For anyone paying attention to City of Dallas budget news over the past few months, it was likely unsurprising to learn Friday afternoon that layoffs are part of the proposed fiscal 2027 budget that requires City Council approval before October 1.
Just last month, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert ordered three furlough days for thousands of employees to close a $30 million shortfall in the current year budget. Well before that, City officials signaled that all options were on the table for how to close a projected $51 million shortfall in the next budget.
The proposed budget grows from $5.2 billion this year to $5.66 billion, with the General Fund that supports most day-to-day services growing from $1.96 billion to $2.04 billion. The proposed property tax rate would go down slightly, though many homeowners won’t feel much relief. Our continued growth is not enough to cover rising costs, particularly because of obligations for police and fire.
And while some City Council members have spent substantial hours deliberating funding cuts to longtime partners and programs, there has been no clear directive from the policymaking body on broad structural changes that would save millions of dollars or generate substantial new revenues.
In a somber YouTube video message to employees posted on Friday, Tolbert noted the “upheaval” happening in “our economy, our technology, and in the expectations that residents have for their city government.”
“Regrettably,” she said, “this budget does impact our workforce.”
A deeper dive into the complete 774-page proposed budget book shows about 300 positions eliminated largely from departments including libraries, parks, housing, courts, transportation, and arts.
In some cases, positions or funds are proposed to shift from one department or line item to another. So the true impact on services will likely become clearer as council members deliberate and host public town halls in coming weeks.
On Tuesday at 9 a.m., Tolbert and her team present the proposed budget to the mayor and City Council. Our elected representatives then have a little over a month to make their own changes to the budget by majority votes.
Read The Dallas Morning News editorial board’s take on Tolbert’s proposed budget.