Garland voters will head to the polls for a second time on Saturday to select a new mayor in a runoff election between former City Council members Dylan Hedrick and Deborah Morris.
Morris received 42% of votes in last month鈥檚 municipal election, leading the six-candidate race, and Hedrick received 33%.
The two former colleagues 鈥� Morris termed out in 2024, Hedrick in 2025 鈥� are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Scott LeMay, who is term-limited.
四虎影院 spoke with both candidates about their priorities if elected mayor and their perspectives on issues impacting Garland residents.
Candidates鈥� top three priorities
Dylan Hedrick
Hedrick said his top three priorities are city streets, economic development and bringing a hospital back to Garland.
鈥淲ho better to rebuild Garland City streets than someone who does that every day for a living?鈥� said Hedrick, a civil engineer by trade.
For economic development, he would like to expand the work beyond the city鈥檚 downtown. "I think we need to spread to all other parts of the city now, especially South Garland, he said, citing Harbor Point as an example.
Garland鈥檚 only hospital closed in 2018, but Hedrick said his relationships with developers will be useful in bringing a new hospital in.
Deborah Morris
Morris said her top three priorities are public safety, city streets and economic development. An author, Morris said she had almost four decades of experience volunteering and serving in civil service areas such as emergency management and most recently on the city council.
鈥淭op priorities always have to start with maintaining and constantly enhancing public safety,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ecause no matter what else you do, if people aren't, they don't feel safe in their city.鈥�
She said street repairs needed to happen 鈥渟ooner than later鈥� because residents have been waiting for streets to be repaired and they need to know the city council has a 鈥渃ohesive plan.鈥�
During the May 3 election, voters approved a $360 million bond package which included four propositions focusing on streets, economic development, cultural arts and parks and recreation.
Economic development
Dylan Hedrick
鈥淚t is really looking now towards all areas of the city,鈥� Hedrick said. Garland has a five-year plan to look at economic opportunities across Garland, which includes bond projects, and the proposed $70 million soccer stadium. 鈥淭he idea is to bring people from outside of the city into Garland, spend their sales tax dollars here in Garland,鈥� he said.
Deborah Morris
鈥淒owntown Garland is a microcosm of what can happen,鈥� Morris said. 鈥淭hose are a whole bunch of small businesses, but together they have turned into an economic engine.鈥� Morris said since the city reopened downtown, they have more than doubled their sales tax revenues. "We need a mix of new small businesses that are viable, that are interesting, that draw people,鈥� she said, 鈥�and we need to support them as a city.鈥�
Proposed $70 million dollar soccer complex
Dylan Hedrick
Hedrick said he supports the project.
" I think that I've met several times with the team management, the team owners,鈥� Hedrick said, 鈥渁nd we're right now have an agreement to construct and design the headquarter complex with them, as well as some infrastructure improvements and some youth soccer fields.鈥� Hedrick said he hopes the stadium will attract people who will stay in Garland hotels and restaurants, as well as bring in a youth soccer academy.
Deborah Morris
Morris is also in support of the proposal. The soccer stadium is something the council has talked about for years, including when she served on the council, she said.
鈥淭his will benefit the whole city completely, aside from the fact that soccer is one of the fastest growing sports, not only in the U.S. but in the world,鈥� Morris said. She said it could bring revenue to the city and have people eat, shop and stay in Garland, which will ease the tax burden.
DART facing cuts to funding
Dylan Hedrick
Hedrick supports keeping DART at its current level of funding, but said the city was watching how the process played out both in the state legislature and locally. Reducing funding by 25% 鈥渨ould directly affect Garland because we are the second highest user of DART transportation after the city of Dallas.鈥� Negotiations between DART and the member cities is the way to go, he said, rather than looking to a solution at the state level.
Deborah Morris
Morris also supports full funding for DART, but doesn鈥檛 advocate for the city to pass a resolution like some other member cities did.
"Frankly, resolutions are nice pieces of paper 鈥� do they make a difference in Austin?鈥� Morris said. 鈥淚 don't think so."
Garland is one of the heaviest users of DART, she said, and residents depend on public transportation. Going through the 鈥渄iscomfort and lengthy waiting and everything else it takes to testify鈥� to protect DART funding is something Morris said she would be willing to do to, if elected.
What are the qualities or things that make you stand out from your colleague that鈥檚 also in the race for mayor?
Dylan Hedrick
Hedrick points to his work as a civil engineer and his record on the city council.
鈥淥ne thing I successfully did was bring a wildflower planting program to Garland to help beautify our street medians,鈥� Hedrick said. 鈥淚 had a lot of initiatives to open up public access to governmental records, whether it's GIS platforms or historical voting records, to allow citizens to access the data that the government has in easily accessible GIS format,鈥� he said.
He also cited leading the efforts in expanding a tax increment financing, or TIF zone to revitalize areas around Forest, Jupiter and Walnut.
Deborah Morris
Morris said she has not only served in government positions, she also served as a neighborhood association president and lead an effort that saved a 鈥渂ig part of Relic Creek Preserve from being bulldozed by the city back in the 80s.鈥� She said she had hands-on disaster management and crisis leadership, something she gained as a team leader for the Red Cross. 鈥淭his isn't a spitting match,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 believe that I have much more of a of a richer background. 鈥�
Priscilla Rice is 四虎影院鈥檚 communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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