Miller seeks advice from Fort Worth

[GarrettCarey]

I am sure most of you have seen this already and have created your own opinions...so I will ask.

On Monday, Laura Miller and four city council members visited Fort Worth seeking help/advice/tips on downtown revitalization. Apparently, they were impressed with what they saw.....and should have been...in my opinion. Fort Worth has been more than successful in its efforts and continues to build on those successes. She was quoted saying, "I think it shows that I have no shame" and "I'll take advice from wherever I can get it." Okay, so her quotes are lame but I like her interest in the matter.

I ask because I know that there has been such a clash between the two cities. I personally think this is a step in the right direction for Miller....City Hall....Dallas....and the relationship between the two cities.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

--rookie

[vjackson]

I've been saying for years that Dallas needs to look to the west for advice on downtown revitilization. I live in FW for two years before my job moved me to Dallas and I must say, I couldn't believe the differences in the downtowns.

[LonghornFan96]

Glad to hear Laura Miller is listening to anybody that will give her advice. The past two weeks I have been in Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland. We all know about the greatness of Chicago, but both Cincinnati and Cleveland have thriving downtowns the they effectively market to tourists, business people and their respective citizens. FW has done an absolutely great job with their downtown...it puts Dallas to shame. Of course, they have to thank the Bass family for most of the private investment.

[Axes]

A few points:
1. I think regional cooperation is great.
2. I don't think downtown Dallas a la the West End is bad. I don't think downtown Fort Worth is any better than the West End.
3. Dallas needs a Bass family to spend its private fortune on the city.
4. Downtown needs to be improved.

[GarrettCarey]

Now, Laura Miller and Ted should go seek help from Fort Worth regarding how to plan and manage a city budget.

Has't Fort Worth had a budget surplus in the last couple of years while providing more services each year?

[MustangMonkey]

FortWorth also has a nocitably higher property tax rate than Dallas. However the biggest problem in the whole Dallas area are the suburbs trying to pull tax dollars away from the central city, and now even the inner ring suburbs. There is a good article in the DMN today about how, now, the inner suburbs are seeing the problems created by the 1989 tax incentive plan. I will be posting that in the Central Dallas Gov't thread.