Dallas City Council restored more than $1M and 25 jobs to the library system after an 11th-hour vote on Wednesday. Nearly a dozen community branches were spared from $1.125 million in cuts, while some $800,000 still remains in reductions. The initial budget draft had included a $1.9 million cut and 72 positions, along with taking 21 community libraries from six days a week to five. The restored funding saves a third of the positions and keeps 11 of those libraries open six days a week. The adopted $5.9 billion budget also shifts Dallas to a regional library model centered on five flagship branches: Bachman Lake, Vickery Park, Fretz Park, Hampton-Illinois and Pleasant Grove. J. Erik Jonsson Central Library will remain the system’s primary anchor. Council members also approved more than $200,000 for new furniture, paint and technology upgrades at the flagship locations. Library advocates are still asking for more stable funding in future budget cycles.
