Councilman Omar Narvaez
In its annual best-of issue, The Dallas Observer named first-term councilman Omar Narvaez the best councilman.
During his first term as a member of the Dallas City Council, West Dallas’ Omar Narvaez has distinguished himself as more than just a member of the council’s progressive caucus. While he reliably partners with Scott Griggs and Philip Kingston to advance smart policies, Narvaez stands out from the pack when it comes to advocating for the city’s poor and addressing historical inequities. In May, he called out Dallas’ problem with income inequality as being the result of systemic racism. It wasn’t a new idea, but it was jolting to hear it coming from behind the council horseshoe.
Narvaez, who is gay, distinguished himself during his campaign by negotiating a way hundreds of people in West Dallas could stay in and repair their homes. This week, he negotiated with Amazon for a tax break that would bring a distribution warehouse to District 6. To qualify for the tax break, Amazon must pay now employees a minimum of $13 an hour and hire at least 35 percent of it workforce locally.
— David Taffet
We have some very good council members, like Grigss and Kingston (and a continuum of others). So Omar having been chosen by the Observer as the best this year means a lot and it is a great sign for our city.