Dallas City Council Budget Workshop – September 2, 2026
Dallas City Council Budget Workshop – September 2, 2026
The Dallas City Council convened for a budget workshop on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at 9:23 a.m., under Mayor Eric L. Johnson. The meeting included recognitions, public comments, and detailed briefings on the Living Wage Policy and the FY2026-27 & FY2027-28 budget. After lengthy debate, the council approved the appropriation ordinance (Item 3) with amendments that received majority support in committee-of-the-whole straw votes. The meeting adjourned at 8:51 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approved minutes of the August 11, 2026 Budget Workshop and August 19, 2026 City Council meetings (Agenda Item 1).
- Appointments: Approved Vicky S. Meek to the Arts and Culture Advisory Commission as an adjunct member (Agenda Item 2).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Cora Kennedy criticized administrative bloat and urged reallocation of funds from vague line items to core services.
- Joey Newberry (District 14) requested no increase in Dallas Water Utilities rates, citing a doubling of his bill over 11 years.
- Chris Heinbaugh (District 2) thanked the city manager for early budget town halls and urged no further cuts to arts funding.
- Ahava Silkie Jones (District 1), new executive director of the Dallas Arts District, asked council to hold the line on arts funding.
- Aresh Farasa (District 1) opposed cutting the living wage policy, arguing it harms workers and suppresses market wages.
- Asiel Avarez (District 9) questioned the effectiveness of Flock cameras and urged transparency and reallocation of $1.5 million to sidewalks and eviction defense.
- Caelan Bedford (District 2) called for protecting arts and culture funding, citing a nearly 17% cut and the loss of the Windspear and Wiley venues.
- Tanya Gosman (District 6) opposed Flock cameras, advocating for funding roads and transparency.
- Bonnie Matthias (District 5) opposed cutting the living wage, noting that $23.06/hour is insufficient given Dallas rental costs.
- John Mallon (District 2) supported maintaining the living wage, quoting FDR and Dolly Parton.
- Namur Hicks warned of Flock abuse, citing cases of officers stalking exes, and called the system an unconstitutional surveillance network.
- Robert Queen proposed a citywide day of prayer on City Hall grounds.
- Rick Barrett (District 14) criticized surveillance, blight scores, and the city's hosting of a tech convention.
- Edwin Robinson (District 6) urged preserving the living wage, linking poverty to crime.
- Sarah Abdel Moteleb (District 1) opposed Flock and supported Councilmember Basaldua's amendment for infrastructure and eviction defense.
- Amy Tharp (Downtown Dallas, Inc.) highlighted the downtown improvement district's impact: crime down 16.6%, violent crime down 12.7%, zero murders downtown year-to-date.
- Gloria Reyes (District 11) advocated for saving adult learning classes at the library.
- Tigis Solomon (AfterAid to Educate) requested support for unhoused youth.
- Brittany English (District 3) supported shifting $1.5 million from Flock to infrastructure and eviction advocacy.
- Noelli Estrada (District 8) opposed Flock and urged proactive public safety investments.
- Madison McNair (District 1) criticized police budget increases while cutting libraries and parks, and questioned funding Flock cameras amid deficits.
- Jessica Ramirez (District 8) asked to invest in community resources over surveillance.
- Rosie Kurtz (North Texas Area Labor Federation) urged keeping the living wage, calling cuts inhumane.
- Mirna Alvarado (District 1) requested stronger oversight of Flock cameras.
- Aaron Glover (District 1) thanked council for holding the line on arts funding.
- Brad Pritchett (District 9, Dallas Museum of Art) urged no further cuts to the arts.
- Alex Stein (District 9) offered a parody alternative to Flock, making inappropriate remarks.
- Socorro Ramos Aviles (District 6) opposed disconnecting the living wage from the MIT calculator.
- Jonathan Lockridge (District 3) opposed Flock, noting bipartisan concerns.
- Diana Ramirez (North Texas Area Labor Federation) asked council to vote with workers on the living wage.
- Ben Salazar called for transferring enterprise GIS to ITS and pausing AI funding until proper controls are in place.
