[State of the City Address on November 13, 2025.]
[00:00:06]
GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME FOR MY SEVENTH STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS AS THE 60TH MAYOR OF DALLAS.
EACH YEAR I'VE USED THIS OCCASION TO REACH DIFFERENT AUDIENCES AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE TOGETHER AS A CITY.
TODAY I'VE CHOSEN TO SPEAK TO YOU DIRECTLY FROM THE TEXAS STOCK EXCHANGE, ONE OF THE NEW INSTITUTIONS IN OUR CITY THAT'S BECOME PART OF WHAT WE CALL Y'ALL STREET.
BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A LOOK BACK AT WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND GREAT COMFORT IN THE ARC OF OUR CITY'S HISTORY, AND IN KNOWING THAT DALLAS HAS GROWN, EVOLVED AND MOVED FORWARD THROUGH ALL MANNER OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.
SINCE THE RITUAL OF THIS ANNUAL MAYORAL ADDRESS STARTED BACK IN 1875, DALLAS HAS GROWN FROM A MERE SPEC ON A HAND-DRAWN MAP, A CITY OF LESS THAN 10,000 PEOPLE TO A NATIONAL LEADER AND AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION THAT IS POWERED BY THE GRIT AND THE GUMPTION OF ITS COMMUNITIES.
BUT I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF YOU OUT THERE WATCHING MIGHT BE FEELING ANXIOUS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE WORLD AROUND US.
AS YOUR MAYOR, I KNOW THAT OUR CITY IS FACING SOME BIG QUESTIONS.
AS A FATHER, I UNDERSTAND THE WORRIES OF MODERN LIFE AND AS A HUMAN BEING.
I RECOGNIZE THAT MANY OF US IN THIS DAY AND AGE CAN FEEL OUTTA PLACE DISCONNECTED FROM THE VALUES, IDEALS, AND TRADITIONS THAT HAVE LONG HELD US TOGETHER.
AND IT'S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY WE LIVE IN AN ERA OF AI SLOP ENGAGEMENT BAIT, AN ALGORITHMIC JUNK THAT FLOODS US WITH LITERAL NONSENSE WHILE CROWDING OUT COMMON SENSE.
WE LIVE IN A TIME WHEN HEADLINES GAIN TRACTION BY SHOUTING OUT FEARS AND FALSEHOODS, WHILE THE TRUTH IS SPOKEN ONLY IN WHISPERS AND IS BURIED AT THE BOTTOMS OF STORIES IF IT'S INCLUDED AT ALL.
BUT THE FACTS ARE THAT DALLAS IS SAFER, STRONGER, AND MORE VIBRANT TODAY THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.
THESE ARE FACTS THAT DESERVE TO BE RESCUED FROM UNDERNEATH STEAMING PILES OF CONJECTURE.
THESE ARE THE REALITIES THAT SHOULD BE SHOUTED AND SHARED AGAIN AND AGAIN.
SO MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE TRUTH IS DALLAS IS GREAT.
OUR PEOPLE ARE AWE INSPIRING, AND WE ROUTINELY OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES THAT COME OUR WAY, AND THAT IS WHY I CAN STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AND SAY WITHOUT RESERVATION THAT THE STATE OF OUR CITY IS STRONG.
IT'S SAFER THAN IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE.
IT'S SAFER THAN IT WAS DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC WHEN I STOOD UP AND DEMANDED THAT WE PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE FACE OF A RECKLESS AND DILUTED DEFUND THE POLICE MOVEMENT.
AND YES, IT'S EVEN SAFER THAN IT WAS WHEN I DELIVERED MY STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS LAST DECEMBER, YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE'VE MADE PROGRESS IN OUR WAR ON VIOLENT CRIME WITH 10 MONTHS OF 2025.
NOW IN THE BOOKS, BURGLARIES ARE DOWN 10%, ROBBERIES ARE DOWN 11%.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS ARE DOWN 14% AND MURDERS ARE DOWN 24%.
WHAT THESE NUMBERS MEAN IS SIMPLE.
WE'RE SAVING MORE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS IN THIS CITY.
NOWHERE IS THIS MORE EVIDENT THAN IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WITH THE HELP OF A NEW PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
CRIME IS DOWN BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS, INCLUDING A NEARLY 40% DROP IN AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY GOVERNMENT WORK TOGETHER AND PUT PUBLIC SAFETY
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FIRST.OUR GOAL IS TO BE THE SAFEST BIG CITY IN AMERICA.
THIS MEANS WE CANNOT AFFORD TO GROW COMPLACENT.
