New Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Chad West
West is the fourth out gay man to serve in that position in Dallas
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
Dallas City Councilman Chad West was named Mayor Pro Tem at last week’s council meeting, becoming at least the fourth gay man to serve in that position. Gay City Councilman Omar Narvaez called West “one of the hardest-working council members, and I was proud to support him to be mayor pro tem.”
West follows Adam Medrano in that position. Former council members Chris Luna and John Loza also served in the number 2 position in Dallas city government. But while Medrano, Luna and Loza all represented District 2, West is the first gay man to serve as mayor pro tem from another district.
West called the process to select a mayor pro tem and deputy mayor pro tem, the city’s No. 3 official, a wild experience, comparing it to The Hunger Games.
“I appealed to my colleagues on my record,” he said.
But he and other council members declined to comment on the process.
West described his style and record as working “both sides of the aisle.” While city elections are nonpartisan, Dallas’ political divide can be described as being between what’s north of the Trinity River and what’s south of the Trinity River. West’s district is south of the river.
During his first term on the council, in order to form alliances with council members from North Dallas, West invited Jennifer Gates to tour his district with him. She said he was the first council member to invite her to cross the Trinity to visit to his district.
West said leadership is important to him. He was a member of the U.S. Army and is a combat veteran who served in Hungary and Bosnia. After his military tour, he attended law school at Texas Tech School of law.
Before West was elected to the council, former Councilman Scott Griggs appointed him to the city Plan Commission where, he said, Gloria Tarpley chaired the committee skillfully. Even when he didn’t agree with her, he said he admired her leadership ability.
As an example, when Methodist Hospital wanted to build a state-of-the-art fitness center on a particular piece of land the hospital owned, West sided with the neighborhood against the project. He said Tarpley’s position on the issue annoyed him, but her leadership style was exemplary.
As mayor pro tem, West said hopes he won’t be annoying anyone, but even when there are disagreements, he said he’ll always respect other council and staff positions.
West called the position of mayor pro tem “largely ceremonial.” When asked by the mayor to represent the city, he said, he’d do that “to the best of my ability.”
When the mayor is not at a council meeting, the mayor pro tem leads the meeting. And in case the mayor leaves office early, he would serve as mayor until a special could be held. That last happened when Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway became acting mayor after Tom Leppert resigned to run for the U.S. Senate. Leppert lost in the primary to Ted Cruz.
For now, however, West is concentrating on representing his district.
Traditionally, the council has voted for diversity in its leadership positions. When the mayor is white, mayor pro tem and deputy mayor pro tem are filled by a Black and a Hispanic council member. Mayor Eric Johnson is Black, so one position is filled with a white council member.
West adds diversity to city leadership because he is gay, but no woman was chosen for either position.
Councilman Adam Bazaldua proposed that these appointments would be for one year instead of the traditional full two-year term of a council member. The council agreed. That’s a first since the Dallas City Council adopted the current configuration in 1993.
West said he plans to do a good enough job as mayor pro tem that his colleagues will re-elect him to finish this term in his leadership position.
