3 Council Members Sue to Stop Wednesday’s Dallas City Hall Votes
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Three of the most vocal Dallas City Council members determined to prevent the relocation of City Hall operations out of 1500 Marilla St. filed an emergency lawsuit on Monday, seeking to stop a special-called meeting on Wednesday that could authorize redevelopment of the downtown site.
Council Members Adam Bazaldua (District 7), Paula Blackmon (District 9), and Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) filed the petition in Dallas County District Court, asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking consideration of Wednesday’s agenda. The suit alleges violations of the city’s Council Rules of Procedure, its Financial Management Performance Criteria, and the Texas Open Meetings Act.
“This is not about whether City Hall should be redeveloped,” Bazaldua said in a press release. “This is about whether the City of Dallas must follow its own rules.”
Wednesday’s agenda contains four voting items. One would authorize preliminary work toward relocating City Hall, authorizing the city manager to conduct due diligence on potential sites and enter into pre-development agreements. Another would do the same for emergency dispatch functions, currently based at 1500 Marilla St.
Another item would ask council members to choose one of the phased repair programs presented last week. Consultants estimated those repairs would cost between $532 million and $611 million, excluding financing costs, temporary relocation expenses, furnishings, equipment, and renovations unrelated to repair work. Council members will also consider authorizing the city manager to pursue redevelopment opportunities for the City Hall property itself.
Two other agenda items designated for closed session would have council members discussing relocation options for both City Hall and emergency dispatch functions.
“Due to pending litigation the city has no comment,” a city communications manager said when asked about the suit. In addition to the city, the suit lists Mayor Eric Johnson, City Manager Kimberly Tolbert, and City Secretary Bilierae Johnson as defendants.
Bazaldua, Blackmon, and Mendelsohn claim the city would be in violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act because the agenda for the June 10 special-called meeting does not sufficiently describe the actions council members are being asked to approve.
The plaintiffs argue the agenda language is too vague. They note that it does not identify potential relocation sites, define what redevelopment of City Hall would entail, explain the scope of authority being granted to the city manager, or specify how much money could be appropriated for due diligence and related work. They contend the lack of detail deprives residents of meaningful notice and an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.
The suit also alleges the city failed to follow its own rules and financial policies. The council members argue that the city secretary improperly denied Bazaldua’s request to defer the redevelopment item and that the city has not complied with Financial Management Performance Criteria requiring financial forecasts and other analyses before undertaking major facility projects.
The filing comes just days before what might be one of the city’s most consequential real estate decisions in decades. Years of deferred maintenance have left the I.M. Pei-designed City Hall building in need of costly repairs, with consultants estimating it could cost between $532 million and $611 million to execute a phased repair program — not counting any potential interior renovations, updating, temporary relocation costs, or interest on financing.
Advocates of relocation have argued that the city needs to unlock the real estate to revitalize development in downtown’s southern sector. Meanwhile, supporters of repairing City Hall claim that the iconic Brutalist structure remains fundamentally sound and can be repaired for far less than what a staff review and two rounds of consultant assessments have estimated.
Trial lawyer John S. Adams is representing the three council members who filed the suit. As of Monday night, it’s unclear whether the judge will issue the restraining order or if the city will seek outside counsel.
As it stands, the special-called meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and it’s expected to draw dozens of residents on both sides of the issue. Proponents and opponents of relocation have been mobilizing in recent weeks in anticipation of city council action on the question.
