May 06, 2026 Council Briefing

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YOU'RE WATCHING THE MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WITH MAYOR ERIC L JOHNSON.

MAYOR PRO TEM JESSE MORENO, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM GAY DONNELL WILLIS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS CHAD WEST, ZARIN D GRACEY MAXIE JOHNSON, JAIME. RESENDEZ, LAURA.

CADENA, ADAM. BAZALDUA. LORI BLAIR. PAULA BLACKMON.

CATHY STEWART. WILLIAM ROTH CARA MENDELSOHN. PAUL E RIDLEY.

CITY MANAGER. KIMBERLY BIZOR TOLBERT. CITY SECRETARY BILLY RAY JOHNSON AND INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY BERT VANDENBERG.

[Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance Special Presentations Open Microphone Speakers]

THE TIMES 9:37 A.M.. AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL TO ORDER.

THIS MORNING WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION SPEAKER, POLICE CHAPLAIN AND RABBI ANDREW PALEY, WHO SERVES AS THE SENIOR RABBI AT TEMPLE SHALOM.

AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HIM NOW FOR INVOCATION.

AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES FLAG AND THE TEXAS FLAG.

RABBI, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. HOLY ONE OF BLESSING, GOD OF JUSTICE AND MERCY.

AS OUR NATION PREPARES TO OBSERVE THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER THIS THURSDAY, WE GATHER THIS MORNING, MINDFUL OF THE SACRED RESPONSIBILITY ENTRUSTED TO THOSE BRAVE SOULS WHO SERVE THIS CITY AND ALL WHO CALL DALLAS HOME.

IN A TIME WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE FEEL DIVIDED, ANXIOUS, AND UNCERTAIN, GRANT US WISDOM DEEPER THAN RHETORIC AND COURAGE GREATER THAN FEAR. BLESS THIS CITY NOT ONLY WITH PROSPERITY, BUT WITH COMPASSION.

NOT ONLY WITH GROWTH, BUT WITH CONSCIENCE, NOT ONLY WITH STRENGTH, BUT WITH HUMILITY AND WITH PURPOSE.

GUIDE OUR CITY LEADERS WITH CLARITY AND INTEGRITY AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT NEIGHBORHOODS, FAMILIES, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US.

BLESS OUR DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE PARAMEDICS, AND CITY EMPLOYEES WHO LABOR EACH DAY FOR THE WELFARE OF OUR GREAT CITY.

PROTECT THEM, STRENGTHEN THEM, AND REMIND THEM THAT THEIR WORK MATTERS.

TEACH US TO USE POWER RESPONSIBLY, TO SPEAK TRUTHFULLY, AND TO REMEMBER THAT THE TRUE MEASURE OF A COMMUNITY IS FOUND NOT MERELY IN ITS SUCCESS, BUT IN HOW IT HONORS THE DIGNITY OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON.

WHERE THERE IS DIVISION, GRANT US PATIENCE ENOUGH TO LISTEN.

WHERE THERE IS FEAR, GRANT US WISDOM ENOUGH NOT TO BE RULED BY IT.

WHERE THERE IS SUFFERING, GRANT US COMPASSION ENOUGH TO RESPOND.

AND MAY THE WORK DONE IN THIS CHAMBER TODAY HELP BUILD A CITY THAT REFLECTS JUSTICE AND DECENCY AND OPPORTUNITY AND HOPE.

AND MAY DALLAS CONTINUE STRIVING NOT ONLY TO SEEK BLESSING, BUT TRULY TO BECOME A BLESSING TO OTHERS.

AMEN. EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE WOULD PLEASE RISE FOR OUR PLEDGES.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THEE.

TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE. YOU MAY BE SEATED.

WE HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS MORNING, SO LET ME GET THIS RIGHT.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START WITH YOU, MADAM CITY MANAGER, WITH YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS.

AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE MEMBERS THAT HAVE ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY AND BUY US A LITTLE TIME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR, AND GOOD MORNING TO YOU AND THE CITY COUNCIL.

I'D LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, START A RECOGNITION OF OUR DALLAS WATER UTILITIES STAFF.

WE WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT THIS MORNING TO RECOGNIZE THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF DALLAS WATER UTILITIES.

THIS TEAM CONTINUES TO SET THE STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND SO AS THEY'RE COMING DOWN, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM BY NAME.

CHAD KUPECKY, RODNEY JOHNSON, AND RYAN KELLY.

WE ARE SO PROUD TO SHARE THAT CHAD HAS BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE THE WINFIELD MOLLI AWARD FROM THE WATER ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION OF TAXES.

