Good evening:
Dallas’s unfolding budget crisis has been top news for weeks, and City Council members are asking a lot of questions — about frozen positions, property value projections, furlough math. One question this week is how much the budget crunch is slowing Dallas down.
The answer, based on this week’s agendas, appears to be: not much — yet.
On Monday, the Economic Development Committee will discuss nominating 42 census tracts for federal Opportunity Zone designation. Those zones could unlock roughly $9 billion in private investment for some of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods, including South Dallas/Fair Park, Vickery Meadow, and blocks surrounding the Convention Center.
DISD just passed a $6.2 billion bond and wants to start turning dirt soon. But city zoning may need to change first.
Love Field is headed for another transformation. The long-planned Terminal F at DFW Airport is signing tenants.
And then there’s City Hall. The Dallas Regional Chamber has now formally backed redevelopment, while Preservation Texas put the building on its endangered list. Wednesday’s briefing will bring a fresh look at phased repair scenarios and cost estimates. Behind closed doors, Council members will talk about where to potentially move 311, 911, and emergency operations, functions currently living in the rather depressing basement of a building whose future is very much unresolved.
With just four weeks of meetings left before July recess, we’re looking at what could be a monumental June in Dallas politics.
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📖 Table of Contents
🗞️ Highlights From Last Week: Meetings, Memos, and Media of Interest
The Dallas Regional Chamber backs the redevelopment of Dallas City Hall, joining a chorus of civic and business leaders pushing for a transformation that many hope includes a new Dallas Mavericks arena and entertainment district. Read more from the Dallas Business Journal.
Preservation Texas added Dallas City Hall to its 2026 list of Texas' Most Endangered Places, KRLD reports. The designation comes days before another public discussion of a 10-year phased building repair plan, which was requested by City Council members earlier this year.
Dallas City Council members on Wednesday, May 27, voted to:
Approve Item 11, a $16 million construction contract for the next phase of the Trinity Forest Spine Trail, extending to Parkdale Lake, NBC 5 reports.
Approve Items 15 - 18, consultant contracts tied to the $2.5 billion Dallas Love Field Expansion Airport Program (LEAP), the biggest redevelopment in the airport’s long history. The contracts are for executive advisory services (Boston Consulting Group), program management (HNTB Corporation), utilities planning (Freese and Nichols), and digital/BIM services (Parsons Transportation Group).
Approve Item 19, authorizing up to $1.3 million in aviation funding to upgrade the current Federal Aviation Administration Emergency Communication Notification System, as the current system for Dallas Love Field and Dallas Executive Airport is more than 60 years old.
Approve Item 20 to give more than 7 acres of City land to Veterans Community Project, a national nonprofit that builds tiny-home communities for homeless veterans. Learn more about the project from NBC 5.
Approve Item 32 to deny Atmos Energy's requested $38.1 million annual rate increase and instead adopt a negotiated settlement of $34.1 million. The reduction comes after the city’s rate consultant determined the full ask wasn’t justified. For the average Dallas residential customer, that still means a $9.46 per month increase effective June 1, the eighth rate adjustment since 2011. Read more in this Committee on Finance briefing.
Approve the creation of a new “event venue” land use in the Dallas Development Code, filling a gap that has forced private event spaces (wedding venues, banquet halls, fundraiser spaces) to operate under the ill-fitting "Commercial Amusement" classification, city officials say. The timing is driven in part by FIFA, with the City expecting a surge in private gathering spaces this summer. Council members made an added tweak before the vote that allows for admission charges for fundraisers and political campaign events.
Create the Halperin Park Public Improvement District, a new 10-year PID (2027–2036) in Council Districts 1 and 4 managed by the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation. That’s the same nonprofit behind the grand new deck park over Interstate 35E just outside the Dallas Zoo. The PID will be a critical funding mechanism for enhanced park safety, security, and public improvements.
Dallas’s preliminary 2026 taxable property values came in at nearly $245 billion — up significantly from $216 billion last year — but staff is using a conservative $227.6 billion estimate after accounting for likely appeals, according to this memo response to recent council member budget queries. City officials also say holding 705 currently-frozen positions vacant through next fiscal year would save $32 million and each prospective furlough day would be worth $1.4 million in savings.
Here’s the complete city manager memo packet for Friday, May 29, 2026.
🔢 Number of Interest
$9 Billion
Potential private investment across 42 proposed Opportunity Zone census tracts. Read more below.
