Dallas City Council members are set to vote on details of a $1.25 billion bond package this week—including whether to put the bonds on the May ballot.
With interest, the bonds are projected to cost city property taxpayers $1.76 billion.
Originally council members considered putting the bond propositions on the ballot in November, but at their last meeting, members tentatively approved moving up the vote.
The deadline for local governments to place propositions on the May 4 ballot is February 16.
The bond propositions on Wednesday’s meeting agenda include the following:
Proposition A: $516.5 million for streets and transportation ($719.9 million with interest)
Proposition B: $343.4 million for parks and recreation ($478.7 million with interest)
Proposition C: $52.1 million for flood protection and storm drainage ($72.6 million with interest)
Proposition D: $43.5 million for libraries ($60.6 million with interest)
Proposition E: $75.2 million for cultural and performing arts facilities ($104.8 million with interest)
Proposition F: $95 million for public safety facilities ($132.4 million with interest)
Proposition G: $73.8 million for economic development programs ($118.3 million with interest)
Proposition H: $26.4 million for housing and neighborhood infrastructure ($42.3 million with interest)
Proposition I: $19 million for homeless housing ($26.4 million with interest)
Proposition J: $5 million for information technology ($6.9 million with interest)
Each proposition authorizes the city to levy a property tax “sufficient to pay the principal and interest.”
Two propositions (K and L) to fund improvements to city buildings with bond debt were tentatively rejected by council at their last meeting.
“We want taxpayers to vote for things that benefit them,” said Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn at a city bond forum Monday night hosted by the Dallas County Republican Party.
Mendelsohn, who represents District 12 in Far North Dallas, is known as a fiscal conservative who is often the lone vote against wasteful spending.
She said council members want to move up the bond vote to May because turnout will be far lower than in November, making it easier to influence the results, and because they are afraid supporters of former President Donald Trump voting in the General Election will vote against all the bonds.
Mendelsohn said the city budget is the primary problem, because Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax—“the most powerful person” in the city government—and most other council members fail to prioritize spending on core functions of municipal government and have let infrastructure maintenance lapse.
“It’s not as if there’s a shortage of money coming in,” she said.
Mendelsohn said when she was elected in 2019, the city’s budget was $3.6 billion.
“This year, it’s $4.6 billion,” she said. “I’ve been on council less than five years, and they’ve increased your taxes a billion dollars.”
Mendelsohn encouraged city residents to attend Wednesday’s council meeting and speak on the bond propositions, as well as contact their city council members.
“If we don’t show up, our voices aren’t being heard,” added Dallas County GOP Chairwoman Jennifer Stoddard-Hajdu.
Wednesday’s Dallas City Council meeting starts at 9:00 a.m. The deadline for citizens to sign up to speak is 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.
City residents may also submit comments about the bonds to council members via email.
The bond election is item 38 on the meeting agenda.