AND THIS IS WHY OUR CITY COUNCIL'S PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE LED BY KARA MENDELSON WILL WORK THIS TERM TO CREATE A NEW COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC SAFETY POLICY THAT SETS A VISION FOR THE YEARS AHEAD.
THIS POLICY WILL GUARANTEE THAT OUR WAR ON VIOLENT CRIME WILL CONTINUE AS LONG AS THERE ARE VICTIMS OF CRIME IN THIS CITY.
WE ARE IN A NATION LEADING FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION.
AND I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TODAY TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR HOW FAR WE'VE COME.
I'M GRATEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR STANDING UP AND TELLING US THAT THEY WANT US TO CONTINUE PUTTING PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST.
I'M GRATEFUL TO OUR CITY COUNCIL FOR CONTINUING TO HEED THE COMMUNITY'S CALLS FOR SAFER CITY BY INVESTING IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'M GRATEFUL TO DALLAS POLICE CHIEF DANIEL CUOMO FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND FOR WELCOMING THE LARGEST ACADEMY CLASS IN YEARS.
AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DALLAS FIRE RESCUE WHO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO KEEP US SAFE.
YOUR WORK HAS SAVED MANY LIVES AND MAKES EVERYTHING WE DO POSSIBLE.
SO ON BEHALF OF OUR CITY, THANK YOU.
DALLAS IS NOT ONLY SAFER, IT'S STRONGER.
THE TRUTH IS, DALLAS IS STRONGER THAN IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO.
IT'S STRONGER THAN IT WAS WHEN PAST CITY LEADERS TACITLY ACCEPTED BUREAUCRATIC BLOAT AND MISSION CREEP AND INEFFICIENCY AT CITY HALL.
IT'S STRONGER THAN IT WAS BEFORE WE STARTED PAYING OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WHAT THEY DESERVE.
DURING MY ADMINISTRATION, EVEN AS WE HAVE PRIORITIZED PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING AND STRATEGIES, WE'VE CUT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE EVERY SINGLE YEAR TWICE.
WE'VE SET NEW RECORDS FOR SINGLE YEAR TAX RATE REDUCTION, AND WHILE WE'VE BEEN CUTTING TAXES, WE'VE ALSO BEEN MAKING OUR CITY GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND CUTTING WASTEFUL SPENDING.
KIMBERLY TOLBERT IS AN EXCELLENT CITY MANAGER AND PARTNER IN STREAMLINING CITY OPERATIONS AND MODERNIZING OUR CITY GOVERNMENT AND OUR NEWLY APPOINTED COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY LED BY MAXI JOHNSON SHOULD HELP US FIND EVEN MORE SAVINGS.
WE ARE DOING THIS WORK ON BEHALF OF OUR TAXPAYERS WITHOUT SACRIFICING RESULTS.
HOMELESSNESS IS DOWN, CHILD POVERTY IS DOWN.
OUR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CODE AND PARKING CODE HAVE BOTH BEEN STREAMLINED AND WE'RE NOW ISSUING BUILDING PERMITS FASTER THAN EVER.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IS ALSO RISING, AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE LED BY MAYOR PRO TEM JESSE MORENO WILL WORK TO IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES AND MAKE EVEN MORE DEALS THAT WILL HELP US GROW EVEN FURTHER.
WE'VE ALSO ONLY JUST BEGUN MAKING GAME CHANGING INVESTMENTS IN OUR FUTURE THROUGH A $1.25 BILLION BOND PACKAGE THAT OUR VOTERS APPROVED LAST YEAR.
THESE INVESTMENTS WILL CAPITALIZE ON AND SUPPORT OUR GROWING TAX BASE, WHICH HAS GROWN BY $27 BILLION IN NEW DEVELOPMENT SINCE I TOOK OFFICE.
WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE EMBRACED A BUILD BABY BUILD PHILOSOPHY.
AND THE PAST SEVEN YEARS THAT PHILOSOPHY HAS HELPED ATTRACT NEW FORTUNE 500 CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, SUCH AS AECOM AND CBRE.
IN FACT, THIS YEAR DAOS WAS NAMED THE NUMBER ONE CITY IN AMERICA FOR CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS RELOCATIONS.
BUT EVEN WHEN DALLAS ISN'T LANDING NEW CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, WE'RE STILL ATTRACTING HUGE INVESTMENTS.
GOLDMAN SACHS IS FINISHING ITS NEW 800,000 SQUARE FOOT CAMPUS FOR 5,000 EMPLOYEES.
SCOTIABANK IS BUILDING A BRAND NEW REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS THAT'LL BRING OVER 1000 NEW JOBS.
