Richardson mayoral, council candidates debate housing, taxes, DART, drones and transparency at League forum

A League of Women Voters of Richardson candidate forum drew mayoral and city council contenders to the stage to outline priorities on housing affordability, public-safety funding, transit and city transparency ahead of the May ballot.

The highest-profile matchup brought incumbent Mayor Bob Dubey and challenger Amir Omar into repeated contrast over the role of the mayor and how the city should respond to economic and planning challenges. Dubey described the office as “a leadership role” and repeatedly invoked his record of lowering taxes and expanding programs for seniors. Omar said the mayor should be “proactive” and pushed for greater transparency, more aggressive economic development outreach and restoring a city-sponsored summer internship program for all Richardson residents.

The forum was moderated by Lynette Greenhaw and hosted by Ellen Steger, president of the League of Women Voters of Richardson. The event included answers from the two mayoral candidates and two candidates for city council Place 6, current Council Member Arifin (Arfin) Samsel and challenger Lisa Marie Kupfer, plus brief remarks from uncontested council members who will also appear on the May ballot.

Why it matters: Richardson officials and candidates said decisions on tax policy, office occupancy and transit funding affect the city’s revenue and its capacity to maintain services. Candidates framed competing approaches to those decisions — one emphasizing stewardship of existing budgets and the other emphasizing research-driven incentives and outreach to attract employers.

Major positions and exchanges

Internship program: Amir Omar said he would “absolutely” reinstate a city-run mayor’s summer internship program, arguing the city should ensure opportunities for students attending Plano ISD, private schools and homeschoolers as well as Richardson ISD students. Dubey said the program was…