Good evening:
The father of DART protected his child on Saturday.
More than 40 years after Walt Humann led the voter-backed creation of the regional transit system, he again stepped up in recent weeks to convince voters to stick with Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
Humann, a long-time civic leader, former Hunt Oil. Co. executive, and children’s book author worked closely in recent weeks with the Connect North Texas Political Action Committee to raise thousands of dollars for pro-DART mailers, yard signs, and text messages. He put his daughter to work on campaign materials, penned a Dallas Morning News op-ed, and advocated at various public meetings and events (including a recent one I attended in which he gently instructed any residents in the three cities holding DART votes to see him on their way out).
In Humann’s longtime home of University Park, residents said “yes” to DART by a slim 199-vote margin. There is little doubt Humann’s work was the difference.
At nearly 90 years old, Humann remains a tireless force for good. He is a throwback to a time when regionalism was not a weaponized political term. He traveled to Austin during the 2025 state legislative session to fight against proposals to significantly defund the agency.
After those proposals failed, six DART cities last year called withdrawal elections. Humann stood closely behind then-DART President and CEO Nadine Lee, Board Chair Randall Bryant, and a host of other officials who negotiated a governance and funding deal with leaders in Plano, Farmers Branch, and Irving that ultimately led to the cancellation of elections in those cities.
Meanwhile, Highland Park, University Park, and Addison opted to move forward with votes yesterday.
In Addison, where the long-promised Silver Line regional rail line opened just months ago, voters said “yes” to staying in DART by more than 70%. In Highland Park, nearly the same percentage (69.7%) said “no” to staying, a widely expected outcome that even Humann’s best efforts could not change.
Still, Humann lamented what The Dallas Morning News called a “dramatic shift in priorities” for the affluent enclave.
“No one ever asked, ‘Tell me what’s in it for me,’” he told The News on Sunday in reflecting on resident sentiments from 40-plus years ago. “It was always how can we help the region and how can we help our own citizens… Today in Highland Park, it’s more transactional. How much are we getting and how much are we paying?”
There are many other people who deserve credit for DART’s wins.
Most notably, the Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA) is an impressive grassroots operation. DATA members showed up to countless community and government meetings, crafted impactful messaging across platforms, and have held leaders throughout the region accountable for a safe, efficient, equitable transit system that drives economic growth.
If there is any group of people that best embodies Humann’s spirit, it is the members of DATA, who range in age from teens to 70s, according to a 2025 feature on the group in The Lab Report.
As The Dallas Morning News editorial board wrote earlier this year, “We desperately need more leaders like Walt Humann. We need people who want to leave our city a better place than they found it.”
📖 Table of Contents
🗞️ Highlights From Last Week: Meetings, Memos, and Media of Interest
The City’s “Call for Concepts” to redevelop City Hall and surrounding land garnered 418 responses before today’s deadline, according to this memo. City officials say they will release the responses publicly no later than May 14, a deadline prompted by multiple open records requests. Respondents may also feel free to email concepts directly to me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to share much sooner. 😉
City officials are also working with two outside firms on a proposed 10-year phased City Hall repair program, to be presented to City Council in separate briefings in mid and late May, this memo says.
Dallas Police officers are now required to contact federal authorities to consult on whether to arrest people they stop with active Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warrants, WFAA reports. The change comes after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to defund DPD of state money unless they updated their general orders. The City received confirmation last week that they are now in compliance with grant conditions, according to this memo.
This memo attempts to answer a host of follow-up questions from the most recent City Council discussion on a planned new Dallas police academy and separate training facility. It’s a classic City tale of rising costs, funding gaps, and shifting strategies.
Check out the complete city manager memo packet for Friday, May 1, 2026.
🔢 Number of Interest
254
Days until the start of the 90th Texas Legislative Session. The fun arrives before you know it!
🤝 Meetings of Interest: May 4 - 8, 2026
Monday, May 4
🏞️ City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: Breakaway Music Festival at Fair Park
Discussions continue about why and how noise from a recent Fair Park concert reached throughout East Dallas and Lakewood. Personally — given Fair Park’s recent struggles — silence coming from the park bothers me a lot more than some concert noise.
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🤑 City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
City Council members are expected to vote on May 13 on a proposed $29 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District subsidy for a $111 million mixed-income and mixed-use development on a vacant site south of Dallas Love Field (pictured above). Read more here.
Staff will brief committee members on early feedback for a refreshed round of federally backed tax-advantaged investment zones—drawing just 29 public comments across 27 census tracts, many tied to tens of millions in projected private development. Read the briefing.
There may also be some chatter here about the aforementioned “Call for Concepts” to redevelop City Hall and the timeline for public release of the proposals.
Tuesday, May 5
🏛️ City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
With less than 200 days to go until bill filing opens for the next state legislative session, Council members are piecing together a package of priorities. The full council is expected to vote on legislative priorities in August. Read more.
🕵 City Council Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs, 3 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Committee members will discuss the search process to fill vacancies for city attorney and inspector general, two of the five positions that report directly to the mayor and City Council. The city auditor, another direct report to council, is also currently open.
The state does not impose campaign contribution limits for municipal elections, but Dallas has long imposed a $5,000 donor limit for mayoral candidates and a $1,000 donor limit for council candidates in each cycle. There is no indication yet that City Council members are contemplating a change, but the topic is up for discussion here.
Wednesday, May 6
🗣️ Dallas City Council Briefing, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
A briefing on the City’s debt and financial capacity tied to funding options for a new Dallas police academy and training center is not yet posted.
Thursday, May 7
✈️ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board, 8:30 a.m., DFW Airport Headquarters Board Room, DFW Airport, TX 75261
📑 City Plan Commission, 9 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Commissioners will be briefed on a proposed planned development district for South Dallas “that intends to foster revitalization while preserving the area’s unique character,” The Dallas Morning News reports.
🛹 Dallas Park and Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Board members will vote on several historical markers, including for Downtown’s Main Street Garden, Uptown’s Griggs Park, and one for Big Tex at Fair Park.
🗣️ Quote of Interest
Don’t ask what it’s going to do for you. Ask what this thing that we fund can do to help others.
A note to readers: Meetings of Interest is an independent newsletter curated and authored by The GoldHam Group Managing Partner Scott Goldstein and edited by GoldHam Managing Partners Sam Goldstein and Vana Hammond. The content, perspectives, or commentary presented herein reflect the views of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of any other organization, institution, or individual, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Any affiliations are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement.
Want to work with The GoldHam Group or sponsor this newsletter? Reach out to us directly.
Have a great week.
Best,
Scott Goldstein
Managing Partner
The GoldHam Group
Sam Goldstein, Scott Goldstein, and Vana Hammond are co-founders of The GoldHam Group, a southern Dallas-based boutique communications, events, and public affairs firm.
