Dallas

Public Safety, Cybersecurity, Housing Addressed in First Dallas City Council Budget Workshop

By April Towery / August 10, 2023 /

Public safety is the No. 1 priority for Dallas residents, but a four-hour, 118-slide budget presentation Tuesday did little to assuage concerns about the city’s police and fire pension fund, which is about $3 billion short and a primary reason why it’s difficult to recruit and retain officers.  About $1.7 billion is budgeted for transportation…

Southern Gateway Park Over Interstate 35 Will Connect East And West Oak Cliff

By April Towery / July 31, 2023 /

Sometimes a park does more than provide shade trees and a place for children to play. Occasionally — once in a lifetime, some say — a park presents a rare opportunity to connect communities and create a gateway to a better life for residents. That’s the goal of the Southern Gateway Park, deemed “a park…

Dallas City Council Backs Park Board on Change Order For The Loop Dallas’ Hi Line Connector 

By April Towery / July 7, 2023 /

The Dallas City Council stood by its appointed Park and Recreation Board last month as it refused to amend a change order at the request of contractors building the Hi Line Connector trail project.  The project has been delayed eight months due to litigation with the original low bidder. The contractor ultimately awarded the bid,…

With Inflation And Property Taxes on Their Minds, Dallas City Council Weighs in on Proposed Budget

By April Towery / June 27, 2023 /

The proposed City of Dallas budget won’t be unveiled until Aug. 8, but a 72-page Dallas City Council presentation is giving penny-pinching taxpayers plenty to digest in the interim.  Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland reviewed the 2023-24 and 2024-25 budget and responded to general questions during a June 21 briefing. The City Council adopted a…

Former City Planner Criticizes $2 Million Expense to Overhaul Dallas Zoning Code: ‘It’s Not Enough’

By April Towery / June 26, 2023 /

A former Dallas city planner came out swinging last week at a $2 million consulting contract to overhaul the city’s zoning code. Properly-executed code rewrites cost up to $25 million, District 14 resident and former Dallas planner LaKisha Girder told the City Council at a June 14 meeting. A halfhearted, piecemeal approach won’t work when…