In the final hours, the Dallas City Council approved the largest budget in the city’s history, which the city said focuses on “investing in priority programs and people.”
Dallas City Council voted 11–3 to approve the new budget, with Mayor Eric Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno, and Council Member Cara Mendelsohn voting against it. The $5.2 billion budget promises to lower tax rates for residents, but Johnson said it doesn’t deliver meaningful tax relief, and Mendelsohn agreed.
Critics say relief falls short
“I’m not surprised,” Mendelsohn said. “It’s another budget that passed that probably shouldn’t have.”
On Thursday, Johnson wasn’t available for an interview but sent a statement saying in part, “The result is a bloated budget that fails to provide much-needed tax relief for Dallas residents. The newly created committee on government efficiency now faces the crucial task of identifying and eliminating waste at City Hall wherever it can be found.”
Public safety gets major funding
The approved budget allocates millions more to public safety, including funding to hire 350 additional police recruits and raise starting officer salaries to more than $81,000 per year. It also sets aside money to improve streets and roadways…