[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6518209,"mediaKeyId","5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d","parentId",5398914,"title","Resident accuses DeSoto city secretary of failing to verify candidate eligibility after May elections","audioSeconds",93,"startMs",93000,"endMs",186000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d&start=93&end=186","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d/thumbnail_93000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6518209/DeSoto/Dallas-County/Texas/Resident-accuses-DeSoto-city-secretary-of-failing-to-verify-candidate-eligibility-after-May-elections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518209-3cd7e6453654195bbf87f0c6e87129d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155581&Signature=NcrcvD7oO8E4scRTjttilmCTJT78bPu-qhnxmJpxt7HHFeFBGOaE43VZz0BDzLApgylUr-G-EuomNd-VtOwmsiWD4eEYXmI8iUFx-K11-~76fY8PSQ~2fWuLCPU1h1WDKkCkYdIg3WUkeKEbqpHbkGpqE82fOvOogkT9Bl3LyA4Cz2T9Ntd6isGRkunj5z48D~BRxt3hz0uPj4ZX6pa-ZxhjxaadhQ6sq0wFAmS9tMBP~LkaTE2nknRmB1-2zWE22Bbr6Uy7-i0FNpgVN2b5t3ANGE8lm-zxp0PGw4eRzP~cXZpfgpS337S5JYJoDL2MnlO3GhHPfTpu-DdrYlEWBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","DeSoto","date","2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","article","Mary Bonaparte, a 37-year DeSoto resident, told the City Council on July 15 that errors by the city secretary in vetting candidate qualifications for local elections resulted in confusion and legal challenges during the May 3 and June 7 elections.

Bonaparte said the city secretary “failed to perform her job” by not ensuring every candidate met state election law requirements and that the oversight rendered “over 1,800 votes to be in vain,” eroding public trust. “Whether her actions were deliberate or in error, they were egregious enough to cause over 1,800 votes to be in vain and voters to now doubt the election process,” Bonaparte said.

She also accused the same employee of prior errors in meeting minutes and other duties and asked the council to “take the blinders off” and hold staff accountable. The comment came during the citizen appearances portion of the meeting; the council proceeded to its scheduled agenda items and later said the executive session held earlier that evening produced no public action.

The council did not take formal action at the meeting in direct response to Bonaparte’s comments; city staff did not provide a detailed statement about the allegations during the public comment period. Bonaparte’s remarks were limited to public comment and not part of a formal agenda item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DeSoto - City Council Meeting - Jul 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A longtime resident told the council that failures by the city secretary to verify candidate qualifications led to invalid votes and legal challenges in May and June elections, and called for staff accountability.","taxTitle","DeSoto, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",4572,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518214,"Votes at a glance: DeSoto council approves consent agenda, confirms advisory appointment and OKs Harbor Freight incentive",2802,3112000,5914000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d&start=3112&end=5914","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d/thumbnail_3112000.jpg","/articles/6518214/DeSoto/Dallas-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-DeSoto-council-approves-consent-agenda-confirms-advisory-appointment-and-OKs-Harbor-Freight-incentive","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518214-aeaff1d358b78961e4a43834f2022ce0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155581&Signature=Yg6fnbPHku9gY265XE6GKR2RWsESpIcDo2pViPAkmtCRJPMr~5OcAyPDXIck1ea74vsol5p9cAX48AnJi0zGMOiMdAnMO~lJSbeDG8xD6C8kSZU8BRjrtYVLd7isQStKFmrhxAn~r~zK~c8gRTrOVuFvZZBx~dMT3Ns6Xn7hFCni1piFRLGsVSPRI-qvaXhYaT7GrTC7zj08lEGayOEZWKG5zlLO1F1WSDRkg0YLCRGWgox8BxC100iP4xuudTTvpBzSDYFcDGP6UZRiIi~3bktOYH4N6EA8sqz8nqSd4yRx3o97ytHAN-Ca2M~nDEOlH9gmiXQwTIrDpeDi1gZFIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council approved a set of routine items as a consent agenda and handled several individual approvals at its July 15 meeting.

Consent agenda: Council approved the consent agenda (items include minutes, proclamations, a preliminary plat for Parkerville Meadows Phase 5 creating 51 residential lots and one non-residential lot, a resolution to suspend the effective date of an Encore Electric Delivery Company rate change pending review, adoption of the 2025 Dallas County Hazard Mitigation Plan, an interlocal agreement to hire a regional EMS training officer with neighboring cities, vehicle purchases for police and code enforcement, and a $139,999.33 purchase of Vesta 9-1-1 assist from AT&T for the Southwest Regional Communication Center). Council member Leticia Hughes moved approval of the consent agenda with Item G2 pulled; Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chisholm seconded the motion. The voice vote passed unanimously.

