Last month, as Dallas officials juggled disappointing downtown news, questions about City Hall's future, convention center drama, the start of a brutal budgeting season and a World Cup match or two, we began to question whether the city's residents were truly being heard.

At City Hall, public speakers routinely waited hours to address the council, only to have their speaking time slashed down to 60 seconds.

On more than one occasion, we overheard members of the public speculating that the horseshoe had already made up its mind about the outcome of a particular vote, even before the public had a chance to weigh in.