We know Dallas residents want a few things from the city. More police. Better streets and sidewalks. And lower taxes.
As the old saying goes, pick two.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s proposed $5.2 billion budget is unlikely to give you a lower tax bill. She’s proposing a half-penny reduction in the property tax rate, enough to say hold the line while nudging revenue north.
What this budget does with the extra money, though, is something most Dallas residents will agree are the top priorities.
Opinion
Tolbert wants to spend $61 million more on public safety. The bulk of that will go to hiring new cops and raising salaries for cops and firefighters to better compete in North Texas.
Residents emphatically said this is what they want when they passed Proposition U last year. That called for the city to begin the process of building the police force to 4,000 officers from its 2024 level of 3,122. It also demanded Dallas officers be paid well relative to the region. This budget would raise the starting salary for an officer to $81,232. It was $54,263 in 2018.
We worried Prop U would force the city to sharply cut too many other services. Based on the budget proposed, that won’t be the case. If that turns out to be true, then voters got it right, and we got it wrong. Tolbert is wisely delivering on resident demands.
She’s also adding $25 million for street improvement to boost reconstruction. This is the forever project, but more is good.
The additional spending for cops and streets means there will be cuts elsewhere, and constituents who support parks, libraries and the arts will soon be at City Hall lobbying. We urge council members to be mindful of responding to what the majority of Dallas residents have said they want.
Tolbert has also found what she calls “natural efficiencies” throughout City Hall. She wants to consolidate four city departments, Community Empowerment, Equity and Inclusion, Homeless Solutions, and Housing and Community Development, for a savings of $6.2 million.
If such efficiencies exist, let’s find them throughout City Hall. For too long, the city has been on a mission creep. That has to stop.
We also urge Tolbert to push forward on a review of all city properties with an eye toward divesting or realizing greater value from the city’s real estate. The less we own and maintain, the more money there is for basic services.
Tolbert has approached this budget with a serious-minded focus on aligning the city with resident priorities.
That starts with making Dallas safe, livable and competitive. This budget reads as a good foundation for that work.
We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here.
If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com