Photo courtesy of Candy Evans.

Candy Evans is a journalist and the founder and publisher of Candy’s Dirt. She’s running for City Council because she thinks District 11 has been under poor leadership.

“I have specific ideas on how we need to make our district safer, and more business-friendly, and more robust,” she says.

How to spend $10 million

Evans’ first priority is to make sure there are enough police officers. Then she would use some of the money to get fire stations, such as the now-demolished one at Preston Road and Royal Lane, up and running again.

She would also spend a portion of the money on the mixed-use development at Midtown and improve the storefronts along Preston Road to Belt Line by incentivizing other businesses to move in.

With what is leftover, she would improve trails and walking paths in the district.

Thoughts on the city’s efficacy in responding to the pandemic and winter storm

Evans gives the city a C+ in its response to COVID-19. Though local officials were limited in what they could do by the state and county, they shut down appropriately but opened up too soon, Evans says.

City Council members could have done more to encourage their constituents to wear masks.

The City of Dallas should hold Oncor responsible for what happened during February’s storm, Evans says. Building standards should also be reconsidered so homes are better suited to withstand winter weather.

Something the City Council has done well

City Council members were effective in notifying people about the COVID-19 vaccine by text. Informing people by text is something the Council should have done during the winter storm, Evans adds.

Policing

Evans says police officers aren’t paid sufficiently and lack a robust pension, but she’s hopeful Chief Eddie Garcia is helping improve morale within the department.

Police officers should “match” the neighborhoods they’re patrolling as much as possible, especially in terms of race, Evans says.

Evans would not have voted to reduce the overtime budget, and she wants to analyze the budget to minimize needless spending to generate more funds for the police budget.

She agrees with the expansion of the RIGHT Care program, and she has other ideas regarding policing. For example, Evans would make sure the Dallas County constables are doing their jobs. She would also look into reinstating a counseling program that would help monitor the mental state of officers.

Hidden gem in District 11

Cooper Aerobics Center, where she’s been a member for years.

What she’s reading

She’s reading “Fed Up: An Insider’s Take on Why the Federal Reserve is Bad for America,” by Danielle DiMartino Booth.

Who inspires her

She’s inspired by leaders such as Anna Wintour and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She’s also inspired by her children and grandchildren, and her journalistic heroes include Nellie Bly, Fred Friendly — who taught her at Columbia University — and Walter Cronkite.