Dire forecast about future Dallas Budget

The debate over tax and spending cuts began at Dallas City Hall Tuesday as City Manager T.C. Broadnax presented the city’s largest ever $4.6 billion budget plan.

There were warnings about belt-tightening that will be necessary with the end of federal COVID-19 relief money that has propped up Dallas budgets for the past three years.

Some members suggested reductions in this new budget to ease the pain of larger cuts next year.

“We’re going to continue to spend more every year and then we’re just going to cut it even more instead of starting to scale down,” said Councilman Chad West.

Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland said the city council has the option of reducing expenses now.

“We put forth the recommendation of what we thought was the appropriate level of services. It’s a policy decision on what you want to fund,” Ireland said.

The time for debate is short. A balanced budget must be approved before the new financial year that starts Oct. 1.

Public safety gets the largest share of Dallas budgets. Police and firefighters are getting raises this year and the city hopes to hire many more of them. With too few on the staff now, overtime is also a big public safety budget item.

“We’re looking to be efficient in the police department. Obviously, with our staffing issues that we have, we have no choice but to be as efficient as possible,” said Police Chief Eddie Garcia.

Dallas residents in a survey said public safety is their top priority but fixing bad streets and sidewalks was also high on the list of priorities.

Dallas is getting new air monitors to help combat pollution, especially in neighborhoods close to industry.

But, environmental programs were low-rated in the survey and they receive less money in the proposed budget.

Several citizens spoke against that reduction at Tuesday’s meeting.

“We need more funding for the environment that will help some of our most vulnerable communities,” said Rita Beving with the group Public Citizen.

The budget plan includes a very small tax rate reduction. Higher values would still mean most property owners will pay higher tax bills.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in his inaugural speech at the start of his second term in June that he wants to see a large reduction that cuts tax bills.

Johnson ran Tuesday’s meeting, but he let council members do all the talking.

“I am disappointed with the proposed tax rate that it is not more significant of a decrease,” Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn said.

The budget people say the picture will be worse next year.

“We have had conversations with all the departments about going forward. Things will be tighter,” Ireland said.

City Manager T.C. Broadnax said Dallas government is working on numerous strategies to reduce spending.

“By continuing to use new technology to advance efficiency, for us to continue every year to look at our departments and figure out what we can do better, smarter and or things that we need to stop doing,” Broadnax said.

But the discussion also turned to familiar dreams about ways that Dallas might raise more money for the things residents want.

“My constituents, they want it all, right? Just like everybody does. They want public safety, cultural facilities, good libraries, their roads to be fixed, sidewalks to be connected. And they also don’t want to continue to see their tax bill go up,” West said.

He has been promoting denser development on vacant lots in Dallas, up to three smaller housing units on lots that typically had just one.

Earlier this year, Dallas was at the top of a national report for the most vacant land available for new development. 

The sites are most numerous in southern Dallas, which has always struggled to attract new development that raced north or to Dallas suburbs instead.

Just as many past Dallas leaders have said, Broadnax Tuesday said economic development on that land is key to expanding the tax base.

“New growth and investments in the southern part of our city as it relates to the vacant land there, and the opportunities that exists to change the mindset of investment in the southern part of our city,” Broadnax said.

The public gets many chances for input in town hall budget meetings before a Sept, 20 city council final vote on a new budget.