Laura Miller
Laura Miller (born
November 18,
1958) is the current
mayor of
Dallas,
Texas (
USA).
Born in
Baltimore,
Maryland, Miller attended the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and spent the early part of her career as a
journalist. As a journalist, Miller worked as a staff writer for
The Miami Herald and
The Dallas Morning News and then as a columnist for the
New York Daily News and the now-defunct
Dallas Times Herald. In
1991, Miller became an investigative reporter for the
Dallas Observer and then a columnist for
D Magazine.
In
1998, Miller was elected to the Dallas City Council representing
Oak Cliff and southwest Dallas. In
2002, Miller was elected as Mayor of Dallas, replacing
Ron Kirk who left the post to run for the
United States Senate position vacated by retiring Texas Senator
Phil Gramm. The mayoral position is officially nonpartisan, but Miller is a Democrat.
As Mayor of Dallas, Miller's priorities have been:
1. Revitalization of the Central Business District (CBD):2. A redesign and expansion of the "
Trinity River Project":3. Reducing the city's crime rate
During her four years as mayor, the city's CBD has experienced its strongest growth in twenty (20) years, and the city's crime rate is down for the first time in thirteen (13) years.
Miller also led the Dallas City Council in passing an anti-discrimination ordinance, towing of uninsured motorists, bans on panhandling and smoking in restaurants, and an unprecedented and far-reaching plan to reduce homelessness, which included voter approval in November 2005 of $24 million to build a new Homeless Assistance Facility.
Mayor Miller joined forces with Bishop T.D. Jakes and other clergy and raised $2.7 million in private funds in 30 days to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees start new lives in Dallas. The Mayor's Disaster Relief Fund paid for rent, utilities and furniture in the first months after Katrina and continues to pay for ongoing case management and social services for thousands of evacuees.
Miller is married to Dallas attorney and former state
Representative Steven D. Wolens. They have two daughters, Alex and Lily, and a son Max.
Miller announced on July 6th, 2006 that she will not seek re-election in May 2007.
*
Official biography
