Thanks to my many supporters I won re-election to the District 12 seat on the Dallas City Council with an 82% landslide victory. I've really enjoyed serving District 12 and the City of Dallas for the last 2 years and I won't miss a beat as I begin my second term.

My focus will be to continue the aggressive efforts on econcomic development as this is the engine that provides the revenue for all the other efforts. Public safety, accountable government, neighborhood quality of life and the Trinity Project remain the goals of the Council.

With the large turnover in new Councilmembers I moved from the freshman level to being a junior member of the Council. We will have a new mayor after June 16th and I urge you to please remember to vote. If you want the right to complain or compliment, you need to earn the right by voting. Remember, I have the same 1 vote as the Mayor and at City Hall it's all about working with your colleagues to garner a majority of the Council to get things done.

I will continue my efforts to make Dallas City government a more efficient, effective and customer responsive organization. If you have any suggestions, compliments or even complaints, please call me. Since I'm retired this is a full time job for me, and I really do enjoy working for you fulltime at City Hall to make Dallas the greatest city.

I was elected to serve on the Dallas City Council as the District 12 Councilman by an overwhelming 61% margin in my initial run for office. Even though I have spent over 20 years involved with Dallas City Hall, since taking office there have been some surprises and several unusual issues. To list just a couple, the FBI raided the offices of some of my colleagues and the Strong Mayor proposal was overwhelmingly defeated. Dallas has had its share of negative press recently. In spite of what is sometimes reported in the media, the City is basically really well run. However, there are problems that need to be addressed. As a whole, the Council does work together rather well. There are differences of opinion and attitude, but in the end I vote to do what I think is best for Dallas. Dallas has had its share of successes recently. Downtown is being revitalized. There has been a reduction in crime. New buildings are popping up. The Southern Sector has been jump-started with an inland port. Re-development is happening all over the City.

I serve on four Council Committees. I am the Vice-Chair of the Public Safety committee and also serve on the Economic Development and Housing committee, the Finance and Audit committee and the Transportation and Environment committee. Even though it's unusual for a first year Councilmember, I was honored to be appointed to serve on the Steering Committe of the Information & Telecommunication Committee for the National League of Cities, the national organization for city governments. As time permits I also attend the meetings of the other two Council committees, Quality of Life and Trinity River. I also serve on the Resolutions Committee of the Texas Municipal League.

The Council worked through the budget process in August and September with increases in service achieved through increased efficiencies. The new process of determining the cost of government and what citizens are willing to pay put a new and better perspective on the process. By placing emphasis on our priorities we were able to place budget dollars where they could reap the best benefits. In the end the 2006-2007 budget resulted in maintaining or increasing the level of city services and at the same time reducing the tax level by 1.25 cents per $100 valuation. This is the first time in many years that the tax rate has gone down. I worked hard to make that happen.

Public safety is on everyone's mind and we're making good progress. Overall crime is down, as is violent crime. The morale of the officers is good. The budget included the largest amount ever for public safety. The City was fortunate to have received a $15 million grant from the Communities Foundation to be used for public safety. The grant is over 3 years and the first $5 million has been used for cell phones, video cameras and other equipment needed by the department. Recruiting remains the key issue that keeps us from growing the force, but we are working on solutions and the Chief feels confident that we'll be able to reach our goals. For this upcoming fiscal year we have budgeted for an additional 100 police officers and the needed equipment.

Economic development is at the heart of the economic growth for Dallas. For those who have not been downtown lately, you'll be surprised. There are cranes everywhere. There are new buildings going up and renovation of many older buildings. There are people walking their dogs and mothers pushing baby strollers. Lofts, condos and apartments are filling up.

In the fall of 2005 I was fortunate to be the only Councilmember to accompany the assistant director of economic development to China on a mission to build relationships with China. My previous experience in Asia proved valuable during meetings with business leaders and government officials. China is currently the 3rd largest trading partner with the US and on the way to number 2 so it's imperative that we position Dallas to reap the benefits that trade brings. When coupled with the new International Inland Port of Dallas ( IIPOD) and the NAFTA River of Trade, Dallas will be in the center of this explosive economic engine. Since that initial trip I have made 2 additional trips to China and we are already seeing the results of that work.

The Port of Dallas is probably the most exciting opportunity to come along. At first blush many question the term 'port' as Dallas is about as far from any coast as possible. The reality is that Dallas will be what is called the first 'agile inland port'. Working closely with the US Maritime Administration, Dallas will be the first and the model for an agile port. With the booming trade with Asia, it's imperative that goods can be shipped quickly and efficiently to their destination. IIPOD will not only significantly increase the economic tax base of the Southern Sector, it will provide good paying jobs which will lead to housing which will lead to retail shopping. This project will change the face of the Southern Sector. For more detailed information on The Port of Dallas, please click on the City News button.

To keep up on both City and District related issues that will be coming before the City Council, please check the City News and District News pages on this website.

I serve full-time as your Councilman. Please contact my office if there is anything I can do to help you. My schedule is ususally pretty full so my Executive Assistant will be glad to try and help you, but if you do want to speak to me just say so. Her name is Sandra Donehoo and Karen Pruitt,my secretary, is also available to help you.

I will be glad to attend your home owners association meeting, just try and give me some notice. If you live in an area that has a HOA, please make sure my office knows the boundaries of your HOA and contact information, so that we will know who to contact when issues come up in your neighborhood.

On my Ron's Objectives page you can see that there's a lot to get done at City Hall. I've been working on these issues since I've been in office and will continue to. If you have any comments or issues, please let me know. You can click on the Contact page and easily e-mail me. I want to hear from you since a large part of my decision making process revolves around input from you. For contact information, just click on my Contact page.

With your support, we can continue District 12's tradition of strong leadership and vital partnerships. I want Dallas to be a city that works.

As your representative, I am dedicated to work with you to make District 12 and Dallas a place where we all want to live, work and play!