- Damani Daniel (District 6) supported the living wage and arts funding.
- Dylan Thrasher (District 10) alleged a conflict of interest in Councilmember Basaldua's amendment, claiming a business partnership with an eviction advocacy organization.
- George Lieto opposed Flock entirely, advocating for funding roads and infrastructure.
- Liz Mendoza (Sunrise Dallas) urged ending the Flock contract, citing privacy and Fourth Amendment violations.
- Alex Scott (District 9) thanked council for allowing all speakers and criticized an abuse of power in a previous zoning case.
- Dolores Phillips alleged corruption and cover-ups in city departments.
- Key West requested the emergency agenda item regarding Daniel Irving's death be added to the official record.
Discussion Items
Living Wage Policy Review & Proposed Amendments (Briefing A)
- Staff Presentation: Juanita Ortiz and Kimberly Franklin from Procurement Services reviewed the current living wage policy (since 2015, based on MIT living wage, currently $23.06/hour, set to rise to $23.31 on Oct. 1, 2026). Proposed amendments included: raising the contract threshold from $100,000 to $300,000; narrowing applicability to labor-intensive service contracts; standardizing contract terms to 3 years base with two 1-year renewals; requiring a policy review every two years; and establishing the wage floor as the lesser of the MIT living wage or the BLS median occupational wage (hybrid model). Staff estimated the hybrid model could save up to $22 million over five years if 100% of wage differential is passed through.
- Council Debate: Councilmembers expressed varied views. Chairwoman Stewart suggested freezing at $23.06 or moving to city employee entry wage ($21.50) for a $2.9 million savings. Councilmember Roth proposed raising the contract threshold to $1 million. Councilwoman Mendelson supported the hybrid model for significant savings. Councilmembers Basaldua, Recendez, and others argued that the policy should remain a true living wage tied to cost of living, not market rates. Councilmember Willis supported all five amendments as a compromise. City Manager Tolbert clarified that the budget assumes the savings from the proposed changes, and a vote on September 9 would be needed to either adopt the hybrid model, freeze the rate, or make other adjustments.
FY2026-27 & FY2027-28 Budget Discussion and Amendments (Briefing B)
- City Manager Revisions: Jeanette Whedon presented seven revisions based on council feedback:
- Animal Services: $175,000 for spay/neuter (funded by Tri-City Hospital civil penalty judgment).
- Legislative Support: $300,000 for the upcoming Texas legislative session (funded by reducing a vacant DPD assistant director position and a Zen City contract).
- Adult Learning Services: $125,000 for 12 months of transition support (from same judgment).
- Community Pools: $700,000 one-time to operate six pools for another season (from Parks multi-year fund).
- Park Partnerships: Restored $10,000 for Trinity River Audubon and Cedar Ridge Preserve (absorbed within park department).
- Office of Inspector General: $114,000 for investigative platforms and training (funded by eliminating youth commission travel ($23,000), reducing mayor/council funding ($56,000), and cutting a survey contract ($35,000)).
- Eviction Advocacy: $500,000 restored (from true-up of street outreach contract).
- Council Amendments:
- Amendment 1 (West): Withdrawn.
- Amendment 2 (Gracie, modified): Proposed $600,000 from election fund for eviction advocacy ($423,595) and Arcadia Park Library ($176,405). Failed (7-8).
- Amendment 3 (Basaldua): Eliminate Flock camera funding ($1.5 million) and allocate $1 million to district infrastructure and $500,000 to eviction advocacy. Failed (3-12).
- Amendment 4 (Ridley): Restore library funding, staffing, and hours ($2.64 million) by eliminating President's Day holiday, reducing DPD furniture and city manager's professional development, and using non-departmental DDI savings. Failed (6-9).
- Amendment 5 (Basaldua): Use $3.68 million from Parks multi-year fund (general fund split) to fund Fair Park programming and then free up general fund dollars for a 2% merit increase for civilian employees starting Oct. 1, 2026. Withdrawn after debate.
- Straw Votes on City Manager Revisions (as amended): All seven revisions passed with majority support (specific tallies noted in transcript).