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WELLS FARGO ANNOUNCED NEARLY $7 MILLION OF NEW INVESTMENT IN SOUTH DALLAS AS THE LONG AWAITED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE MARTIN LUTHER KING CORRIDOR TAKES SHAPE.COMERICA TOWER, ONE OF OUR CITY'S MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS AND BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA, THE TALLEST BUILDING IN DALLAS, ARE BOTH SET FOR MAJOR RENOVATIONS THAT WILL TOTAL HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WHILE OUR ECONOMY IS INCREDIBLY DIVERSE IN RECENT YEARS, DALLAS HAS CLEARLY EMERGED AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN FINANCIAL SERVICES.
IN FACT, OUR REGION HAS ADDED 100,000 NEW FINANCE JOBS IN THE PAST DECADE, AND WE ARE NOW SECOND ONLY TO NEW YORK IN THE SIZE OF OUR FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTOR.
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT DALLAS IS HOME TO THIS EXCITING NEW TEXAS STOCK EXCHANGE, AND IT WILL COME AS A SURPRISE TO NO ONE WHEN Y STREET EVENTUALLY OVERTAKES WALL STREET TO MAKE DALLAS THE UNDISPUTED FINANCIAL CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU CONSISTENTLY SAY NO TO SOCIALISM AND YES TO ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND TO BUSINESS FRIENDLY AND WORKER FRIENDLY POLICIES, THE RESULT IS THAT IN AMERICA, ALL STREETS LEAD TO Y'ALL STREET AND ALL ROADS LEAD TO DALLAS.
DALLAS IS NOT JUST SAFER AND STRONGER, IT'S MORE VIBRANT.
THE TRUTH IS DALLAS IS A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND TO WORK THAN IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO.
IT'S BETTER FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS.
IT'S BETTER FOR WORKING FAMILIES WITH KIDS AND IT'S BETTER FOR SENIORS.
A FEW YEARS AGO, WE MADE IT OUR GOAL TO BECOME THE BEST MAJOR CITY IN TEXAS FOR PARKS.
WE'VE ACHIEVED THAT GOAL, BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET.
IN OAK CLIFF, THE NEW HALPERN PARK WILL RECONNECT COMMUNITIES THAT WERE TORN APART DECADES AGO, AND WE BROKE GROUND THIS YEAR ON HAROLD SIMMONS PARK, WHICH WILL RECONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG THE TRINITY RIVER NEW PARKS ACROSS OUR CITY'S NEIGHBORHOODS.
PART OF MY CITYWIDE GREENING INITIATIVE ARE CREATING A RICH TAPESTRY OF NATURE, RECREATION, AND RELAXATION FOR FAMILIES, WHILE ALSO GENERATING MAJOR ECONOMIC BENEFITS.
DOWNTOWN DALLAS, WHICH HAS OPENED FOUR NEW PARKS OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, WILL REAP THESE BENEFITS IN THE YEARS TO COME AS THESE TRANSFORMATIVE PUBLIC SPACES CONTINUE TO SPUR PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
DALLAS WILL ALSO BE RESHAPED BY OUR NEW CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH WILL REVITALIZE A LONG DORMANT CORRIDOR OF OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND SERVE AS A GATEWAY TO OUR CITY FROM VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
BUT FIRST, OUR CITY WILL TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE WORLD STAGE NEXT YEAR WHEN OUR REGION HOSTS NINE WORLD CUP MATCHES AND DALLAS SERVES AS HOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CENTER AND THE FIFA FAN FESTIVAL DALLAS LAST HOSTED A WORLD CUP MATCH OVER 30 YEARS AGO.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN AND WE HAVE A WHOLE NEW CITY TO SHOW THE WORLD, MY FRIENDS, OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT.
THE TRUTH IS IT'S BRIGHTER THAN IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO.
IT'S BRIGHTER THAN IT WAS WHEN WE LED THE NATION'S ECONOMIC RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC, AND IT'S SO MUCH BRIGHTER, BIGGER, AND BOLDER THAN THE TINY MEAN SPIRIT WORLD THAT LIVES INSIDE OF OUR CELL PHONES.
WITH THAT SAID, WE KNOW WE HAVE QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGES THAT WE MUST FACE HEAD ON IN 2026 AND BEYOND.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BUILDING A NEW POLICE ACADEMY.
I'VE ENTRUSTED ONE OF MY MOST EFFECTIVE FORMER COLLEAGUES, TOLL ATKINS WITH CHAIRING THE TASK FORCE THAT WILL LEAD THIS PROJECT AND GET IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO PUT TO WORK THE FUNDING THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS AND OUR TAXPAYERS APPROVED AND CONSTRUCT AN ACADEMY THAT WILL PROVIDE OUR POLICE OFFICERS WITH THE HIGH QUALITY TRAINING THEY NEED AND DESERVE.
