[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:01] Good evening, and welcome to the special meeting for the Council on June 27. This is a very exciting night. We don't get a lot of nights that are all fun and excitement about the future, but I think tonight is one of those. We have a short agenda, obviously tonight. The first item is the approval of an ordinance, canvassing and results of the June 18th. 2011, run off election for council places 2 and 4. Council do I have a motion?
[0:29] I'd
[0:32] like to make a motion.
[0:35] Go ahead.
[0:37] I'll second that motion.
[0:39] The motion is made by Councilman Mahalik and Seconded by Councilman Simons.
[0:45] Council, please vote on this motion.
[0:49] Just raise your hand tonight.
[0:53] On your phone.
[0:55] The motion passes unanimously with Councilman Faulkner out of town tonight.
[1:00] The next order of business is to hear from outgoing council member, John Mahalli.
[1:06] Thank you.
[1:07] Thank you, Mayor.
[1:09] With this being my final council meeting, I just wanted to say a few words.
[1:13] First and foremost, I want to congratulate the new mayor, Matthew Marchant,
[1:18] and also Anthony Wilder and Bob Garza.
[1:20] I'm confident that all of you will continue to lead Carleton in the right direction,
[1:25] so definitely looking forward to watching you all the next few years.
[1:28] So congratulations.
[1:31] Just to give you a little background, my wife and I got married and decided to buy a home
[1:36] and start a family, we chose Carleton.
[1:40] We knew where this is where we wanted to be.
[1:42] This was the community that we knew we wanted to be involved in the community and wanted
[1:47] to get involved and we knew our boys would grow up here and this is where we chose to live.
[1:53] With that being said, I definitely wanted to be involved in the community and luckily
[1:57] the Council at the time appointed me to the Parks and Recreation Board.
[2:02] And so didn't really know what sure I was getting into, spent four years on the Parks
[2:07] and Recreation Board, was Scott Whitaker and his staff and they were tremendous and every
[2:13] meeting it seemed like they would say, well, the Council decided this and the Council decided
[2:18] that and I was like, look into this Council thing.
[2:22] Sounds like this is where everything happens.
[2:25] So fortunately, six years ago, I was able to win the election of place two, started on
[2:31] my city council journeys, where we're at now.
[2:35] My original goal when I first started was not to be a one-issue council member, but to
[2:40] trust the best judgment of our highly competent city staff, ask questions, listen to constituents,
[2:47] and ultimately do what was best for the entire city as a whole.
[2:52] Most of the time, I didn't really interject a lot at the time, especially when things were
[2:57] going in the direction that I wanted, but what I learned was to listen.
[3:01] That was the most important thing for me was to listen and not really repeat what was
[3:07] already said, but always pay attention and really see what the direction in the city was going
[3:13] and to make sure it was on course.
[3:16] The nice thing now is I drive around the city and see the improvements that have been made over the last six years and nice to be able to smile and know that I had a little bit of hand in that and know that we were being led in correct directions, especially when you see the new fields at McKinnish Park, the new Pet adoption center, the addition to different things, the new neighborhood shopping centers that are getting redeveloped.
[3:44] the grain tower elevator, you know, the list goes on and on and on and on the things that have
[3:48] been proved over the last few years.
[3:50] So, but most of all, just want to say I've been blessed and honored to serve with some wonderful
[3:55] people.
[3:56] I'm going to fellow council members, you know, the mayors that I've served with, it's been
[4:01] incredible.
[4:02] The city staff, Leonard Martin, all the way down, it's been tremendous and it starts
[4:07] at the top and it goes all the way down through the entire staff and I've been thankful
[4:11] be able to learn from them as well. But most of all, I want to thank my wife, my parents,
[4:18] and of course my boys, Johnny and Jason, and most of all the residents of Carleton
[4:21] for allowing me to serve this fine city. Thank you.
[5:06] Well, the city has as the customers put together a plaque for you, the commemorative six years on the city council.
[5:14] It reads John Mahalik, council member, place two, May 2005, June 2011, mayor-protein, June 2009, June 2010.
[5:23] And states that the citizens of Carleton, thank you for providing leadership to benefit our community.
[5:27] And we also, the staff prepared a great photo book for John and while the highlights.
[5:33] And on a personal note, I'd like to say I've served almost six years with John, and he's been a great asset to the council in this community.
[5:43] A lot of leadership on fiscal issues, on the Audit and Finance Committee, and a big help on the redevelopment committee.
[5:49] And you know, I know the his family makes up a big part of his life as parents and his wife and his two boys and certainly have enjoyed serving alongside you and Carolton is a better place because you served.
[6:02] Thank you.
[6:13] And now we're going to conduct the swearing in of our two new council members.
[6:17] If Judge Meredith Lyon, our new presiding judge, we'll come up to administer the oath and Anthony Wilder, if you'll come up with your family, whoever you'd like to come up.
[6:25] and we'll get you guys sworn in. Which one's Anthony?
