Council approves first reading to add Polk County ex officio seat on Economic Development Commission

The Dallas City Council on Aug. 4 declared Ordinance No. 1910 to have passed its first reading after agreeing to modify draft language to allow the Polk County ex officio member of the Economic Development Commission to be a voting member.

City staff said the commission currently has seven at-large members and that the economic development commission recommended adding an eighth ex officio seat to provide Polk County a formal seat at the table; the commission proposed that the county representative be ex officio and nonvoting. Council discussion focused on whether an engaged county representative should be allowed to vote.

Councilors and staff said the commission has had regular attendance and generally reaches consensus. One councilor argued in favor of making the Polk County seat a voting position, saying a vote tends to increase engagement. After discussion, a councilor said they would strike the word “non” from the relevant clause to make the ex officio seat a voting member and directed staff to incorporate the change before the ordinance’s second reading.

City staff said the code had been amended a few years earlier to reduce a larger advisory roster to the current seven-member commission. No formal roll-call vote was recorded for the first reading; the city recorder declared the ordinance to have passed its first reading with the change.