WE MUST ALSO CONTINUE ATTRACTING AND RETAINING PROFESSIONAL SPORTS FRANCHISES THAT PROVIDE OUR CITY WITH SUCH GREAT ECONOMIC, CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT AND MARKETING VALUE.
WE'RE THRILLED TO HAVE WELCOMED DALLAS TRINITY FC ATHLETIC
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GO DALLAS AND THE DALLAS WINGS TO OUR CITY.WE WILL TAKE ALL REASONABLE NECESSARY STEPS TO KEEP THE DALLAS MAVERICKS AND THE DALLAS STARS HERE AND MY AD HOC COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL SPORTS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION WILL HELP GUIDE THIS COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.
AND WHILE WE WON'T BE NEGOTIATING THESE DEALS IN PUBLIC, I WILL SAY THIS TO ANY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM OWNER WHO MAY BE LISTENING.
IF YOU ARE TRULY SERIOUS ABOUT THE DALLAS ON YOUR UNIFORMS, WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT KEEPING YOU HERE AT HOME IN OUR CITY.
ON A SIMILAR NOTE, WE MUST ALSO RETAIN OUR MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO THE LEADERS OF AT AND T AND OUR OTHER LONGTIME DOWNTOWN PARTNERS.
WE WANT YOU HERE AND YOUR COMPANY AND YOUR EMPLOYEES DESERVE TO BE IN A CITY THAT IS AS BIG AS YOUR AMBITIONS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY.
WE ALSO HAVE TO DECIDE THE FUTURE OF DALLAS CITY HALL.
THIS MATTER DESERVES AN OPEN AND HONEST PUBLIC DISCUSSION THAT LEADS US TO A REALISTIC PLAN, A PLAN THAT LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AND SEEKS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND NOT SIMPLY ADMIRE THEM WHILE WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE.
I DO WANNA SAY THIS, BUILDINGS ARE MEANT FOR PEOPLE.
DOWNTOWNS ARE MEANT FOR PEOPLE.
CITY HALL, AS IT STANDS TODAY, IS NOT A USER-FRIENDLY BUILDING FOR PEOPLE AND IT RISKS BECOMING AN ALBATROSS FOR OUR CITY.
WHATEVER THE INTENTIONS OF A FAMOUS ARCHITECT, IT HAS BECOME A MASSIVE SYMBOL OF A BYZANTINE BUREAUCRACY THAT IS STUCK IN THE PAST AND FALLING APART.
ITS SHORTCOMINGS MASKED BY A BRUTALIST FACADE AS A WORKPLACE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AND AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR THE PUBLIC, IT'S CLEARLY FAILING.
IF THE CITY GOVERNMENT REMAINS IN THE BUILDING, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.
IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE ON AND MODERNIZE, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE, THE STATUS QUO IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND CHOICES MUST BE MADE.
CHANGE MUST ALSO COME TO FAIR PARK, A CROWN JEWEL OF OUR CITY IN THE FORM OF SOUND MANAGEMENT.
I TRUST THAT OUR PARK AND RECREATION BOARD LED BY ARUN AGARWAL WILL ENSURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING WHAT MAKES FAIR PARK GREAT WHILE PREPARING IT FOR THE BRIGHTER FUTURE THAT OUR VOTERS HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED THROUGH MULTIPLE BOND ELECTIONS.
THERE IS MUCH TO DO, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT I'M NEARING THE END OF MY LEG OF THIS RELAY RACE AND THAT SOME OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND ISSUES WILL CARRY ON AFTER I PASS THE BATON.
THE LAST SEVEN YEARS HAVE MADE FOR AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.
WE'VE TRAVELED THROUGH ROADBLOCKS, DEAD ENDS, AND YES, EVEN A FEW POTHOLES, BUT WE'RE NOT DONE YET.
DALLAS IS A GREAT CITY THAT IS ALWAYS EVOLVING.
IT HAS DEFIED THE ODDS TO BECOME SOMETHING.
IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A SHINING STAR ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.
BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS STILL NOT WHERE WE'RE ULTIMATELY GOING.
THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE DALLAS STORY, A STORY THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN AND REWRITTEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY EACH GENERATION AND BY EACH LEADER OF THIS CITY WHO CARRIES THE BATON FORWARD.
IT'S A TRUE STORY OF RESILIENCE, INNOVATION, AND DYNAMISM AND WHATEVER FEARS AND FALSEHOODS MAY COME OUR WAY.
THE TRUTH IS, YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN GOD AND IN THE AMAZING PEOPLE OF DALLAS.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU, THE CITY OF DALLAS, THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND MAY ALL OF Y'ALL COME SEE US REAL SOON HERE ON Y'ALL STREET.