The Dallas mayor was a Democrat when he took office. Now he is a Republican who spoke at this year’s Republican National Convention. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mayor Eric Johnson wants Dallas to be No. 1.
Driving the news: Dallas is the second financial capital in the U.S. with the founding of the Texas Stock Exchange, but Johnson said he won't be happy until the city is the financial capital of the country.
Johnson also wants Dallas to be the "undisputed safest big city in America," the mayor said during his annual state of the city address yesterday.
The big picture: Dallas contains only about an eighth of the region's population, but the mayor says the city is "the heart of this region and the anchor that keeps North Texas rising."
Zoom in: Johnson focused on four P's during his address: parks, potholes, public safety and property taxes.
To be a world-class city, Dallas must fill its potholes, add more parks, boost law enforcement and lower property taxes.
Zoom out: Dallas is also setting itself up to be a global business hub by opening trade offices in the International District, which Johnson said is making the city the "gateway to the rest of the world."
Tanzania opened a trade office in the district in May.
