About the Author
Hello! My name is Maureen Milligan and I’ve proudly called Dallas, Texas, my home for the past 20 years. I’ve spent the majority of my career working at the “neighborhood” level – first as a public school teacher in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and then as a community prosecutor and a housing professional at the City of Dallas. Currently, I volunteer as the president of my neighborhood association.
During my local government career, I tackled just about every issue that negatively impacts residential neighborhoods – parking violations, noise, poorly-maintained homes, illegal land uses, and violent crime. I also had the opportunity to work side-by-side with community leaders who were striving to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. These leaders sponsored National Night Out gatherings, started community gardens, checked in on elderly neighbors, and showed up at city hall to advocate for public policies and investments that mattered to them – such as increased police presence, code enforcement at run-down apartment complexes, and enhancements to parks and sidewalks.
Dallas needs more of these dedicated community leaders. But trying to start (or re-start) a neighborhood association or crime watch can be a daunting task. And, once you get your organization started, it can be a thankless job to maintain momentum. Trying to navigate City Hall can frustrate even the most optimistic and hard-working leaders.
This blog is my way of “paying it forward” for all of the guidance and support I received from community leaders during my time serving in local government. Read below for a more detailed explanation of my goals for the Neighborhood Civics blog.
About this Blog
For a long time, the DFW economy has thrived due to the region’s relatively low cost of living, its proximity to one of the world’s busiest airports, and the State of Texas’s business-friendly policies. Dallas’s economy has benefitted from these same conditions. But – while businesses are continuing to expand in and relocate to Dallas – there are worrying signs that individuals and families are no longer willing or able to put down roots in our city. Unlike our fast-growing suburbs, Dallas has actually lost population since 2020.
I believe the key to ensuring that Dallas remains a vibrant, livable city is by investing more intentionally in the places that we call “home” – our neighborhoods. I believe that most people desire to live in places that offer the following basic elements at a reasonable cost: safety, convenient access to goods and services, excellent public schools, and well-maintained public infrastructure, such as streets and sidewalks. While our tolerance for noise, traffic, density, and petty crime may differ, that is the beauty offered by a metropolitan city – residents can choose from neighborhoods with a diverse range of characteristics.
Thankfully, intentional investments in neighborhoods don’t have to be expensive or take years to accomplish. But without regular dialogue between policymakers, city staffers, and the residents and business owners who are directly impacted by municipal policy decisions, then bureaucracy can become a barrier to improvement, rather than the engine that powers neighborhood growth and investment.
More municipal policy decisions should be guided by the expertise and input from the people who are already working on a daily basis to improve their communities – our neighborhood association leaders, crime watch captains, and other community leaders. That is why this blog’s motto is: “Neighborhoods are where ideas take shape.”
At its most basic level, this blog seeks to provide you – neighborhood leaders – with the tools and resources you need to tackle the common issues that impact your daily life and the lives of your fellow neighbors. This blog also endeavors to foster connections between neighborhood leaders so that we can share knowledge and resources, ask questions, and strengthen our advocacy skills. And, most ambitiously, this blog seeks to identify home-grown ideas from community leaders that can be adopted as local government policy so that municipal government becomes more responsive to the needs of its neighborhoods.
Below is more information on the blog’s three main goals:
Tools & Resources – City Hall can be a labyrinth of regulations and programs. Some departments are well-resourced with easy-to-reach staff, while other departments are much harder to navigate. This blog attempts to answer the most common questions that neighborhood leaders may encounter and provide links to additional resources.
Connections & Community – Starting and maintaining a neighborhood organization is often a thankless task. Many neighborhood organizations get energized when a specific issue is perceived as a threat to the neighborhood but later go dormant due to lack of leadership or resources. Unlike other local city governments, the City of Dallas doesn’t convene neighborhood organization leaders on a regular basis and doesn’t have a wide range of programs that are focused on supporting neighborhood associations. Currently, there is no formal opportunity for neighborhood leaders from across the city to engage with each other. This blog seeks to create a virtual meeting space for neighborhood leaders. (I hope to convince fellow neighborhood leaders to contribute guest blog posts.)
Advocacy – As I was developing this blog, I identified several low-cost, high-value initiatives that could help City Hall become more responsive to neighborhoods. My first blog post explores these proposals. As time goes on, and as more residents engage with this blog (and with each other), I am optimistic that neighborhood leaders will identify additional ideas to improve the conditions in their neighborhoods, as well as their sense of community, so that we are all proud to call Dallas “home.”
You can find me online in the links below or just send me a message to say “hi.”