Key Outcomes
- Living Wage Policy: No final vote; the item is scheduled for council consideration on September 9, 2026. Council expressed a range of options, including adopting the hybrid model, freezing at the current rate, or using the city employee entry wage as a floor. The budget currently assumes savings from the proposed changes.
- Budget Revisions: All seven city manager revisions received majority straw votes in committee of the whole and were incorporated into the budget.
- Council Amendments: None of the four council amendments (Gracie, Basaldua, Ridley, Basaldua #2) received majority support. Flock funding was retained; library restoration failed; the merit increase proposal was withdrawn.
- Appropriation Ordinance (Item 3): The council voted to approve the first reading of the FY2026-27 operating, capital, and grant/trust budgets (total $5,971,586,745) with the amendments that received majority support during the committee-of-the-whole process. The final adoption and tax rate hearing are scheduled for September 16, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
You're watching the meeting of the Dallas City Council with Mayor Eric L. Johnson. Mayor Pro Tem Jaime Recendus. Deputy Mayor Pro Tim Maxie Johnson. The Council Members Chad West, Zaren D. Gracie, Jesse Marino, Gay Danell Willis, Laura Cadena, Adam Basildua, Laurie Blair, Paula Blackman, Kathy Stewart, William Roth, Cara Mendelson, Paul E. Ridley, City Manager Kimberly Meiser Tolbert, City Secretary Billy Ray Johnson, and Interim City Attorney Bert Vandenberg. All right, we have a quorum. Good morning. Today is Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026. It times 923 a.m. And I call this meeting of the Dallas City Council to order. Our invitation speaker this morning is police chaplain Rabbi Andrew M. Paley, who also serves as a senior rabbi at Temple Shalom. I'll turn over to Rabbi Paley for our invocation, followed by our pledges of allegiance. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good morning, everyone. Source of life and source of wisdom. We come together this morning grateful for the city we call home, for the people who live here, for the people who serve here, and for those who accepted the responsibility of leading it. As this council begins its work today, grant its members wisdom and patience and courage and a full measure of compassion, especially as they wrestle with the difficult decisions of a city budget. Help them remember that behind every number is a person. Behind every line is a choice, and behind every choice are real lives affected by what happens in this room. Help us remember that a budget is more than a collection of numbers. It is an expression of our priorities. It tells a story about what matters to us, what we're willing to invest in, and what kind of city we hope to be. So give those who lead us the courage to ask difficult questions, the humility to listen to answers they may not expect, and the wisdom to balance the many needs of a large and diverse city. May they listen not only to the loudest voices, but also to the voices that are too often difficult to hear. May disagreement never diminish respect. May difficult choices never diminish compassion, and may the pressures of today never cause us to lose sight of our responsibility for tomorrow. Bless those who serve this city, those who protect it, those who care for it, and all those who work each day to make our great city a better place to live. And may the decisions made here today reflect wisdom, strengthen community, and help us build a city in which all of us can flourish. May the work of their hands be blessed, and may our city be blessed through their hard work. Amen. If everyone was able to please rise for our pledges. Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee. Texas, one state, under God, one and indivisible. Thank you so much, everyone. You may be seated, and I will now turn things over to our city manager, Kim Tolbert, for a few announcements. Good morning. Good morning, and thank you so very much. Um to the mayor and city council. We have two recognitions for this morning. Uh, the first one that I'd like to take a moment to recognize an extraordinary team effort that involved our Dallas ISD police department and the Dallas Fire Rescue for an incredible example of what it means to be ready when every second counts. Earlier this month, DISD police officer Justin Jones was shot in the leg while responding to a crisis call. He was seriously wounded, suffering life-threatening blood loss. DISD Officer Amando Gonzalez arrived first on the scene, and thanks to his quick thinking, he was able to limit the blood loss by applying a tourney to Officer Jones leg. When Dallas Fire Rescue arrived, our firefighters and paramedics were able to transfuse two pints of blood to him right there in the field. That was possible because of Dallas Fire Rescue's EMS blood transfusion program, which equips supervisor supervisor vehicles with blood and the ability to administer it before a patient arrives at an emergency department trauma center.
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