Dallas City Council to vote on $5.2 billion budget with reduced tax rate and library closure to cut costs
The Dallas City Council is set to vote on a $5.2 billion proposed budget that could include some tough cuts.
The proposed budget is bigger than last year's, but in an effort to reduce the tax rate on property owners, Mayor Eric Johnson pushed for the closing of a library on Wednesday, which had some councilmembers fighting back.
The proposed spending package already reduces the city's tax rate, but the mayor says it's not enough and that the recent opening of a new city library just a mile away justifies closing the Skillman Southwestern Library in Northeast Dallas.
"It was recommended to us based on data, a data-driven city, making data-driven policy decisions, that this dated library was not operating by any standard of the usage of the word efficiency," said Johnson.
The mayor said that closing the older of the two libraries will show the city's residents that its leaders are serious about financial responsibility.
But, his idea to use the $386,000 saved by closing the library to keep community pools open in Southern Dallas had some on the council upset.
"I think that it pits southern Dallas against northern Dallas, and I think it forces communities in the competition with one another when both deserve support," said Jaime Resendiz, a city councilmember.
Last-minute effort to trim the budget leads to harsh words
A last-minute effort to trim the proposed budget for next year led to some harsh words between the mayor and councilmembers.
The mayor said his 11th-hour request to shut down the library led to some suggestions from unnamed councilmembers that he should instead propose eliminating city-sponsored private security for his family.
Johnson said that suggestions that his family's private security could be cut were hurtful.
"I just, I'm trying not to take it personally," said Johnson, "that the security detail that protects children was placed in opposition to this funding. I can't see how anybody would do that in their mind."
Ultimately, the amendment to close the Skillman Southwestern Library passed.
The proposed $5.2 billion budget would cut the tax rate by .5%
Dallas' proposed budget would include:
- $162 million for street improvements
- $10 million to address homelessness
- 350 police recruits
- Police and firefighter raises
Leaders of the Dallas Police Association are still lobbying councilmembers to increase the starting pay even more, saying that $81,000 ranks only 12th among North Texas cities and will drive the best recruits to other departments.