Laura Miller (via her campaign website)

Dallas City Council Candidate Questionnaire

  1. Name: Laura Miller
  2. Council district you are running in: Dallas City Council District 13
  3. Incumbent or challenger? Challenger
  4. If you are an incumbent, how many terms have you served? N/A
  5. Tell us about your family:

    Husband Steve Wolens, attorney; current Chairman of the Texas Ethics Commission; past member of the Texas House of Representatives 1981-2005. Three children: Alex, 28; Lily, 26; Max, 23.

  6. What is your profession?

    Former newspaper investigative reporter and columnist, 1980-1998 (Dallas Morning News, Dallas Observer, New York Daily News. Miami Herald); former elected official (Dallas City Councilmember District 3 representing Oak Cliff, 1998-2002, and Mayor of Dallas, 2002-2007); former clean energy consultant, 2008-2018 (Summit Power Group).

  7. What qualifications do you have to serve on the council? (volunteer work, civic work, board/commission appointments):

    I am the first Mayor of Dallas to ever run for the Dallas City Council. As both a former city councilmember (from another part of the city) and a former mayor, I feel qualified to serve.

  8. What are the top three issues affecting the city as a whole, and how will you address them?

    Crime. Education. The future growth of Dallas-Fort Worth, which will soon surpass Chicago as the third largest metropolitan area in the country: We must carefully shepherd the influx of 3 million more people over the next 25 years in a way that protects and improves our current neighborhoods (making them denser but more walkable, verdant and safe). We need strong leadership of the Dallas Police Department, specific programs to bolster police morale, and a complete overhaul of city building departments that currently favor increased property tax revenue over homeowners’ quality of life. The city needs to demand much higher quality when it comes to residential and commercial development.

  9. What are the top three issues affecting your district specifically and how will you address them?

    Property crime is spiking in random areas of District 13, with no identifiable reason. Building, zoning and code enforcement regulations are being subjectively enforced – or not at all – resulting in inappropriate structures, businesses and drainage problems in residential neighborhoods throughout the city. My focus as a councilmember will be on raising the bar citywide in these areas.

  10. Will you work to protect LGBT equality in Dallas if necessary? Yes
  11. Do you support inclusion of LGBT equality in the city’s legislative agenda? Yes
  12. Will you consider qualified LGBT individuals as appointees to boards and commissions? If you are an incumbent or previously held office, have you done so in the past? Yes
  13. Will you work with and support the LGBT community, and if so how? If you are an incumbent or previously held office, how have you supported the community in the past?

    Yes. Championed the city’s first non-discrimination ordinance based on sexual orientation. First mayor to ride in the pride parade. Longtime advocate.

  14. What have we not asked about that you want to mention?

    Thank you for your many years of being an important voice in our city.