Dallas leaders approve largest-ever $5.2 billion budget
Dallas City Council debate budget with library closures
The Dallas City Council is debating a new multi-billion-dollar budget that aims to lower the city's tax rate but has sparked controversy for potentially closing several public libraries.
DALLAS - The Dallas City Council passed a $5.2 billion budget for the next fiscal year. Not everyone is happy about that.
Dallas Budget
What's new:
Council members spent the day on Wednesday working through a long list of 40 budget amendments aimed at cutting spending.
They approved some cuts, such as a plan to close five library branches over the next two years and to eliminate funding for state lobbyists.
But the council members ultimately decided to keep community swimming pools open for three more years rather than closing them within two years. They also increased funding for public safety and street improvements.
Dallas City Council debates budget with library closures and property tax cuts on the table
The Dallas City Council is debating a new multi-billion-dollar budget that aims to lower the city's tax rate but has sparked controversy for potentially closing several public libraries.
The new budget slightly reduces the property tax rate for residents, but because property appraisal values are rising, a homeowner may still have a higher property tax bill.
The budget passed with a vote of 11-3 late Wednesday night.
What they're saying:
Mayor Eric Johnson was one of the three council members who voted against the budget.
"In a time of growing competition with Dallas’s suburban neighbors, I could not support a budget that doesn’t deliver meaningful tax relief to our residents. This is the first Dallas budget to exceed $5 billion. To pass the largest budget in history without the City Council making a real effort to combat waste is unconscionable," he said in a statement.
Mayor Johnson said he challenged his colleagues to identify and eliminate wasteful spending.
"Regrettably, the City Council did not support the majority of these amendments, resulting in a tax rate that remains too high," he said.
What's next:
The new budget takes effect on Oct. 1.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas City Council meeting and past news coverage, as well as statements that Dallas Mayor Eric Johson posted on social media.