Nearly a dozen Dallas officials traveling to Japan on public dime the day after “accountability” vote

DALLAS — As Dallas wakes up bleary-eyed from what is expected to be a late night watching election returns, top city officials will be boarding a flight to Tokyo to ride Japan's high speed rail on the public dime, three City Hall sources tell WFAA.

While details of the nearly week-long itinerary are still being finalized, five councilmembers and at least four city staffers are expected to make the trip, the sources said. Total cost – including $1,500+ in flight tickets and $1,000+ in accommodations per person – could be near $50,000 for City Hall, to be paid from various public funds, one source said.

The trip will come less than 24 hours after Dallas residents complete voting on three controversial charter amendments, whose stated goal is to hold city officials more accountable and force Dallas to spend more on public safety.

All members of the City Council have opposed the so-called HERO amendments, some saying in part that the city cannot afford to meet the requirements they would instill.

A city spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment about the trip.

"It is extremely important that we go see and learn about this mode of transportation," said Councilmember Omar Narvaez, the chair of the city's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who will go on the trip. "We need to fully understand this because it's going to affect the city of Dallas for the next 75-100 years."

Narvaez will be joined on the trip by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua, Vice-Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Zarin Gracey, and council members Gay Donnell Willis and Jesse Moreno, whose district will include the proposed train station, two sources said.

Molly Carroll, the city's manager for the high-speed rail project, and Dev Rastogi, the assistant city manager who oversees transportation, will also go on the trip, sources said. Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley may also go but are not confirmed, one source said.

Two staffers from the international division of the city's Office of Government and Legislative Affairs will attend as well, the source said.

The trip is set to include meetings with officials with Tokyo's high speed rail authority, a government group tasked with building up development around high-speed rail stations and a prefecture governor, one source with knowledge of the planning said.

Narvaez said there will also be a cultural exchange with the city of Sendai, one of Dallas' international sister cities, as well as a meeting with American diplomatic officials.

Last month, City Councilmembers unanimously approved a $566,000 contract for an economic development study into the possibility of a high-speed rail connection between Dallas and Houston.

The study is set to take a year – and some council members have expressed reticence to move forward with the rail plan until the study's results are available.