Dr. Carrie Gordon

The Honorable Carrie Forney Gordon successfully served as Mayor of Balch Springs, TX from May 2009 – May 2015. In May 2020, Dr. Gordon was appointed to a 1-year term at the request of the City Council. She had no idea that the term would be extend an additional 2-years as an unopposed Mayoral candidate. Mayor Gordon is the first female to serve 3-consecutive terms; the first female appointed Mayor; the first female to run unopposed; and the first Black female to serve as Mayor in the city’s history. An inaugural State-Of-The-City address was held in her owner through the sponsorship of the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce, Linebarger Goggin Sampson law firm, and City of Balch Springs; another 1st!

 

Before entering politics, Dr. Gordon spent her professional career as an Urban Planner with the City of Dallas, TX. From 1983 to 1994, she was employed as a Housing & Neighborhood Services planner providing staff support to the Housing Finance Corporation, qualifying first-time homebuyers, and writing and assisting with neighborhood plans for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. From 1994 to 2015, her major responsibilities included processing zoning cases, development code amendments, long-range planning, re-vamping existing planning studies, creating new area plans, departmental liaison on inter-governmental special projects, handling special provision sign district appeals, and serving as the Board of Adjustment Administrator.

 

After over 30 years as an Urban Planner, Dr. Gordon retired from the City of Dallas and enter the private sector as a consultant and she also served as the first Black City Administrator for the City of Wilmer, TX. From there, she returned to local government as the head of the City of Balch Springs once again.

 

 

* PROVEN LEADERSHIP *

 

 

As a leader in her Balch Springs community, Dr. Gordon served as Co-Chair of the Hilltop Estates Homeowners Association; Chair and Vice-Chair of the City of Balch Springs Planning and Zoning Commission; Chair of the 2002 and 2008 Charter Review Commissions; Chair of the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce; assisted with an update of the City of Balch Springs Master Plan; and prepared the Balch Springs East Annexation Area Plan (City Council adopted).

 

You might not know that Mayor Gordon has been a strong advocate to address Balch Springs as a food, transportation, and medical desert in the Southern Sector of this region. She has fought long and hard to secure funding which was instrumental in the opening of a food pantry, Foremost Family Health Center, a federally qualified health center, opened a satellite medical facility in Balch Springs, and Star Transit was launched to serve Balch Springs (internal and external routes). And it was from that thrust Dallas Area Rapid Transit partnered with Star Transit to address the transportation needs of non-DART cities in the Southern Dallas County.

 

A Mover and Shaker. During Dr. Gordon’s Mayoral tenure (2009-2015), she served as a “change agent”! Her accomplishments have left an indelible mark in the city’s history timeline and Southeast Dallas County (partial list to date):

 

 

* SEEDS PLANTED, NURTURED & GROWING...*

 

Historically:

 

• Unprecedented and major feat - During the 83rd Texas Legislature, with the assistance of a “Dream Team” (City Manager/Chief of Police, City Attorney and legal counsel, County and State Officials) spearheaded efforts to successfully consolidate the Dallas County Water Control & Improvement District No. 6 Municipal Utility District (MUD) with the City of Balch Springs. Her efforts led to the successful dissolution of the largest MUD in Texas, a 63-year-old operation, with passage of Senate Bill 1635

 

• Spearheaded efforts for the citywide redistricting, zip code identity, successful retention of local post office, and Quail bridge and I-20/I-635 infrastructure improvements

 

• Credited with the successful completion of the Peach Tree Seniors multi-million housing development (recognized as a model tax credit project by the State of Texas at that time)

 

• Nurtured relationships to locate the first-ever multi-million-dollar state-of-the art Balch Springs Elementary School (Dallas ISD) within the city limits of Balch Springs

 

• Secured an invitation from the Governor’s Office for the Balch Springs Economic Development Corporation to become actively involved with the TexasOne™ Program, one of Texas’ major sources of economic development marketing

 

• Worked with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Star Transit, Dallas County, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to successfully launch the first ‘non-DART’ public transit partnering program, a framework other cities have and are pursuing

 

• Played an instrumental role to locate the Foremost Family Health Center (federally qualified) satellite medical facility in Balch Springs to provide affordable healthcare

 

• Cast the critical vote to complete construction of the IH-20 freeway eastbound and westbound multi-million-dollar ramp project (a Dallas County joint initiative), and secured traffic signalization at one of the most dangerous intersections in the city

 

• First to successfully establish mandates for the orderly conduct of business and professional decorum for all City Council meetings with a misdemeanor or incarceration for non-compliance

 

• Launched City’s first-ever Code Enforcement court as part of her Mayor’s Task Force and Have A Cup With Mayor Gordon monthly event to involve various city departments with one-on-one interaction with citizens, business and property owners, and stakeholders

 

• Successfully pushed for the establishment of the City’s first Emergency Management and Neighborhood Services departments, and the hiring of a Public Works Director and Urban Planner

 

• Sponsored numerous ordinances such as the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT), Restaurant Rating System, Ethics Commission, Social Media Policy, alcoholic beverages, and liquor sales, and co-sponsored the 8-liners ordinance (to name a few)

​​

• Played an integral role in the City’s partnership with the Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce to establish a Tourist Bureau

 

• Established various City committees such as the Zoning Ordinance Committee (ZOC), Flood & Drainage Committee, Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC), and adoption of an updated Comprehensive Plan

 

• Fostered partnerships with the local businesses to birth the Balch Springs Merchant’s Association

 

• Successfully established and launched social services programs and projects such as a securing a new bus for the Senior Center, Prayer Breakfasts for the formation of alliances with the Faith-based community, launched Balch Springs Helping Hands to partner with the Mesquite Social Services Satellite Food Pantry (now operating as the Opal J. Smith Food Pantry) that also resulted in partnering with the North Texas Food Bank

 

• Worked with various agencies to actively involve Balch Springs students (public and private schools) in regional programs and projects such as Super Bowl Slant 45, Dallas County’s Ask Not Project – Balch Springs Goes Green), and launch of a community garden in partnership with the former Balch Springs Middle School

 

• Fostered partnerships with stakeholders to launch scholarship programs that included the Balch Springs CommUNITY Leadership Program (sponsored by Home Depot, Balch Springs Chamber of Commerce and City of Balch Springs), Dr. Larry “T-Byrd” Gordon Juneteenth Pageant and Scholarship Program, Mayor’s Scholarship Challenge, and the Mayor’s Multicultural Back-2-School event

 

• Proactively facilitated various community visioning charettes and an active role securing training for all City boards and commissions to equip members with tools for their success

 

• Mayor Gordon was the first to represent the city of Balch Springs in the Southeast region through active involvement with the Best Southwest Partnership, Star Transit Board, Texas Municipal League Revenue & Finance Committee, and I-20 East Freeway Corridor Study Advisory Committee