🤝 Meetings of Interest: June 1 - 5, 2026
Monday, June 1
🗿 Dallas Landmark Commission, 9:30 a.m. Briefing, 1 p.m. Public Hearing, 6ES Briefing Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Agenda Item 3: Cotton Bowl Plaza
The State Fair of Texas is seeking permission to hang eight signage frames on the Cotton Bowl Stadium's south-facing team room walls. The swappable graphic panels would be used for promoting events at the park. Staff and the Fair Park Task Force both recommended approval.
2.66 MB • PDF File
🤑 City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: Opportunity Zones 2.0
Opportunity Zones are a federal tax program that uses tax breaks to steer private investment into struggling neighborhoods. Dallas staff is recommending 42 census tracts for nomination to the Governor’s Office (June 26 deadline), representing roughly $9 billion in potential investment. New designations take effect January 1, 2027. The tract list includes Valley View, South Dallas/Fair Park, Vickery Meadow, Downtown/Convention Center, Oak Cliff, Ferguson Road, UNT-Dallas, Hensley Field, Perot Museum/Stemmons area.
5.67 MB • PDF File
Voters overwhelmingly approved Dallas ISD’s $6.2 billion bond package earlier this month. Now City Hall is looking at whether Dallas’s zoning code needs to be changed to help the district build baby build. Currently, public schools need a Specific Use Permit to build in residential zones, an often time-consuming hurdle. Staff is reviewing whether schools should be permitted by right in more zoning districts, and whether the current distinction between public and private schools still makes sense. Council members are asked to weigh in by June 30. Read more here.
Tuesday, June 2
🕵️♀️ Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics, 1:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
The latest round of Ethics Code reform makes its way to City Council members, with 19 recommendations from the Council-appointed Ethics Advisory Commission. The proposals cover lobbying, ethics training, outside employment, recusal obligations, and more fun stuff. Read more.
Wednesday, June 3
🗣️ City Council Briefing, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Briefing: FIFA World Cup 2026 Update
Dallas is expecting roughly 1.5 million visitors, hotel revenue is pacing up 24% for June and 58% for July compared to last year, and international flight bookings into DFW and Love Field are running 78% ahead of the same period in 2025. Council members will hear a full operational briefing.
7.12 MB • PDF File
Council members will also talk in closed session about the potential relocation of some City operations, including 311, 911, and emergency operations, which are currently in the basement of City Hall.
The next phase of a briefing on a potential 10-year City Hall repair plan is not yet posted online. The first phase of this discussion was delivered two weeks ago. This phase is expected to include proposed phased repair scenarios, preliminary cost estimates, and comparison of options.
Thursday, June 4
✈️ Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Board, 8:30 a.m., Board Room, DFW Airport Headquarters, 2400 Aviation Drive, DFW Airport, TX 75261
This agenda includes 10 new tenant leases for the under construction Terminal F, including Mi Cocina, Whataburger, Wetzel’s Pretzels, Stockyards Bar & Grill, Nekter Juice Bar, Ampersand Coffee, and more.
Audrey’s Popcorn, founded by a 12-year-old Grapevine girl, is set to get a permanent spot in Terminal E. The middle school student, who started her business at age 5, is currently selling her popcorn on shelves in other airport stores. Impressive.
Board members are also expected to receive a FIFA World Cup update, though no further details are posted online.
🏞️ Dallas Park & Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
Board members are expected to vote on a Fair Park fee policy to allow Fair Park management to negotiate and set rental fees for the use of facilities, venues, and grounds.
Budget deliberations also continue, with a focus on potential funding impacts next year to the Dallas Zoo, Dallas Arboretum, and Trinity River Audubon Center.
📆 Community Meetings of Interest
Not all meetings of interest are posted on the public agenda pages. Here’s a look at upcoming meetings hosted by Dallas City Council members that are intended to gather constituent feedback.
Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno is hosting a town hall to discuss and gather feedback on the future of City Hall.
🗣️ Quote of Interest
The feral hog population is very smart. They reproduce about every 115 days. Each feral hog can reproduce anywhere between four and six little hogs.
A note to readers: Meetings of Interest is an independent newsletter curated and authored by The GoldHam Group Managing Partner Scott Goldstein and edited by GoldHam Managing Partners Sam Goldstein and Vana Hammond. The content, perspectives, or commentary presented herein reflect the views of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the views, policies, or positions of any other organization, institution, or individual, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Any affiliations are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement.
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Have a great week.
Best,
Scott Goldstein
Managing Partner
The GoldHam Group
Sam Goldstein, Scott Goldstein, and Vana Hammond are co-founders of The GoldHam Group, a southern Dallas-based boutique communications, events, and public affairs firm.