Appointment to Citizens Police Advisory Committee (item G2): Item G2 — the confirmation of the appointment of Elma Goodwin to the Citizens Police Advisory Committee, Place 1 — was pulled for separate consideration and adopted by hand vote, 5–1. A council member publicly recorded a “no” vote on that appointment and multiple members of the public spoke in opposition before the vote. The public opposition included statements that the appointee had a “poor reputation,” and callers urged additional review; a resident, Bernadine Harrison, urged council to table the appointment for further consideration.

Harbor Freight Tools incentive: The council authorized the city manager to negotiate and execute a Chapter 380 economic incentive agreement with Harbor Freight Tools for a new 16,000-square-foot store planned at 101 N. I-35E (near Luby’s). The development is projected by staff to cost about $6.3 million with estimated annual sales near $8–10 million and initial employment of about 16 people. The proposed five-year sales-tax rebate schedule would return up to $208,000 to the company over five years (Year 1: 40% rebate; Year 2: 30%; Year 3: 20%; Years 4–5: repeated percentages). The Desoto Development Corporation recommended the incentive unanimously; council approved the agreement by hand vote, unanimously.

Purchases and contracts noted on the consent agenda include a $654,325.20 purchase of nine vehicles under contract from Sam Pack's Five Star Ford (as announced at the meeting), $111,590 from Caldwell Country Chevrolet for two Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles for the care team (to be paid from Dallas County grant funds) and $139,999.33 for the Vesta 9-1-1 assist feature from AT&T. The Parkerville Meadows preliminary plat was also approved on the consent agenda; the applicant is JJ Koehler of Southland Consulting Engineers and the owner is Keith Davis of Aporto Investments LLC.

Where votes were taken the council recorded the outcomes: the consent agenda passed unanimously, the pulled appointment passed 5–1, and the Harbor Freight incentive passed unanimously. The council used hand votes because the voting machines were not working.","City Council approved the consent agenda (with one item pulled for separate consideration), confirmed an advisory committee appointment by a 5–1 vote, and authorized a Chapter 380 sales-tax rebate agreement with Harbor Freight Tools for up to $208,000 over five years.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518219,"DeSoto holds public hearing on HUD CDBG consolidated plan; residents press for sidewalks and infrastructure",968,3691000,4659000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d&start=3691&end=4659","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d/thumbnail_3691000.jpg","/articles/6518219/DeSoto/Dallas-County/Texas/DeSoto-holds-public-hearing-on-HUD-CDBG-consolidated-plan-residents-press-for-sidewalks-and-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518219-e3349a6cf7bd4e73fc900933bda47a4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155581&Signature=MvcJ-BuJd6MIdvyeqTEBNDc-FQUpUiv-1HiVbeTJVBZn4DQ~BhmQXPndU8n-NRrjS4iWUSrbYH9HJHMXNFhWbAHjlms8eLc21yZV~pmfTHR-yZgkyf0wzDozG~cRtIgXXVW6GuGI0xWkTSvouPNrYOIO5xjQcGYn7ojlBzIe~JY5ExW96HrL2ehahh9fdIOqJ9XI~W6seZQ9-uNSSW~8WRDRkT-BYHc05UgTkulpcv2vRoXhiG9carDkwgkBwKOKAJDf7rWRvYWfOPvViPIqeKvlel0~cqjwJEWQERydj64amRtPh5Fc-OzdDgNWSZo0~VDkr62Lv2JYM1PCd7uYrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council held a public hearing July 15 to receive input on DeSoto’s draft HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) consolidated plan for fiscal years 2025–2029 and the FY2025 action plan. Patricia Santa Cruz of Grow America presented the plan and the public offered feedback focused on sidewalks, streets and the senior center.

Santa Cruz said DeSoto’s CDBG entitlement for 2025 is $271,460, a slight decrease from 2024, and reviewed allowable uses: housing rehabilitation, public services, planning/administration (up to 20 percent) and infrastructure projects that primarily benefit households earning less than 80 percent of area median income (AMI). She said the city received 191 resident survey responses and held 10 stakeholder meetings; the top priorities were street and sidewalk improvements, housing rehabilitation and public services.

Staff recommended the continuation of the home repair program at $110,000 (up to $10,000 per qualifying homeowner), $90,000 to close a funding gap for senior center renovations (bringing total CDBG support to $340,000 for that project), continuation of transportation assistance and $50,000 for administration (about 18 percent of the allocation). Santa Cruz said that qualifying projects must primarily benefit low- and moderate-income households or be located in qualifying census tracts.

Several residents questioned the proposed allocations. Kaye Brown Patrick said the same set of activities has repeatedly appeared in the budget packages, and noted that home repair at $110,000 would serve only about 10 homeowners while sidewalk or street projects could reach many more residents. Nicole Rafael asked for clarification about the transportation assistance program, specifically whether trips are limited to DeSoto and how the program is administered; staff said the city moved from a taxi contract to partnering with STAR Transit to lower per-trip cost and serve more riders, and that most trips are for local essential services such as medical appointments and grocery shopping.

