Dallas, TX
Dallas residents put city on notice after forcing it to waive governmental immunity
The chair of the City Plan Commission is over his term limit, and Dallas has been put on notice.
Mike Northrup, an Old East Dallas resident and a lawyer, wrote to commissioners Thursday, citing rules in the city’s charter that set term limits for board members and commissioners.
“Your service to the City beyond your years of eligibility to do so is admirable,” Northup said in the email. “However, it is past time for you to step away from “the Horseshoe” and allow an eligible appointee to serve as a plan commissioner.”
“No one individual should be so important that his or her continued involvement puts the public’s business in jeopardy,” he said.
Northrup’s letter could have deeper implications after Dallas voters in November approved Proposition S, which waives governmental immunity and exposes the city to litigation if it violates state or local law.
Last month, Northup and a group of over 100 Dallas residents sent a letter to the City Council urging them to reappoint board and commission members who have overstayed their term, citing provisions in the city’s charter that set term limits.
“Every day that these individuals serve without authority to do so undermines the public confidence in the work product of the boards and commissions in question, and it puts that same work product at risk for invalidation,” the letter said.
It is not clear how many individuals have overstayed their terms. A city spokesperson said in December officials were in “receipt of the letter and will respond at the appropriate time.” City officials did not immediately respond to a follow-up call in May in January.
Typically, council members appoint volunteers to influential boards such as the City Plan Commission and the Park Board. The city’s charter states members who have served four consecutive two-year terms are not eligible to serve again on the same board until at least one term has elapsed.
Members serve until they are termed out or “until their successors are appointed and qualified,” the charter reads.
The December letter mentioned Shidid, who was first appointed in 2013 and has been the chair of the commission since 2019.
Shidid was appointed by council member Jaime Resendez, but the chair is picked by the mayor. Shidid did not respond to requests for comment after either the letter or the email were released.
Resendez, who appointed Shidid, told The Dallas Morning News “I will defer to the city attorneys for any legal conclusions or guidance moving forward regarding the letter.”
This year, the City Plan Commission grappled with several hot-button issues, such as Forward Dallas, the city’s updated land-use guide and the rezoning fight that has engulfed Pepper Square in North Dallas.
“What does it mean if the city’s business is led by someone that isn’t eligible to be there?” Northup said.
Northrup said he began drafting the letter following the passage of propositions S and U, which waive the city’s municipal immunity and mandate the city allocate 50% of any new revenue growth year-over-year to the police and fire pension system and other public safety initiatives.
The two propositions, Northrup said, represented “the mood of the public” and the letter supporters wanted to tell the city, “Here’s maybe a small thing to solve.”
Jeff Kolb and Sam Gannon welcome Cowboys insiders Clarence Hill (All City Dallas) and Calvin Watkins (Dallas Morning News) for a hilarious breakdown of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Giving insight, arguments, and plenty of laughs as two of the best Dallas Cowboys writers in the business go head-to-head on what Dallas should do next.
Dallas, TX
New video of Lake Dallas explosion draws focus on order decades ago to remove old plastic pipes
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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