Groups that rely on annual City funding are bracing for potential budget cuts this week, but uncertainty remains over how deep the reductions may go.
City staff set a deadline of noon this past Friday for council members to submit proposed amendments, and promised to share the submissions later Friday. All amendments must include a specific “source of funds” and a corresponding “use of funds” that balances.
No amendments were publicly posted until today, with two included in Wednesday’s briefing materials. Dallas City Council members are expected to take non-binding “straw votes” on these and any other amendments during Wednesday’s meeting.
Council members are not obligated to submit amendments in advance. They can generally propose them in real time during budget deliberations. But historically — and in the interest of transparency — many budget amendments are shared with the public before deliberations so that impacted groups can prepare and advocate for their interests.
Council Member Chad West wants to eliminate funding for AI cameras mounted on sanitation trucks to catch code violations. He proposes that the $852,000 would be better spent reducing the average sanitation fee for residents by 20 cents per month. City staff says the AI cameras resulted in 1,800 “courtesy notices” in August and that the technology “allows the city to maximize efficiency and minimize cost.”
Council Member Zarin Gracey is proposing a $1 million cut to the City Secretary’s budget for holding 2027 elections. He wants to reallocate the dollars to eviction defense, adult literacy education at public libraries, the Cedar Ridge Preserve, and the Trinity River Audubon Center. City staff points out that the City must fund at least one critical election next year: the November 2027 Mayor and City Council races.
Proposed budget amendments to be discussed at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. Council members will likely propose at least a few more amendments.
Separately, Council Member Adam Bazaldua wrote on Facebook and Instagram this afternoon that he will propose cutting $1.5 million in funding for Flock cameras, which have become a source of bipartisan ire. Bazaldua wants to reallocate $1 million to sidewalks, street lighting, and traffic calming, and the remaining $500,000 for eviction legal assistance.
Wednesday’s meeting will also include discussion of seven other budget revisions staff made in response to council feedback.
For example, City staff is no longer recommending an additional $500,000 cut to the City-owned Dallas Zoo in order to fund animal cruelty investigations. Numerous council members pushed back against that plan. Staff is now also proposing one-time funding to keep numerous aging community pools open for another year, despite a longstanding plan to close them.
As is usually the case, the amendments in discussion thus far represent a tiny fraction of a proposed $2.04 billion general fund budget.
After this week, the last chance for council members to amend the budget is the same day they vote to approve it, on Wednesday, September 16.
For more on the budget and other hot topics, join me over on the new Meetings of Interest Community Page. I’ll be posting updates, videos, GIFs, and more throughout the week. It’s like a Facebook page, but (hopefully) without all the personal attacks and misinformation.