Councilman Neumann's "Vote No" Sales Pitch?

During elections, and especially Proposition 1 (the Trinity Toll Road issue) it is not unusual to find debates. That apparently was the problem for one Dallas City Council member.

Freshman City Council Member Dave Neumann apparently decided that debates were a sticky issue. So he turned a would-be debate for his Southwest Dallas council district into a one-sided "vote no" rally on Monday night.

The "discussion," as it was billed on an agenda handed out at the meeting, was "paid for by the Dave Neumann for Dallas City Council Campaign."

Speakers included Neumann, Michael Morris, Director of Transportation from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and Mayor Tom Leppert.

The rally, attended by about 100 people, was held at the City's Park in the Woods Recreation Center on Mountain Creek Parkway.

While "vote no" campaigners were allowed to set up shop inside the Center, and hand out materials, their "vote yes" opponents were banished from the building.

Over half of the city council was in attendance including Council member Angela Hunt, the council's sole supporter of Proposition 1.

Neumann opened his presentation showing a conceptual video of the completed project. According to a Channel 8 news story, the Army Corps of Engineers isn't yet sold on the video's concepts--which may mean that what's been touted as a "plan" may not be as much of a plan as "vote no" campaigners would like it to be.

After the video, and an opening "tour" of the project by Neumann, Morris took center stage.

Morris opened by calling the "vote yes" side disingenuous.

"There seems to be, no longer, any honor in standing up and debating a particular issue and telling the facts about a particular issue," said Morris as he accused the "vote yes" side of twisting facts. Ironically, it was Neumann who canceled the debate.

Referring to a handout, emblazoned with "North Central Texas Council of Governments," Morris explained how he believed the proposed Trinity toll road would ease traffic and promote downtown development.

Morris also furthered the often-echoed claim that Dallas will lose money if it doesn't build the toll road. "I'll be speaking, right now, at a rate of about $500 million dollars a minute," said Morris, "because that's what's at risk."

"The argument I'm going to give you is you should vote 'no'," said Morris.

Morris was followed by Mayor Tom Leppert who also echoed the reasons why voters should vote "no" on November 6.

"I received a letter from the County Commissioners," said Leppert. "They've committed $6 million to the project [...]. They want it back on November 7 if this doesn't go forward."

"Last week I got a letter from the [Texas Public Utilities Commission]," Leppert continued. "They are going to put $12 million dollars in."

"[The P.U.C. letter last week said] by the way, if that referendum passes, all bets are off," added the Mayor.

Update: Click here to view the letters.

But do the letters actually threaten to remove $18 Million dollars in funds if the tollway isn't built inside the levees?

The PUC email, written by Commissioner Barry Smitherman, indicates that a "final order" was signed in June, 2007 to bury a 3/4 mile segment of transmission line to "prevent the expenditure of even greater amounts in the future."

"I'm not sure what, if anything, the PUC may do if the voters of Dallas decide to eliminate the Trinity Toll Road," Smitherman continued.

According to sources at the PUC, to rescind the order would take another order. Further, it is unclear how a decision to bury a transmission line on one side of the river is affected by a decision to build a toll road on the other side.

[Ed Note: We're trying to clarify this with the PUC.]

Then there is the letter signed by the County Commissioners.

It indicates that $6 Million dollars was committed to designing an enhanced bridge. According to information received from the City of Dallas, the County did, in fact, give a matching grant to the city for the design of the I-30 Calatrava bridge to the tune of $6 Million.

The Commissioners can ask for the money back--but the city is under no obligation to do so. 

At one point Leppert invited several audience members to stand at the front of the room with arms outstretched to show how wide the Trinity River is and how little room the toll road will take in one corner. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, however, has yet to buy in to the vision--meaning the calculations, and the arms lengths, could change.

As the event was drawing to a close, several attendees loudly voiced concern that the "vote yes" side had been excluded.

Mayor Leppert indicated to Neumann he had no problem with letting the "vote yes" side have their say.

Neumann declined and abruptly closed the meeting.

"I appreciate you for coming and we all need to behave professionally," Neumann responded.

Neumann's event, or "discussion" as he called it, had controversial beginnings.

Initially, Neumann invited Hunt to debate Leppert. When Hunt was initially unable to attend, former mayoral candidate Sam Coats was invited.

Neumann un-invited Coats a short time later saying that he had changed the evening's format.

"This is a community meeting for the residents of Mountain Creek....not a debate. I am hosting personally and having the Mayor as our featured guest," Neumann explained in an email to Coats.

DEVELOPING: Did Neumann's forum, sponsored through his campaign account and which called on voters to "vote no," violate campaign finance or ethics laws? Sources at the Texas Ethics Commission say "it depends." We'll get back to you with more details soon so stay tuned!