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City Council District 8
A Letter from Councilmember Tennell Atkins
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem
Greetings, Friends and Neighbors:
District 8 continues to be one of the most progressive districts in Dallas. District 8 has grown! The 2010 Census reports a 14,822 increase in residents since the 2000 Census for a total of 96,643 residents. That is a 15.34% increase in residents which is 8.07% of the total population of Dallas. Dallas’ population is 1,197,816 (according to 2010 Census data).
There are still so many opportunities for growth in many different areas of the district. There are plans for development all over our neighborhoods. Since 2009, several new restaurants, grocery stores, and other companies have invested in Southern Dallas including Wal-Mart, Comerica Bank, CVS Pharmacy, Chick Fil-A, and Denny’s. New restaurants and stores at the Southwest Center Mall have opened, and Delta Charlie’s has opened a new restaurant at the Dallas Executive Airport.
As the Chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Southern Dallas Economic Opportunities and Vice-Chair of the Economic Development Committee, I have worked hard to bring more development and positive leadership to our community. And, together, we will continue to do everything possible to grow our tax base.
Our district’s neighborhoods - the building blocks of our community - are essential to the quality of life we all want to enjoy. And although each neighborhood is unique with its own priorities, we face similar problems and deal with common issues. Regardless of what those issues are, each neighborhood must be heard so that the community is strengthened and protected. I encourage each of you to participate in your Home Owners’ Associations and crime watch organizations. Because of the hard work of the Dallas Police Department and YOU, crime in District 8 is down 25%.
Our driving economic forces continue to be the Inland Port, Dallas Executive Airport, Southwest Center Mall, the University of North Texas at Dallas and Paul Quinn College. District 8 is sought after for development because we have the most open space and undeveloped land in Dallas for future development.
Still, District 8 along with the entire City of Dallas has its challenges. The economy has not been on an upward trend in a few years, and more employers have laid people off and / or closed their doors entirely. In efforts to address this challenge, District 8 citizens have taken this opportunity to go back to school and re-train themselves. The opportunities for personal and professional growth are right in our backyard. For instance, the University of North Texas at Dallas is now offering degrees in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. These degrees can be put to work right here in District 8 in one of the many logistics jobs through the Inland Port. Some of these types of jobs pay salaries of $60,000.
It has been and continues to be an honor to represent you, and as always, I thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
Tennell Atkins, Councilman
