$443M Dallas public safety bond proposition sparks debate over city hall future
DALLAS - Dallas residents will soon be asked to vote on a $443 million bond package for public safety infrastructure, a measure that is drawing sharp criticism from one of the Dallas City Council's top public safety advocates.
Debate Over $443 Million Public Safety Bond
What we know:
The bond proposition combines funding for a much-needed Dallas police training facility with a measure that would move the city's 911 call center out of city hall.
It would add up to $629 million in debt for the city when including interest.
The Dallas city manager said in a statement that the bond proposition is an important step to strengthen public safety by modernizing public safety operations.
Dallas city council votes to add public safety proposition to November ballot
Dallas city leaders voted to add a public safety proposition to November's ballot, while rejecting two other bond proposals.
However, District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn, who serves as chair of Dallas's Public Safety Committee and is a leading advocate for the new police training facility, believes it’s a bad deal for taxpayers and police.
Mendelsohn contends that the broad language makes the $443 million a blank check while maxing out the city's credit card and putting taxpayers in a bad position.
What they're saying:
"The problem is that nobody can be confident what these bond dollars will be used for. Last night the bond council sat there and told us the dollars can be used for any capital project," Mendelsohn said. "We will be at our maximum amount of debt to do this. And we already have too much debt."
Dig deeper:
Proponents of keeping City Hall have also compared the overall proposition to a "wolf in sheep's clothing."
Mendelsohn said the "poison pill" in the package is the plan to move the 911 center out of city hall. She called the move an essential step toward abandoning City Hall, adding that it would place 911 call takers in a less secure environment.
During council discussions, Dallas City Councilman Adam Bazaldua moved to add a proposition to allocate $100 million toward repairing Dallas City Hall. That motion failed in a narrow 7-8 vote, with Councilman Chad West arguing that the measure would kill any development opportunities for the City Hall site.
What's next:
Voters are set to decide on the $443 million bond package in November.
Mendelsohn believes if voters reject the measure, the city would likely return to voters in May with a much smaller $114 million proposition focused solely on the police training facility.
The Source: The information in this article comes from statements and council proceedings involving Dallas City Council members and the Dallas city manager.