, it’s really fun,” said Quill. “It’s a lot of fun; the hour goes by fast. I’m just looking forward to the whole season.”
For players like forward Logan Farrington, there was a relief to be back on the pitch after a couple of months away from Frisco.
“The first day, I think everyone is happy to be out there on the grass with one another,” said Farrington. “The weather was great today, the ball was flying around. There were a couple of loose touches, but that was to be expected. It feels great to be back and have everyone around here.”
In 2025, the club struggled to find consistency in the opening months of the season before turning things around over the final two and a half months of the regular season en route to a playoff appearance. Quill is hoping to take those final two months and expand on that positive momentum into the new season.
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“Last year we were trying to set a foundation, which I think we did,” said Quill when comparing his first preseason last year to this year’s. “Now it is about how we evolve in year two. That is the goal, in the ways we need to evolve and execute that evolution every day.”
Dallas will train in Frisco this week ahead of a trip to Portugal next week, where the club will play a trio of matches before returning home for games against MLS opposition in February — a stretch Quill has emphasized as critical to building cohesion early.
“Every day matters,” stated Quill. “Every day that you walk through the building matters. Also, self-reflect and be your own worst critic, and how you want to get better and improve. How we grow these relationships with all of the new faces, you rely on a lot of leadership to connect the dots of that locker room tightness. As we grow in preseason, it is all about how fast we can become a team.”
For FC Dallas, the message from day one is clear: the work for 2026 has already started, and there’s no time to waste.
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