District 2 City Council member Jesse Moreno. Photo by Renee Umsted.

Dallas City Council appointed District 2 Council member Jesse Moreno as the City’s new mayor pro tem, according to a press release. 

District 2 is oddly shaped and difficult to describe, but it includes Deep Ellum, part of Old East Dallas and Samuell-Grand Park. The territory also stretches eastward and covers parts of Far East Dallas, particularly some areas along Ferguson Road. 

Moreno was elected in 2021 (and re-elected earlier this year). He has leadership roles within the Housing & Homeless Solutions Committee and the Parks, Trails & Environment Committee, and he also serves on the Public Safety and Government Performance & Financial Management Committees, according to the City of Dallas press release. 

The mayor pro tem fills in if the mayor is absent and has an important role in “advancing the City Council’s agenda,” according to the press release. This appointment is effective as of June 16 and lasts for a year. 

“I am deeply honored to step into this important role, and I carry this responsibility with the utmost respect,” Moreno said in the press release. “My predecessor (District 8’s Tennell Atkins) led with grace, and I realize I have big shoes to fill. I will enter into this role with distinction and a desire to help where I can.”