$25 million of the projected 11 percent increase in property taxes will come from new property added to the tax base.
The $4.51 billion budget increases spending by about $162 million from the current fiscal year and includes an ad valorem tax rate decrease of $0.0274 per $100 of assessed value. It would be the most significant drop in the city’s property tax rate in four decades, according to Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland.
Taxpayers currently pay $0.7733 per $100 in assessed value to the City of Dallas. Broadnax’s proposed tax rate is $0.7458 per $100 in assessed value.
Ireland emphasized in a presentation that less than 30 percent of the taxes residents pay are levied by the city. The remaining portion is collected by other levels of government, such as counties and school districts.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) would receive $612 million under the proposal, compared to $567 million in the current fiscal year. The funding level is a dramatic increase from the $514 million adopted in the 2020 budget after the city council cut the police department’s overtime budget by about $7 million.
Johnson opposed the police overtime cut and has long been a supporter of increased staffing for the department. DPD could hire up to 250 new officers in Broadnax’s proposal.
Broadnax placed a great deal of importance on “embedding equity” in the city’s spending, indicating it is “reflected across every department.”
The Office of Equity and Inclusion will receive $3.8 million in funding, an increase from $2.9 million this year. The city manager’s office described the proposal as an “equity-focused budget.”
$412 million is allotted to service the city’s debt, an increase from $349 million in the current year.
The city council will take a preliminary vote on the budget September 7, with a debate and final vote scheduled for September 21. The fiscal year begins on October 1.
Broadnax came close to losing his job in July after Johnson and several council members called a meeting to consider firing him. They cited concerns over 911 call wait times and the city’s development permitting process, among other problems.
Ultimately, Broadnax reached an agreement with Johnson to improve performance rather than leave his role as city manager.
A copy of the proposed budget can be found below.
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Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
