City Hall Roundup: Furlough Friday, Kiosk Vandalism, Sales Tax Receipts
Share News:
Council members may be enjoying summer recess, but the news hasn’t taken a vacation. While they’re taking July off from the horseshoe, staff continue grappling with budget pressures, rolling out new initiatives, and dealing with the occasional unexpected headache. Here’s some of what happened around Dallas City Hall this week:
First Furlough Day Sees City Hall, Libraries Close
Many city workers had the day off on Friday, the first of three mandatory furlough days City Manager Kimberly Tolbert instituted for General Fund non-uniform employees.
Residents encountered locked doors at City Hall, J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, neighborhood library branches, and Code Compliance offices, among other facilities. A number of non-emergency services and buildings were in operation, though, including Dallas Animal Services, recreation centers, WIC clinics, and the Oak Cliff Municipal Center, among others, with the city noting that those employees would observe an alternate furlough day.
Officials are working to close a projected $30 million budget shortfall this fiscal year. Underwhelming revenue collection, rising employee health care costs, and increased public safety obligations have put staff on the back foot, forcing emergency measures to reduce spending.
Affected employees were directed to take three unpaid furlough days on July 10, September 4, and September 28. Non-uniform executives at or above the assistant director level in the General Fund and Internal Service Fund must also take two additional floating furlough days before September 16. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, 911 personnel, and employees in enterprise-funded departments are exempt from the furloughs.
The furloughs have reportedly fueled concerns among city employees, who union representatives claimed received little advance notice of the unpaid leave, that layoffs could be on the way if the city’s financial outlook worsens, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) has been vocal about her desire to see a reduced headcount in the FY 2026-2027 budget, which currently has an estimated $50 million gap between projected revenue and spending. Other officials have also signaled that tough choices and significant reductions in spending are needed to get the city in better financial shape.
Early Black Eye for Sidewalk Kiosk Program
Dallas’ new interactive sidewalk kiosks have encountered a setback after one of the city’s installations was vandalized less than a month after the program went live.
A touchscreen kiosk on Turtle Creek Boulevard was found with its display broken, apparently after someone hurled a large rock at the screen. Photos of the damaged kiosk circulated on social media before the installation was covered. Repairs are reportedly underway.
The Dallas City Council approved the program last year. An agreement with IKE Smart City will eventually bring up to 150 digital kiosks to sidewalks across Dallas. The eight-foot-tall units are intended to serve as public information hubs, offering features such as free Wi-Fi, real-time transit information, neighborhood directories, weather updates, and emergency 911 access. When not displaying city information, the screens are used for paid advertising, which officials argued will generate new revenue.
Under the agreement, IKE Smart City monitors the kiosks remotely and dispatches technicians to inspect installations. A city spokesperson told Dallas Observer that the company was responsible for kiosk maintenance and replacement as needed.
Some council members raised concerns about the kiosks before and after the program was approved, including the potential for visual clutter, impeded walkability, and issues with pedestrian safety.
Sales Tax Collections Still Lagging
A new staff memo shows that sales tax collections continue to underwhelm budget expectations as officials work to address the shortfall.
CFO Jack Ireland reported that the city received $37.8 million in sales tax revenue from the Texas Comptroller’s Office in May, up 5.7% from the $35.8 million collected during the same month last year. However, the total came in about $854,000 below the city’s budgeted projection of $38.7 million.
May is the eighth month of the city’s 2025-2026 fiscal year. Through the first eight months, Dallas has collected nearly $308.9 million in sales tax revenue, roughly $5.8 million, or 1.9%, more than it had collected during the same period last year. Even so, collections remain about $7.2 million, or 2.3%, below the pace assumed in the adopted budget.
Ireland noted that the city lowered its year-end sales tax forecast to $464.9 million after analyzing recent collection trends with its contract economist and will continue monitoring receipts as additional data becomes available.
