When Dallas residents approved a $1.2 billion bond package on Saturday, they were responsible for half of the 10 most expensive municipal propositions in the state.
That’s according to Texas Scorecard, which reported on Sunday that all 10 of the most costly propositions were for North Texas communities. bond package.
Dallas’ accounted for the first, second, seventh, eighth, and ninth most expensive bonds in the state, according to Scorecard. The others are in McKinney, Irving, and Lewisville. “I mean, look, I’m not surprised,” said Louis Darrouzet, CEO of the Metroplex Civic & Business Association. “A lot of groups came out in full support of all 10. It’s disappointing that the City [of Dallas] can’t get a lot of these items done with their general fund since it’s so large now. It’s increased quite a bit over the last few years, and I don’t think the benefits have gotten much better. Frankly, it’s gotten worse.”
for the existing fiscal year is $4.6 billion. That is a $1 billion increase since the 2018-2019 “A lot of these bond projects should have been general maintenance, but they are capitalizing them under a bond,” Darrouzet said. “It indicates that a lot of the City leadership are being careless with tax dollars from a financial perspective, and there’s not a lot of people paying attention to what the City’s doing. That’s the same recipe for disaster that many other major cities have fallen into.”The Texas Public Policy Foundation
The budget that almost 250 bond propositions at a combined $15.5 billion were on ballots across Texas. Of those, 38 were municipal packages worth $2.4 billion, and the 10 most expensive totaled nearly $2 billion. budget.
The five most expensive
in Dallas are: reported Proposition A — $521.2 million for streets and transportation.
Proposition B — $345.2 million for parks and recreation. Proposition F — $90 million for public safety. Proposition E — $75.2 million for cultural and performing arts facilities.
Proposition G — $72.3 million for economic development.
“I think capital bonds are there for a reason,” Darrouzet said. “I think some stuff should pass, but the real charge is the City needs to get its financial house in order. Since 2019, the tax revenue from property taxes increased [by] 37%. So, the City brought in almost another $400 million in property tax revenue. The budget for the City of Dallas from 2019 to 2023 went up $1 billion, and the population dropped by 50,000. We lost people and raised the budget. It’s like something’s not right.”
And the next Dallas city manager will have a difficult task reining in the spending, Darrezout said.
“Crime and homelessness are out of control, and companies are leaving Dallas and relocating to Plano, Frisco, and Prosper,” he said. “They are literally wasting money all over the place on all of these pet projects, and it’s irresponsible. You make a compelling case for needing a strong city manager who can get this house in order — one who can get the City in a place so efficient they can do projects they want to get done because they already have the money.”
When Dallas residents voted for a $1.2 billion bond package on Saturday, it made up half of the 10 most expensive municipal propositions in the state, as reported by Texas Scorecard on Sunday. All 10 of the priciest propositions were for North Texas communities, with Dallas' bond package taking the top five spots.
“I think capital bonds are there for a reason,” Darrouzet said. “I think some stuff should pass, but the real charge is the City needs to get its financial house in order. Since 2019, the tax revenue from property taxes increased [by] 37%. So, the City brought in almost another $400 million in property tax revenue. The budget for the City of Dallas from 2019 to 2023 went up $1 billion, and the population dropped by 50,000. We lost people and raised the budget. It’s like something’s not right.”
And the next Dallas city manager will have a difficult task reining in the spending, Darrezout said.
“Crime and homelessness are out of control, and companies are leaving Dallas and relocating to Plano, Frisco, and Prosper,” he said. “They are literally wasting money all over the place on all of these pet projects, and it’s irresponsible. You make a compelling case for needing a strong city manager who can get this house in order — one who can get the City in a place so efficient they can do projects they want to get done because they already have the money.”