[6:58] Anthony Weller. Anthony Weller.
[7:01] Do solemnly swear or affirm?
[7:05] That was faithfully execute the duties.
[7:07] Of the office of council.
[7:12] Of the state of Texas.
[7:15] And will the best of my ability?
[7:18] has some liability. Preserve protect and defend. Preserve protect and defend. The Constitution
[7:23] and laws of the United States. The Constitution and laws of the United States. And of the state.
[7:28] And of the state. And the charter and ordinances of the state. And the charter and ordinances
[7:33] of the state. So help me God. So help me God.
[7:52] Bob, if you'll bring your family up as well.
[8:01] I'm the POS.
[8:03] Oh.
[8:06] Get up.
[8:10] Get up.
[8:11] Get up.
[8:13] Get up.
[8:14] Get up.
[8:16] Get up.
[8:16] All right.
[8:17] OK.
[8:18] In the name of the idea of the state of Texas,
[8:20] I'm going to administer your office to just repeat after me.
[8:22] I bought Garza.
[8:23] I bought Garza.
[8:24] Do solemnly swear or firm?
[8:26] The solemnly swear or firm.
[8:27] That I will faithfully execute the duties.
[8:30] That I will faithfully execute the duties.
[8:31] Of the office of council place for.
[8:33] Of the office of council place for.
[8:35] for the city of Carrollton.
[8:37] for the city of Carrollton
[8:38] of the state of Texas.
[8:40] And will to the best of my ability.
[8:42] And will to the best of my ability.
[8:44] Preserve protect independent.
[8:45] Preserve protect independent.
[8:47] The Constitution and Laws.
[8:49] the Constitution and Laws of the United States
[8:51] and of the state.
[8:53] the United States and of this state.
[8:55] And the charter and ordinance of the city.
[8:57] And the charter and ordinances of the city.
[8:59] So help me God.
[9:00] so help me God.
[9:01] Thank you.
[9:16] Well, Bob is signing that before we hear from Councilman Wilder and Councilman Garza, I'd like to recognize we have several former elected officials in the audience. I'll just sort of list him in order and we can get a clause at the end.
[9:28] We have former Mayor Gary Blancet, former Mayor Becky Miller, former Councilmember Herb Whitinger, former Councilmember Charles Thrasher.
[9:37] We have former council member Tim Hayden, we have former council member Dave Oelfield,
[9:43] and we have former Dallas County School's Trustee Jan Woodie, former Dallas County Judge Bruce Woodie,
[9:49] other others that I've not seen.
[9:54] Okay, so if we could all give those guys a round of applause.
[10:06] Councilman Weld, do you have the floor for some remarks?
[10:09] Is it on now?
[10:10] All right, I just want to first all thank everybody for coming tonight.
[10:14] It means a lot to me. It's a very hard five month campaign as many of you knew who were very close to the campaign and supporters of it.
[10:22] At 414 this afternoon I got a request from my client to do something.
[10:26] So I was kind of rushed and forgot my notes for my speech this evening.
[10:30] So I'm going to try and wing it.
[10:31] But I just want to first of all think my wife, the number one supporter of the campaign, of course, and she was for this all the way, and I just want to thank you, Sarah, for all that you've done.
[10:41] I think my children, the four of them, are allowing me to share my time with the city and with the citizens, and I just think I'll go for your support.
[10:51] And I think my parents here here tonight, Jim and Suzanne Wilder, for instilling in me the desire and the need to serve the community through the boys,
[10:59] got any efforts that we did for all of the efforts that they put forth and the time that
[11:04] they spent with us up until the time that the commission does to go out to college and
[11:09] do great things for this country.
[11:10] And I just thank you for my brothers here, Jonathan Wawther, my twin brother, who many people
[11:15] I give, a twin.
[11:17] I guess I did.
[11:18] I just want to thank the two of them for attending this evening.
[11:21] I just want to thank my church, so during church is very supportive of the staff, the pastors,
[11:26] The administrative staff were very supportive of this campaign, which made it a whole lot easier to venture out into the political arena
[11:32] Because as many of you know, it's difficult at times and just all the supporters. I want to think Bonnie Kaplan
[11:39] You know, I thought that we're going to run uncontested in this and then find a week
[11:44] Praveen and Bonnie both filed and at first it was upset
[11:48] Now I'm going to spend more money take more time or effort, but I just want to think Bonnie she
[11:55] She really got me to think about the issues and to really push forward and a resiliency
[12:00] came from that.
[12:01] I don't want to think Dr. Desi, I was very humbled by the support that you gave me during
[12:06] the runoff.
[12:07] I was surprised and just very humbled by it.
