On May 7, voters who have twice elected Ms. Miller mayor will decide whether to approve Proposition 1, which rewrites vast sections of the city charter and grants her significant new powers effective in September. Laura Miller the "strong mayor" could hire and fire public employees, appoint most of the city's hundreds of board and commission members and draft the municipal budget – duties today controlled by Dallas' city manager or the council. And unlike the unelected city manager, whom the proposition would dismiss, a strong mayor would answer directly to Dallas residents instead of a horseshoe of council representatives....
