DeSoto City Council Designated Purple Heart City Tuesday Night

DESOTO –DeSoto is home to 2,850 US Military Veterans.

DeSoto City Council opened its meeting Tuesday night with the honor of being designated a Purple Heart City. The Military Order of the Purple Heart designated the city with the status this week. The Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members and is awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving.

Eric Newton, Senior Vice Commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter #1513 serving Dallas/Fort Worth and Mid-Cities, said about the designation, “It shows just how committed DeSoto is to their Purple Heart veterans, and veterans as a whole, and we encourage other cities to step forward like DeSoto and show their support for the heroes that make their communities safer and better!”

Chapter #1513 represents more than 520 Purple Heart Recipients, with Newton receiving his Purple Heart after he was wounded by mortar fire in Vietnam. He later volunteered for service in Iraq.

Lisa Holmes-Lunkwicz of the Combat Wounded Service Organization (CWSO), who is the surviving spouse of US Army infantry soldier Jon Lunkwicz who received a Purple Heart in Vietnam, was also in attendance.

The DeSoto Police Department was also busy Tuesday night with National Night Out.

This year, the NNO event was held at the Shops and Restaurants of DeSoto Market Place from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

The event featured attractions, including a water slide, bounce house, face painting, games, and the chance to explore the offerings of 11 local restaurants located at DeSoto Market Place.

There were activities for all in attendance to continue to foster community spirit and strengthen police-community partnerships.

During the council meeting, DeSoto Mayor Rachel Proctor also mentioned that five HOAs, including Silver Creek Meadows, Thorntree Estates, Meadowbrook, High Meadows, Candle Meadows, and Briarwood Estates, were holding events.

Citizen comments included Shanita Cleveland stressing she is not a resident of DeSoto “as media had said” she lives in South Dallas. She recognized the positivity regarding the Purple Heart City designation. She also said in brief during her comment cities are supposed to have justice, and fairness. She said she was asking “are we voting for people who truly love to serve the people?”

Bernadine Harrison followed Cleveland and recognized her positive comments.

Harrison then added, “Mayor Proctor, you said at the last meeting here, you did it five times, and it is almost like washing our face in dishonesty. The mayor pro tem of this body is Dr. Marks. You can’t change horses in midstream.”

She said she did not understand why the city pays a city attorney to interpret the law and interpret the rules. She still believes the council was not following the rules and that Mayor Pro Tem Letitia Hughes changed the rules and voted for herself “after the fact.”

Harrison went on to express she was unhappy about finding out Hughes was “instrumental in having DeSoto Private School receive $50,000” and added, “if there is any truth to that statement it is deplorable. You cannot take “we the people’s” money and do with it what you would like to do with it at will. We are not going to stand for this anymore. We are going to go if need be and unseat every single one of you, and we are out there trying, and if we don’t succeed, nothing beats a failure but a try.”

She mentioned the money “stolen from our schools, and then you turn around and give $50,000, and I am hoping you are going to tell me I am all wrong.”

She added she did not know councilmember Marks that well, but she did know that “we are going to be fair in this city, we are going to treat people fairly and not take advantage of our position.”

She reminded the council “we the people” are in charge.

At the end of the council meeting Mayor Proctor made a point of clarification “as it related to the DeSoto Private School money and said, “We are going to bring back information on that item to clear up any misunderstanding that the citizen had regarding this item on the first meeting which it can be agendized.”

Mary Bonaparte, a 34-year resident thanked Place 6 Councilmember Crystal Chism for the Purple Heart and Mayor Proctor for thinking about it. She said, “Yesterday I visited Grand Prairie, I have been out there, and I looked around and thought, what do we need in DeSoto? What we need: we get over 1.5 million vehicles on I35, and I am sure that is weekly. We need to look at developing I35. This Hampton Road, nah … I35 you can capture everyone going through this city before they get to Waxahachie or Red Oak, just a suggestion.”

Bonaparte also commended DeSoto Police Chief Joe Costa on his field officers, stating they have been doing a splendid job. She added that she looked at the budget, and it was “a complete and utter mess. I say that because I see nowhere in there for additional animal control staff, and that has been the concern the last two years. I see nowhere in there for additional code staff, and that needs to be considered. We can’t continue to develop and grow and not address problems.”

The five consent agenda items passed unanimously. These items included approving the meeting minutes from the special city council meeting held April 15, 2024, a Resolution approving and adopting the 2024-2025 CDBG Annual Action Plan, the approval to negotiate and execute a contract with Bruckner’s Truck and Equipment for no more than $188,038 to purchase a 2026 Mack Dump Truck for Development Services’ Street Division, the approval to negotiate and execute a construction contract with Advanced Paving Company for $296,312.00 and approving a total project budget of $337,795.68 that will include material testing, construction, and contingency for the construction of the South Hampton Road Mill and Overlay Project and authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and execute the existing professional services agreement with Halff Associates, Inc. for no more than $32,500 for additional services needed to design and pay for construction administration services for the Wolf Creek Estates Drainage Infrastructure Improvements Project G.

The one regular agenda item also passed unanimously, It was to to negotiate and execute an agreement with Forvis Mazars, LLP, to provide audit services for the City of DeSoto for three years with the option of two additional one-year renewals. The past auditor has served the city for five years, and the city charter requires a change in firms every five years.

There were six firms to submit for this position and proposals were evaluated by a committee of four members of the City’s Management staff. The goal of this committee was to identify the “Best-Value” Firm and the committee selected Forvis, LLP. Forvis Mazars, LLP, proposed a maximum price of $247,500 for Professional Audit Services for the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) and the City of DeSoto, and $7,500 for Single Audit Services during the base and renewal option terms of the contract. The funding for the annual audit services is included in the FY 2025 budget of the Financial Services Department.

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