Mayor Johnson: Reducing your tax bill starts now
We have an opportunity with the new city budget to begin alleviating Dallas residents’ unsustainable property tax burden and to halt the expansion in size of our ever-growing city government.
The following is adapted from my email newsletter. To subscribe, click here.
On Friday, I requested that the City Manager develop a revised 2023–2024 Dallas city budget that would put us on a sensible path toward actually lowering your city property tax bill.
The City Manager’s current proposed $4.63 billion budget, while based on a slightly lower tax rate than last year’s, would amount to a tax increase for most property owners in Dallas and also reveals that the city is facing a looming structural deficit because of the ever-growing size of city government.
This does not have to be the case. We have an opportunity with this new city budget to address both issues: to begin alleviating Dallas residents’ unsustainable property tax burden and to halt the expansion in size of our ever-growing city government.
It is both necessary and doable to deliver city services more efficiently and to reduce city government spending starting now.
EMAIL YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and let her or him know that you want to see your city property tax bill held steady or decrease starting now. Your voice is critical now — before the City Council votes on a maximum tax rate for the new city budget on this Wednesday, August 23.
Please ignore the cynics and the naysayers: you deserve and can have a city that taxes you less by delivering essential services more efficiently and cost-effectively. Demand that your city government begin earnestly working toward this goal now, starting with its 2023–2024 budget.
Lowering violent crime
Police Chief Eddie Garcia and I joined CBS News reporter Jack Fink last week to discuss Dallas’ continued success in lowering violent crime and a recent study that confirms the effectiveness of one of the key components of the Dallas Crime Plan: hot spot policing. Watch the full interview here.
District level needs and strengths
Last week, District 8 Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins provided a tour of his district in southeast Dallas.
This was the second of a series of tours with each City Council representative to gain a better understanding of each council district’s assets and priorities. As the sole individual elected to represent the interests of all Dallas residents, regardless of district boundaries, it is important to consider the citywide impact of district level needs and strengths.
Mayor Pro Tem Atkins provided a tour of several wonderful neighborhoods and new developments throughout the district, including the Five Mile Neighborhood, Palladium Simpson Stuart, and The Ridge at Lancaster.
It was encouraging to see how some neighborhoods in District 8 have benefitted from this Administration’s efforts to add $500,000 in lighting improvements along key corridors in the community.
The tour concluded at the new Singing Hills Recreation Center, an absolute gem operated and maintained by the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. This community-focused facility opened in 2020 and has won multiple awards for its outstanding design. It is also one of three recreation centers in the City of Dallas with a state-of-the-art recording and production studio. This amazing facility is connected to a commuter rail station and the Runyon Creek Trail, making it accessible to residents near and far.
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem Atkins, for providing such a comprehensive tour!
Pony Up Dallas
My oldest son, William, had a blast visiting the Southern Methodist University Mustangs football team last week as they prepared for their first game of the upcoming season. Here’s to a successful campaign, Coach Lashlee! Pony up, Dallas!
That is all for today.
