Dallas City Council members questioned staff over plans to ask voters for a bond to cover the nearly $400 million estimated cost of two new police training facilities — and chastised city management for not adequately communicating about plans to build one project on the campus of the Dallas Executive Airport.
The Dallas City Council was briefed Wednesday on the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC), planned for the University of North Texas at Dallas campus, and a second facility — the Public Safety Training Complex (PSTC) — which would include an emergency vehicle operations course and firearms range, with a proposed site near Dallas Executive Airport.
But the city faced criticism from Council member Zarin Gracey, who represents the area around the airport and who said he was not notified in advance of plans to build a gun range near neighborhoods.
“When you don’t communicate and don’t give me an opportunity to communicate with my constituents, it becomes a tough climb,” he said.
Assistant City Manager Dev Rastogi apologized to Gracey for the miscommunication.
Other Council Members raised questions about the cost — now nearly $400 million, up from a $140 million estimate in 2021.
“This is a horrible message to send to the public this isn’t how we should be doing business,” said Council member Adam Bazaldua. “I’m really disappointed in where we are with this project.”
But on the whole, Council members appeared to support moving forward with building new police facilities — emphasizing the disrepair of the existing complex.
“If we continue to kick the can down the road, nothing will be completed,” said Council Member Maxie Johnson.
Council Member Chad West said, “To me it’s a no-brainer and I think we have to find a way to do it.”
And Dallas Police Association President Sean Pease stressed the urgency, noting officers have been making do in inadequate conditions for decades.
“We’ve been in this temporary facility for 35 years,” Pease said. “We have no more room there.”
City staff noted that issuing $250 million in additional bond debt is feasible but “would have an impact on the 2029 bond program,” potentially reducing it by $100 million. Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland noted that borrowing $250 million would result in a total repayment of $387 million when interest is factored in.
The city’s presentation calls for a groundbreaking at UNT-Dallas in September 2026, which the city described as “ahead of schedule.”
A June briefing is planned for the council to hear proposed funding strategies.
If approved, a November bond election would be the fifth time since the 1980s that Dallas voters have been asked to fund a police academy that has yet to be built.