<\/p>\n
Dallas City Hall (right) and its plaza can be seen from Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas, March 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Dallas\u2019\u00a0largest ever proposed budget<\/a> relies on job cuts, privatizing services and reducing hours at libraries to offset the rising cost of the police and fire departments.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s $5.6 billion budget proposal would close a projected $51 million shortfall by eliminating 296 positions from payroll and reducing hours and programs<\/a> at some city facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n The job cuts and reorganization alone are expected to save the city $17.3 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said the current budget is not a \u201cone-time fix.\u201d Financial forecasts and technology are evolving quickly, forcing the city to adapt its services, she said.<\/p>\n Growing pension payments and rising costs are forcing the city to consider privatizing services, lowering its minimum hourly pay <\/a>for some custodial or temporary service workers and eliminating the co-pay program offered as part of employees\u2019 healthcare benefits.<\/p>\n The\u00a0budget proposal<\/a> calls for a modest tax rate decrease but also includes some increases to fees for certain city services.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, the city could withdraw roughly $719,000 in stipends and management payments, affecting partners like the Trinity River Audubon Center, Cedar Ridge Preserve, the Dallas Arboretum and the Dallas Zoo.\u00a0<\/p>\n The City Council will begin discussing the proposed budget Tuesday and will vote on a final plan Sept. 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Some council members have shown early support for Tolbert\u2019s proposal, saying they\u2019re pleased no libraries or recreation centers would be closed, though they acknowledge government spending has grown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The financial pressure is not an isolated issue. Austin, Houston and San Antonio are also short tens of millions of dollars and put the onus of budgetary issues on wage, pension and public safety costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Council member Paula Blackmon said people are feeling uneasy about the economy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re not exempt from those prices going up either,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Private sector services<\/p>\n City government is evolving and Tolbert said the city was prioritizing services such as infrastructure and public safety that ranked high in the recent community survey<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city\u2019s budget proposal calls for more funding for the fire and police departments, and less for libraries as the city seeks to privatize or outsource services.\u00a0<\/p>\n Library programs such as adult GED learning classes and citizenship classes would be turned over to private partners<\/a>. And city staffers are looking for private operators for the Cedar Crest Golf Course and Southern Skates Roller Rink.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of looking at who’s delivering that service, look at it as \u2014 is the service going to be interrupted?\u201d Blackmon said.<\/p>\n The proposed budget also slashed other programs that were deemed to not be part of the city\u2019s core services.\u00a0<\/p>\n The municipal court\u2019s underutilized Public Inebriated Sobering Diversion Program was cut. The Arts and Culture department lost 12 positions, including one that was transferred to convention services and three cuts in the public arts program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The housing and community empowerment department\u2019s budget was reduced. The IT department\u2019s budget went down by $8 million. The city saved another $16.22 million in future replacement costs by removing 164 underutilized vehicles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n