The Dallas City Council takes a first look at the nearly $5 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, which begins October 1.
Dallas Acting City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s top priorities include the largest property tax cut since 1983 and hiring additional police officers and firefighters.
At first glance, the proposed $4.9 billion budget calls for $78.6 million in additional funding to hire 250 police officers and 63 firefighters while also providing homeowners with a property tax reduction.
On Tuesday, council members had their first opportunity to ask city staff questions about specific provisions, including the promise of more efficient and streamlined city services in the permitting process, the imposition of a $3 fee on all Dallas utility bills and the closure of the Skillman Southwestern Library branch in northeast Dallas.
Dallas City Council member Jaynie Schultz, who represents parts of North Dallas in the 11th District, said the budget proposal reflects Tolbert’s leadership qualities.
“I think this budget is a triumph,” Schultz said.
The proposed property tax cut would increase from 73.57 cents to 70.47 cents per $100 of property value. City officials say the 3.1-cent cut is the largest in modern history. Two cents of the cut was required because of a state law that caps cities’ revenue from reassessments at 3.5%.
12th District Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn said the tax rate cut, while positive, is not enough to offset another 8.5% increase in the value of Dallas Central Appraisal District reassessments.
“Tax rates are falling by a historic amount, but that is not enough to offset the massive increase in property values.”
According to the budget, the typical home value in Dallas will increase from $334,710 to $381,545 in fiscal year 2025. Even with a 3.1 cent reduction in the tax rate, the increase in value for the homeowner in this scenario means a $181 higher property tax bill.
If property values remained unchanged, the tax cut proposed in the budget would result in a property tax reduction of $94.62.
While Mendelsohn praised efficiency improvements in parts of the budget, she said she would not support the proposed three-digit “clean sweep” fee for all residential and commercial customers of Dallas Utilities.
The revenue, estimated at $10.5 million annually, would be used for environmental remediation efforts such as cleaning up household hazardous waste, illegal dumping on public lands and clearing homeless encampments.
1st District Councilman Chad West said it was the best budget proposal he had seen in his five years on the City Council.
“I think this budget best addresses many of our concerns,” West said.
Still, West said he will continue to push for greater use of technology, including artificial intelligence, to make city services more efficient and better respond to customer needs.
He added that the budget town hall meetings are important to get citizens involved and will begin across the city on Thursday. He said that while attending a town hall meeting in your ward is encouraged, anyone can attend one of the budget town hall meetings to learn more and ask questions.
The City Council is expected to make changes over the next five weeks before the budget is finally passed on September 18.
Dallas
