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Betty Culbreath to join Dallas City Council District 5 fray, challenge Vonciel Jones Hill
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| Contributor | TX DEM |
| Last Edited | TX DEM Jan 11, 2009 06:48pm |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Jan 06, 2009 06:00pm |
| Description | The ever-animated Betty Culbreath, who's served in a variety of appointed public positions during her long career in area politics, says she will challenge freshman District 5 Dallas City Council incumbent Vonciel Jones Hill.
"I'm running until I have a reason not to," Ms. Culbreath said, explaining that she's consider exiting the race if she "sees from another candidate that they have a viable platform that goes beyond just talking silly about economic development in the southern sector." She says she'd focus on improving basic city services, crafting a better budget and bringing large retailers to District 5, which stretches from Oak Cliff to Pleasant Grove.
Ms. Culbreath finished a distant second to Ms. Hill in a June 2007 District 5 runoff -- 37 percent to Ms. Hill's 63 percent -- had little good to say about her former and future opponent's council tenure.
"Ms. Hill is a disaster. Ms. Hill is overwhelmed. She doesn't spend enough time at the job," Ms. Culbreath said.
Ms. Hill sharply disagreed, saying Tuesday she's "in a good position to win a second term."
A lawyer and former municipal judge, Ms. Hill says she will run on her record of supporting quality of life initiatives, trash cleanup, public safety and economic development, particularly in the Pleasant Grove area.
Ms. Culbreath is among Dallas' most animated politicos, well-known for her sometimes combative style -- she once threatened to throw former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller's "skinny ass" out a second-story window -- as much as her record of public service, which is long.
In recent years, she's served as chairwoman of the Dallas Plan Commission, Dallas Housing Authority and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board. She also worked as director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department.
She also survived a life-threatening health scare two years ago when her colon ruptured. Ms. Culbreath says she's regained her health. |
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