Ahead of Sept. 21 Deadline, Dallas Council Members Outline City Budget Priorities

Affordable housing, homeless solutions, transportation, public safety, and economic development are among the top priorities for Dallas City Council members during the budget cycle that should culminate with an adopted document Sept. 21. 

Some council members also say they’re not locked into City Manager T.C. Broadnax’s recommended tax rate of 74.58 cents per $100 assessed valuation — with a few elected officials saying it’s too aggressive, taking funds away from much-needed maintenance, and others saying it should be cut even more to provide relief for taxpayers. 

Public hearings continued Wednesday with a discussion on the proposed $4.51 billion budget. 

Here’s a breakdown of what some council members are relaying from their constituents. Individual council members can submit budget amendments by Aug. 24 for a vote Aug. 31. 

Residents may view the proposed budget and related documents on the city website. 

District 1 

Councilman Chad West has expressed concerns about creating a more efficient zoning process and prioritizing affordable housing. 

“Why is the city, when we have such a desperate need for affordable housing, just streamlining? Streamlining is great, but why aren’t we prioritizing affordable housing projects, putting them at the front of the line to try to push those mixed-income projects out faster?” West asked Chief Building Official Andrew Espinoza during a budget hearing Aug. 9. 

Espinoza said a team of new hires is being assembled to tailor services for those in need of affordable housing.

“It would be a team of permit reviewers, permit facilitators, and an inspection team,” Espinoza said. 

West asked specifically how the experience with the permitting department would change for a fence builder or contractor in the next fiscal year. Espinoza assured him the permitting turnaround — now about 35 days — is getting faster and more responsive. 

Director of Planning and Urban Design Julia Ryan said the budget allocates funding to revise the development code, reduce zoning complexity, digitize paper records, and offer more by-right zoning rather than processing hundreds of planned developments. 

West was critical of the transportation department’s budget proposal, noting there was no mention of walkability, bike-ability, or pedestrian safety. 

“We’re only funding $6.3 million in sidewalks, which is one sidewalk per district for the next year,” he said. 

The councilman supported the tax rate reduction and noted it was “more aggressive than in the past.” 

“I’m glad to see that public safety is fully funded and we’re thinking for the future there,” he said. 

He added that he was glad to see “an overall infrastructure focus.” 

District 2 

Councilman Jesse Moreno suggested looking at the backlog of deferred maintenance when determining the tax rate. 

“Playing catch-up gets more expensive every year,” he said. “I am worried that we’re not taking care of what we need to and we’ll be faced with the same situation down the road at a higher rate.” 

The District 2 councilman said his priorities include economic development, permitting improvements, and staffing in Planning and Urban Design. 

“We’re seeing a big increase in development, and that is taking a toll on our water and sewer infrastructure,” he said. “How can we share that burden with developers who are coming into our city to do business? Unfortunately, we see our sewer and water infrastructure failing even in brand new development, especially in areas that are being revitalized, such as Deep Ellum.” 

Moreno also listed homelessness, affordable housing, and transportation — particularly walkability and bike-ability — among his budget priorities.

District 9 

Councilwoman Paula Blackmon expressed concern about rising property values, which are making residents’ tax bills higher, even though the city is proposing a tax rate reduction. 

“I’m getting it in my district that taxes are way out of line, but we can only control what we can control, and that is the tax rate,” Blackmon said. “What can we do about valuations? I’m tired of saying I’m not in charge of valuations. Is there something that the city can do and go to the state? You’re seeing these huge jumps every year, and it seems like it’s not manageable. Wages are not catching up with inflation.” 

A home’s value is capped at 10 percent per year, according to state law. Blackmon suggested discussing the matter of a lower cap in the city council’s legislative priorities. 

Blackmon also pointed out that the city is spending $70 million on replacement vehicles and wanted to know how many would be electric vehicles. 

Donzell Gipson, director of equipment and fleet management, said that has not yet been determined. Seventy-six vehicles are currently under review, he said, and grants are available for charging stations. 

“We’re going to educate staff on the use of them and the benefit of them,” Gipson said. 

The councilwoman’s other priorities included environmentally-friendly building practices, speeding up the permitting process, and hiring 39 new staff members to process and review permits.

District 10 

Councilman Adam McGough has focused on economic development, public safety, and transportation in his town hall meetings for District 10. 

“Thankful for the time and efforts of over 30 city staff members who attended the D10 budget town hall and for the neighbors who engaged,” McGough wrote on his Facebook page after an Aug. 15 gathering. “A special shout out to Lake Highlands resident and Dallas Police Association president Mike Mata for his participation. Neighbors, please remain involved in the budget process now through the end of September to make sure your budget priorities are heard.”

McGough was not present at the Aug. 9 city council budget hearing and did not immediately reply to a request for comment from CandysDirt.com.

District 11 

Jaynie Schultz has advocated for economic development and workforce programs. 

“Living in a mentality of abundance allows us to be generous financially and in spirit,” Schultz said. “I want us to continue to focus on helping everyone in Dallas achieve that feeling, which means, in addition to offering the generous tax reduction, [giving] everyone who lives here the opportunity to move out of poverty and support their families. I want to implore my colleagues to look at our internal HR policies and salaries and invest in our city staff with the same passion that we tackle other problems in the city.” 

Schultz added that the racial equity plan and environmentally-friendly construction and policies are among her budget priorities.

District 12 

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn chairs the council committee on Government Performance and Financial Management. She expressed interest in publicly reviewing the city’s five-year forecast, pointing out that it identifies priorities that extend beyond the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. 

“The whole committee recommended that the leadership team come out and listen to residents before this budget was developed,” Mendelsohn said. “I think that really helped … solidify what our priorities are.” 

She asked about sanitation fees and fleet maintenance and said she wanted to ensure residents are receiving the level of sanitation service that they expect. 

“We’re hearing that there are not enough vehicles to pick up trash in my district,” Mendelsohn said. “We’re already proposing an increase in fees for residents. Nobody likes to get an increase in their fee and not get their sanitation picked up.” 

She wanted to know about changes and investments in information technology. About $9 million in enhancements are scheduled, along with numerous upgrades. 

“Every year we see hundreds of millions of dollars going into IT, but how can we as council members know that we have a secure and well-functioning IT department?” Mendelsohn asked. 

Chief Information Officer Bill Zielinski said the proposed budget addresses security concerns and allows for incremental functional improvements. 

The councilwoman also identified libraries and homeless solutions as budget priorities.

District 13 

Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis suggested that with property value hikes — and sales tax and other revenues coming in well over forecast numbers — there might be an opportunity to lower the tax rate even more. 

“Even with this reduction, it is still going to feel like a tax increase,” Willis said. 

City Manager Broadnax has maintained that the 2.75-cent tax rate reduction is appropriate, the largest cut of its kind in 40 years. 

Willis also highlighted the importance of technology upgrades, rear-entry home alleys, and libraries.