Dallas City Council Briefing and Voting Meeting – August 19, 2026

The Dallas City Council met on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, Texas. The meeting included special presentations, open microphone public comments, a voting agenda, and two briefings: employee health benefits for plan year 2027 and police/fire overtime and response times. The council approved minutes, board appointments, and an interim city auditor. No final votes were taken on the briefing items, but staff received direction to model additional health plan options.

Special Presentations

• Congressman Mark Veasey (TX-33) presented a $250,000 federal grant for the Bachman Area Transportation Plan to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety around Bachman Lake. He also received a special recognition proclamation from the Mayor for his service and securing over $350 million in federal funding for Dallas flood protection and other projects.
• Curtis King, founder and president of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, was recognized for his decades of cultural contributions, including the annual Riverfront Jazz Festival. He presented VIP tickets to council members and encouraged support for the arts.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Sidney Walker (District 7) urged the council to regulate data center locations, require on-site power sources, and prevent tax abatements, proposing that property taxes from data centers go directly to public safety pensions.
• Stephanie Drinker (District 2) criticized the city for considering selling City Hall, citing concerns about immigration enforcement, civil rights, and the cost of moving 911 operations. She accused the council of prioritizing profit over constituents.
• Miriam Sharma (District 9) commended Police Chief Como for a public service announcement on secure gun storage and highlighted the importance of preventing unintentional shootings of children.
• Yolanda Williams (District 5) defended public safety and 911 operations, criticized efforts to “bust the bond” and move 911 out of City Hall, and threatened ethics complaints against council members using city resources for political campaigns.
• Nethel Jackson (District 4) praised City Manager Kimberly Beiser Tolbert for prioritizing public safety and emergency response, and urged the council to address disparities between North and South Dallas.
• Ola Allen (District 4) supported public safety and called for more visible police presence and better infrastructure for seniors.
• Tammy Pierce advocated for selling City Hall, comparing it to past decisions to build Reunion Tower and the ball, arguing it makes mathematical sense to move forward with development.
• Dolores Phillips spoke on voting agenda items, warning incoming board members about unresolved records and legal cases, particularly regarding a 2006 police incident.

Voting Agenda

• Item 1 – Approval of Minutes: The council approved the minutes of the August 5, 2026 City Council meeting (amended from August 3) unanimously.
• Item 2 – Appointments to Boards and Commissions: The council approved multiple appointments, including Grant K. Schmidt to the Ethics Advisory Commission, Keene Viarte to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Board, and three technical panel members to the Environmental Commission (Rita Beving, David Marquise, Whitney Strauss). No opposition.
• Item 3 – Interim City Auditor: The council adopted a resolution appointing Rory Galtur as Interim City Auditor, effective August 19, 2026, with an annual base salary of $180,000, to serve until a permanent city auditor is selected. The motion was made by Councilmember Chad West and passed unanimously.

Briefing A: Employee Health Benefits for Plan Year 2027

• Staff presented a proposed strategy to address rising healthcare costs, including eliminating the PPO copay plan (only 53.1% of employees are enrolled), transitioning to a single Blue Essentials network (94.5% provider match), changing deductibles and copays, revising salary-based premium tiers (under $50K, $50K-$75K, over $75K), and modifying GLP-1 weight loss medication coverage to require a primary care physician visit. The city’s contribution would increase from $146 million to $175.4 million. The plan aims to reduce employee premium increases to about $5/month for the lowest salary band, rather than a 40-45% increase if no changes were made.
• Council members raised concerns about employee disruption, provider access, and the impact on recruitment and retention. Councilmember Cara Mendelson questioned the adequacy of the “Blue Value Advisor” (BVA) support and the true cost of maintaining a PPO option. Councilmember Zarin Gracey asked about independent claims auditing and contract management. The City Manager confirmed that the council could choose to reinstate the PPO by adding $10 million to the budget or passing the full cost to employees (estimated 60% premium increase). Staff will model these options before the budget vote.

Briefing B: DPD and DFR Overtime and Response Times

• Dallas Police Department: Overtime is budgeted at $47 million for FY26, but projected to exceed by $2.7 million (5.7%) due to pay increases. However, overtime hours have decreased 31% over three years. Response times improved: priority 1 calls down 29% to 8.62 minutes, priority 2 down 30% to 66 minutes, priority 3 down 58% to 110 minutes, priority 4 down 57% to 126 minutes. The department is using drones as first responders (2500 calls, 35% cleared without an officer), and plans to implement a digital timekeeping system by October 1, 2026. Hiring is on track (390 recruits expected this year).
• Dallas Fire-Rescue: Overtime hours forecast to be 33% lower than FY25, 51% lower than FY24, and 58% lower than FY23. Structural FLSA overtime accounts for 43.5% of overtime due to the 24-hour shift schedule. Response times remain strong: 92% of medical calls within 9 minutes, 91% of structure fires within 5 minutes 20 seconds. The department maintains minimum staffing of 464 positions per shift, and leave (sick, parental) drives much of the remaining overtime.
• Councilmembers expressed frustration with the lack of accountability for DPD overtime, especially compared to other departments that have absorbed cuts. Councilmember Adam Bazaldua called for an audit of resources and criticized the mayor’s protective detail overtime. Councilmember Kathy Stewart expressed confidence in continued improvement. The City Manager committed to quarterly overtime updates.

Key Outcomes

• Votes: Approved minutes, board appointments, and appointment of Rory Galtur as Interim City Auditor (all unanimous).
• Directives: Staff will model the cost of reinstating the PPO plan with full employee cost burden and provide side-by-side comparisons of current vs. proposed premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The city manager will provide quarterly reports on police and fire overtime.
• Next Steps: The council will consider the health plan changes as part of the FY27 budget adoption in September. Open enrollment is scheduled for October 5-16, 2026, with education sessions beginning August 31.