City Hall Roundup: Proposed Budget Tradeoffs, Preston-Royal Zoning Delay
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At Dallas City Hall, finding more money for programming means taking it from somewhere else, while buying more time on the zoning front can be as simple as writing a check. Both dynamics were on display this past week as officials wrestled with a tight budget and one of North Dallas’ most contentious zoning fights earned a temporary reprieve.
Officials Kick Around Possible Budget Revisions
Dallas City Council and staff discussed putting money back into certain programs during a budget workshop on Wednesday.
City Manager Kimberly Tolbert tweaked the typical process, soliciting revisions from council members to consider for addition to the proposed budget rather than waiting for the oft-lengthy budget amendment battles that unfold before final adoption in mid-September.
Staff presented seven possible revisions to Tolbert’s proposed $5.66 billion budget for FY 2026-2027, representing roughly $1.74 million in allocations. The city manager did not solicit budget offsets from council members. Instead, staff offered cuts that could be realized.
The first proposed revision would add $500,000 to Dallas Animal Services for animal cruelty investigations and offset the addition by cutting the Dallas Zoo’s management fee by the same amount.
Another would spend $300,000 on support for the 2027 Texas legislative session by eliminating a partially funded, vacant Dallas Police Department assistant director position and canceling a city survey contract.
The Office of Inspector General could regain $114,000 through cuts to the survey contract, Youth Commission travel, and council-office funding. Adult-learning services at three library branches and the Central Library’s GED testing center, all slated for elimination, could continue primarily through partnerships and volunteer-led programming.
A proposal to keep Pleasant Oaks Community Pool open for another season could be funded with $40,000 in additional revenue from swimming lessons and a $60,000 reduction to park security. An additional $9,649 cut from park security could restore funding for the Trinity River Audubon Center and Cedar Ridge Preserve.
Council Member Chad West (District 1) called for around $1 million in funding for eviction advocacy. Staff responded to this one by arguing such legal services are not a core General Fund responsibility and should instead rely on Dallas County and public-private partnerships.
West and some others on city council countered that eviction defense can keep residents from becoming homeless and ultimately reduce pressure on other city services.
As for some of the other proposals, there was reportedly little appetite to take more money away from Dallas Zoo, which is already poised to lose roughly $700,000 in cuts. Council members were generally more receptive to spending $300,000 on support for the Texas Legislature’s 2027 session, where additional restrictions on municipal taxing and spending authority may be considered.
No straw votes were taken Wednesday. Council members were instructed to submit another round of amendments by noon Friday for discussion on September 2. The revisions come as Dallas attempts to balance new priorities against slowing revenue growth and mounting personnel expenses. Tolbert’s current plan would eliminate 296 positions (most of them vacant), cut allocations for 111 programs, and eliminate six programs, while directing most General Fund growth toward police and fire services.
Final adoption of the budget and property tax rate is scheduled for September 16.
Preston-Royal Project’s City Council Hearing Postponed to October
Dallas City Council action on a heated zoning fight over a proposed $800 million mixed-use development at Preston Road and Royal Lane will have to wait another month.
Council members were previously scheduled to consider the matter on September 9. However, a property owner within the official notification area obtained a paid postponement, automatically moving the hearing to a new date: October 14.
Under Dallas’ zoning procedures, a property owner within the official notification area may request a one-time postponement of a zoning hearing by paying a required $150 fee. The request does not require approval from the applicant or officials.
Preserve Preston Hollow, a neighborhood group leading opposition to the project, announced the postponement Wednesday and said the additional time would allow residents to further review the zoning proposal and supporting documents.
Developers Burk Interests and Greenway Investment Company are seeking a planned development district covering roughly seven acres at the southwest corner of Preston and Royal. The latest proposal includes a 19-story hotel, an 18-story multifamily tower with mixed-income housing, a 12-story office building, and a restaurant village. The City Plan Commission recommended approval earlier this month despite significant neighborhood opposition.
Opponents have argued that the proposed towers are incompatible with the surrounding area and are too stark a departure from the property’s existing height restrictions — 54 feet. More than 4,600 people have signed Preserve Preston Hollow’s petition against the requested zoning change.
The development team has argued that the site, which was damaged during a tornado in 2019, presents a rare redevelopment opportunity at a major intersection. The proposal has been scaled back during the review process, with the tallest buildings reduced by dozens of feet and shifted toward the center of the property.
Council Member Gay Donnell Willis (District 13), who represents the area, has yet to commit to a position on the project. This has irked some of her constituents, who earlier this month launched a coalition threatening her recall if she didn’t take steps to delay a number of zoning cases, including the project at Preston and Royal.
“We are still working with the applicant,” Willis recently said in an interview with WFAA. The interview was conducted before the postponement. “I’m still having meetings with residents, so we are still in a listening mode as that moves closer to council.”
Asked whether she regretted her handling of the divisive case and the recall campaign, Willis said she was focused on “long-term stability and not short-term pressure.”
She also acknowledged receiving campaign contributions from developer Leland Burk during previous election cycles. Willis said project opponents had likewise contributed to her past campaigns and maintained that the donations would have “no bearing” on her decision.
City staff recommended eliminating the automatic postponement last summer. Under the proposed change, a nearby property owner could still request a delay, but the City Plan Commission or city council would decide whether to grant it after opening the hearing, allowing for public discussion and a vote.
Staff argued that the existing process allows one person to delay a case regardless of prior community engagement while creating additional mailing costs and confusion. The proposal was unanimously recommended by the Zoning Ordinance Advisory Committee and supported by a majority of CPC, but a majority of council members opted to preserve the mechanism.
