2025 Dallas Budget Amendments: Round 1

Tomorrow, Dallas City Council members will discuss and take non-binding votes on at least 13 proposed budget amendments submitted through the end of the day today.

Six different council members are proposing ways to increase funding for homeless diversion, street maintenance, animal services, crisis response, and more.

Council Member Adam Bazaldua wants to increase the tax rate above what City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert proposed for the new budget (though his proposed rate would still be a reduction compared to the current year tax rate).

Council Member Paula Blackmon hopes to shift some federal pandemic relief funds to keep her Skillman Southwestern Branch Library open for three days a week.

Council Member Cara Mendelsohn wants to expedite the decommissioning of aging community pools and the closure of underutilized libraries.

Interestingly, new Council Member Bill Roth has not submitted any amendments, despite suggesting via memo last week that he and his colleagues consider eliminating what he called “non-essential programs” to save more than $13 million in the next fiscal year budget.

The dollar amounts in play with these amendments represent mere pennies (or some might say M&Ms) in comparison to the overall $5.2 billion budget. But that won’t stop council members from arguing over them tomorrow.

Additional amendments can be made up to and including the day of the final budget vote on Sept. 17.

Tomorrow’s complete meeting agenda can be found here. Watch tomorrow’s meeting live here.