Mayor Pro Tem Crystal Chisholm and staff emphasized that the draft is a recommendation and not an adopted plan. Staff said a final consolidated plan and action plan will be returned to council for adoption on Aug. 5 and that additional adjustments to funding priorities could be made before adoption. Public comment was received and recorded; council opened and closed the hearing at the meeting and took no final action on the plan that night.","City consultant presented the draft FY2025–2029 consolidated plan and FY2025 action plan; staff recommended continuing home repair, closing a senior center funding gap and maintaining transportation assistance while residents urged sidewalk and street work.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518224,"Residents urge DeSoto council to fully repair Ellison Road, citing safety and flooding",779,1969000,2748000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d&start=1969&end=2748","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5398914-3f1443c86c3e5f70fdc744ec9914018d/thumbnail_1969000.jpg","/articles/6518224/DeSoto/Dallas-County/Texas/Residents-urge-DeSoto-council-to-fully-repair-Ellison-Road-citing-safety-and-flooding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518224-ce429d1f9e7104657bb29559cb1419db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155581&Signature=SY9xjz~CFpVWEd5zMFs151r6cE~~yv5No8okudSNSSOx-HbZNkEo2FnO5ANEWr206BeplHk3vQxch8qV2Nz44qpj2vjnVWMvggW29XPaBOCTe5fs48XW7a8q8~9qDcw0lEz5ZNeUo63SKyZ5j7pgh0LIWn41Jhv-fTppLk8CUe2PT8Nm682Hn7uPveqGaUMxFbcHRx9LE4am9xk6Y0If7Eu0-H7jJeHBZ69BmswUfzP~U1PwTdNtFmSGzcDzNw6eU34nlIKvSZcZ9ENbzXIxv757HAt8gZYvxTH2e3v3ApCeunO1FneA933rMwRSqPmUBI0pArXmSBBHiAQRloLRLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Multiple DeSoto residents urged the City Council on July 15 to place full repair or reconstruction of Ellison (spelled Ellison/Ellisonbee in public remarks) Road and nearby corridors on the next budget cycle, saying repeated pothole patching, standing water and the absence of sidewalks create daily safety risks.

The most detailed public comments came from Dr. Diana March, who said the road corridor serves at least 10 subdivisions and listed home counts for several neighborhoods, and from other residents who described damaged vehicles, dangerous driving, and elderly and schoolchildren forced to walk in traffic. “This is not just a road issue. It is a quality of life for our residents,” Dr. March said.

The speakers asked the council to prioritize Ellison Road the same way it has prioritized other corridors, to conduct a full assessment and to include the project in the upcoming budget. Several residents said potholes are being filled with temporary material that crumbles within days of rain, increasing the damage rather than repairing it.

“Parents driving their children to school are forced to swerve to avoid potholes,” Dr. March said. “That endangers not only them but oncoming traffic.” Billy Clayton described driving on the road as “almost impossible” from his driveway and said he sometimes drives on the wrong side of the street to avoid damage to his car. Residents requested full reconstruction, drainage work to prevent standing water, and traffic-calming measures such as rumble strips or speed humps.

Resident Victor Lankford and Sai Langford both described standing water that remains for days after rain and stretches of the corridor that are exceedingly narrow. Nicole Rafael asked the council to consider prioritizing pedestrian safety — sidewalks and speed mitigation — because of frequent fast driving on the corridor.

Speakers supplied neighborhood and house-count details for council consideration: Kinsdale Farm (217 homes), Trees Farm (102), Candle Meadow (493), Eagle Downs (321), Ellison Ranch (291), Ellison Park (44), Ellison Trace West (59), Parkerville Meadows (five phases), Coal Creek (66) and Churchill Estates (129).

Council members responded that the issue is known and that sidewalk and street improvements are a regular priority in the city’s HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) process, which limits uses to low- and moderate-income census tracts or qualifying individuals. Officials said staff can adjust the CDBG allocations next year to target infrastructure if a qualifying area can be identified.

No formal votes were taken on Ellison Road at the July 15 meeting. The city manager and staff indicated they would consider the requests during budget planning and assessment work prior to making construction or rehabilitation recommendations.","Multiple residents told the City Council that Ellison Road and nearby streets suffer chronic potholes, temporary patches, standing water and unsafe conditions for pedestrians, calling for full reconstruction rather than temporary fixes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident accuses DeSoto city secretary of failing to verify candidate eligibility after May elections

Votes at a glance: DeSoto council approves consent agenda, confirms advisory appointment and OKs Harbor Freight incentive

DeSoto holds public hearing on HUD CDBG consolidated plan; residents press for sidewalks and infrastructure

Residents urge DeSoto council to fully repair Ellison Road, citing safety and flooding