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About Katrina Whatley
I have lived in District 1 for 21 years and have been an Oak Cliff-centric Realtor for 18 years. I was proud to be appointed to serve on both the Fort Worth Avenue TIF board and the Historic Task Force Commission for the City of Dallas.
I am driven by a passion for creating positive change in our community. My motivation is simple: I love our neighborhoods. I have no further political ambitions, nor do I aspire to higher office. My sole focus is serving the people of District 1 and ensuring that our community continues to thrive.
Through an almost 10 year labor of love, I brought thousands of Oak Cliff neighbors together when I founded the Oak Cliff Ladies Club (OCLC). OCLC has become a powerful and diverse force for good in our neighborhoods. Through the group, I have gained perspectives and learned from countless first-person accounts about activities and issues in our neighborhoods. I have spearheaded numerous fundraisers for local charities and raised thousands of dollars for numerous Oak Cliff families in need. I also have had the opportunity to promote dozens of small businesses - many of which are flourishing. I am committed to continuing this work on an even larger scale as your District 1 city council member.
Motivation for running:
My journey to running for Dallas city council began when a developer built a 5-story apartment complex just 3 feet from my house. I was shocked and concerned about its impact on my neighborhood and my family's quality of life. As I sought to understand how this was allowed, I embarked on a four-year education in navigating the complexities of our city's departments and processes.
This experience deepened my understanding of our city's inner workings and inspired me to make a difference. I'm running for city council because I believe that our community deserves better, and I'm committed to using my experience to fight for the changes we need.
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Select Priorities
Standing Apart in the Race
I'm free to focus on what really matters: our community's needs and concerns. I'm not beholden to special interests or developers, and I'll always put the needs of citizens first. I will appoint qualified individuals to city boards that do not have blatant conflicts or individuals who are only using the appointment as a stepping stone to achieving higher office. I have experienced the challenges of our city's bureaucracy firsthand, I'm uniquely positioned to understand our community's needs and to fight for the changes we need.
I hope you will support me in protecting the Oak Cliff we love, encouraging smarter development, and ensure that citizens' voices come first.
Katrina Whatley
Donate today and thank you!
Put Citizens First
My commitment is to be your voice at city hall. I will listen to your wants and needs, not dictate them. I will respect all neighbors and treat all neighborhoods equally. I am committed to ensuring that every resident has a voice in the decisions that affect their families, homes, and the greater community. The wants of the communities will come first. I do not believe city officials and departments should try to bend neighborhoods in directions they do not wish to go.
I would work to make sure you feel heard and valued.
housing & Development
I'll work to maintain our current affordable housing options. I will advocate for more funding for home repair initiatives. I will seek to make homeownership a reality seeking expanded first-time homebuyer programs and finding new ones. I will work with nonprofits that are experts in housing issues, gentrification, and displacement. We should explore streamlining the process of creating conservation and historic districts to protect our neighborhoods. I believe that city incentives should encourage responsible development that benefits the existing community.
safety
I am committed to working closely with the Dallas Police to elevate community engagement. Clearly more officers are needed, but until then we should consider outside the box initiatives like the private patrols by off-duty officers currently employed in some Kessler neighborhoods, funded by residents. We could also encourage traditional neighborhood crime watches through neighborhood associations. Additionally, I believe that new construction must incorporate principles of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), as successfully adopted in other cities, to actively prevent the creation of environments that could attract criminal activity.
Neighborhood notifications
I'll advocate for expanded notifications so that more residents will be aware of city dealings and, therefore, have a chance to make their voices heard. Far too often I hear people express shock at neighborhood changes that they did not know were coming. The current notification rules do not include entire neighborhoods. I would also advocate not only property owners but also renters be included in notifications (notification mailers paid for by the developer or organization petitioning the city for changes).