[12:10] I want to thank you, Bradvin, for that and for the friendship that we've forged during this
[12:15] five months and I hope it continues after this and it's tied us by the way speaking
[12:20] who's Amy and something and I was going to think the citizens of this city for putting their trust
[12:27] in their faith in me to lead and as I said throughout this entire five months my platform was
[12:34] to bring more transparency, more efficiency and more accountability to the city government
[12:38] and intended to do that in all the ways that I spoke of and many more and I look forward to working
[12:42] with this council. I know that there wasn't a complete consensus and support for the campaign
[12:47] But I know going forward that we will be able to work together and work on the fiscal responsibilities of the city and to work on the budget, which is the first major item coming up.
[12:57] And I look forward to that. I look forward to sharing the ideas that I can bring to the table from the citizens and from the efforts that we've put forth in the last three years.
[13:05] So again, I want to just think all of you, the supporters who came out and walked, we talked to over 10,000 voters in this city.
[13:11] and I couldn't have done it alone. So I just thank you to the team and all those who have supported it for those who weren't supportive of the campaign.
[13:17] It was that skewed to allow me to earn your support in these next three years.
[13:21] And I all sit as soon as I urge you to stay involved in order for us to maintain accountability and to grow in that area.
[13:30] The citizens have to show up at these meetings. So I just thank you again and I appreciate the time that Matthew has given me to speak.
[13:37] and I just thank you all for being here tonight.
[13:49] Thank you, Anthony.
[13:50] Councilman Garza, would you like to speak?
[13:52] What, I didn't do that, push.
[13:53] There you go.
[13:55] Well, I must say it looks different from up here,
[13:58] so thank you all very much for being here this evening,
[14:01] and when I decided to run, I never really envisioned
[14:05] that I would be in a runoff and three and a half,
[14:08] or over three months worth of campaigning was,
[14:12] I know, pretty grueling on my team,
[14:14] my family and all of you that are here supporting me. But you know I guess things that you
[14:21] really want don't necessarily come easy and so you have to work hard and we did and I was
[14:26] very pleased with that. You know the last day Saturday the 18th my team was out there on all six
[14:33] polling places and it was over a hundred degree weather and it was growing and it was very tough
[14:40] But we hung in there, and we knew that here in a runoff,
[14:47] it's tough to get people to come out and vote,
[14:49] because it is a second time that you have to come out,
[14:52] and most of them probably thought, well,
[14:54] we got it down to two, so whoever wins,
[14:57] but we were very, very hopeful that we would get
[15:00] We had a lot of folks to come out and vote. And they did. And, you know, thankfully we won. And so I'm very appreciative of that. I mentioned my team. My team was great. You know, this is my second goal at running the first time. I won't mention her name, but Pat Malone was a little bit stronger than I was. And so she kind of took place three. But I'm happy now to serve next to Pat and the rest of the council members and in the middle.
[15:30] and I'm so looking forward to it.
[15:33] I wanted to mention out of all the team members, I think there are two that I wanted to point out and that's always dangerous,
[15:39] because all the folks that work for you and work hard for you.
[15:43] But my campaign treasure, Mr. Herb Whitinger, did I get the name right?
[15:50] And Beverly, as well, did a phenomenal job in my lead team member, Becky Miller Werspecky, right there.
[15:58] Without these two folks to kind of make sure that I got my daily phone call and you know
[16:04] What are you doing today and where are you gonna go and and are you ready for this and you ready for that?
[16:08] It was just phenomenal and I feel good the whole time, but you know
[16:13] There's always that need to have someone to give you the little push that encouragement
[16:19] Don't forget this. Don't forget that and and it worked out really well
[16:23] So thank you to, of course, my entire team for being there and just working out fantastically well.
[16:32] My family, of course, and my wife at the election watch party mentioned that I didn't tell her I was going to file until the day that I did.
[16:42] And it was true because I several people can tell you that I kind of thought about and wanted to and this is a life long, you know, dream and goal of mine to be up here.
[16:55] And she had already gone through it once and I know she remembered what it was.
[17:00] What it was like to go through a campaign, you know, three months back then it was three months.
[17:07] And so I told her, and she wasn't very happy, but you know what?
[17:11] She came around, and she was a great support, and I thank you for it.
[17:18] And of course, the rest of my family, I've got my son and his family here, Randy Garza, standing back here, taking pictures, and my daughter, Julie, Tims, and her family are here.
[17:28] And then we have a special guest from the Rio Grande Valley.
[17:32] Michelle Golly and her two kids, Ian and Jay, that happened to be up here, not for me, but for their vacation, and thank you for being here today.
[17:43] You know, I'm ready to go. I'm excited about this, and I've told, I think, a dozen times, and it does inform that I'm going to do the best that I can and serve this city well, and I intend to, so thank you very much.
[18:07] Well, thank you, Bob, and Anthony. I know I can speak for the rest of our elected official team and the staff that we're really looking forward to working with you and adding your energy and new ideas to the team and we've got a lot of challenges and a lot of opportunities. So I think we're going to need you pulling with us in the future and look forward to serving with you.
[18:25] And so now we will adjourn the meeting. There is a lovely reception out there and the candidates you guys can come up here and take the meeting pictures as you'd like. Congratulations.