THIS IS ONE OF THE ORGANIZATION'S MOST RESPECTED HONORS, RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND WATER POLLUTION CONTROL. IT HIGHLIGHTS BOTH TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND LEADERSHIP IN ADVANCING WATER QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

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THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES OPERATORS WHOSE PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION AND LEADERSHIP ELEVATE THE ENTIRE CLEAN WATER SECTOR.

IT REFLECTS THE CRITICAL DAY TO DAY WORK REQUIRED TO SAFELY AND RELIABLY OPERATE ALL OF OUR WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS. THESE RECOGNITIONS COME FROM PEERS ACROSS THE STATE AND UNDERSCORE DALLAS LEADERSHIP IN WATER AND WASTEWATER OPERATIONS.

ALL THREE OF THESE AWARDS WERE PRESENTED LAST WEEK DURING THE TEXAS WATER 2026 CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO.

IT IS THE LARGEST REGIONAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CONFERENCE IN THE COUNTRY AND A PREMIER GATHERING OF INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.

THESE HONORS REINFORCE OUR COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING SAFE, RELIABLE AND HIGH QUALITY WATER SERVICES TO DALLAS RESIDENTS, AND WE ARE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, RODNEY, RYAN AND CHAD FOR YOUR DEDICATION, PROFESSIONALISM AND THE PRIDE THAT YOU BRING TO THIS WORK EVERY DAY.

YOUR EFFORTS TRULY MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE. AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR REFLECTING THE VERY BEST IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.

CAN WE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? MR. MAYOR, WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE GROUP TO HAVE A PHOTO WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. OF COURSE. COME ON INSIDE THE RAIL.

LET'S DO THAT RIGHT NOW.

THE SECOND RECOGNITION THAT WE HAVE FOR TODAY IS RECOGNIZING THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

IF I COULD GET THE TEAM TO COME OUT, PLEASE.

WE'RE TAKING A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF OUR OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE PARTNERS WHO CONTINUE TO HELP SHAPE THE CITY, SHAPE THE GROWTH AND THE MOMENTUM OF OUR CITY FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

THE DALLAS BUSINESS JOURNAL BEST REAL ESTATE DEALS AWARDS HAVE RECOGNIZED THE MOST IMPACTFUL COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROJECTS ACROSS OUR REGION.

IT IS A COMPETITIVE PROCESS AND TO BE RECOGNIZED IS TRULY, SINCERELY A MEANINGFUL ACHIEVEMENT.

THAT IS WHY IT IS ESPECIALLY EXCITING TO SHARE THAT OUR DALLAS WAS STRONGLY REPRESENTED THIS YEAR.

OUT OF THE 58 FINALISTS, 14 RECOGNIZED PROJECTS WERE LOCATED RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF DALLAS.

THAT SPEAKS TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND THE CONTINUED INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS OUR CITY.

WE ARE VERY PROUD TO SHARE THIS MORNING THAT THREE OF THE AWARD WINNING PROJECTS WERE SUPPORTED BY OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, FACILITATED BY THE CITY'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND DEFINITELY THOSE THAT WERE SUPPORTED AND AUTHORIZED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

THESE INCLUDE SCOTIABANK REGIONAL OFFICE RECOGNIZED IN THE URBAN OFFICE USER CATEGORY, THE FOREST THEATER RECOGNIZED FOR REHAB AND RENOVATION, AND MOCKINGBIRD STATION RECOGNIZED IN THE URBAN MULTIFAMILY CATEGORY.

EACH OF THESE PROJECTS REFLECTS SOMETHING IMPORTANT ABOUT DALLAS.

THEY SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF OUR INVESTMENTS HAPPENING ACROSS THE CITY, FROM OFFICE AND HOUSING TO THE REVITALIZATION OF HISTORIC COMMUNITY SPACES.

THEY ALSO DEMONSTRATE WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN WE ALIGN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN A THOUGHTFUL, MEANINGFUL, AND STRATEGIC WAY. I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THIS TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO BEHIND THE SCENES TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD AND MANY OTHERS.

THEIR EFFORTS HELP ENSURE THAT DALLAS CONTINUES TO COMPETE, ATTRACT INVESTMENT, AND DELIVER PROJECTS THAT CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

THESE RECOGNITIONS ARE A REFLECTION OF THE WORK HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND A REMINDER THAT DALLAS IS NOT JUST PARTICIPATING IN GROWTH,

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OKAY. IF WE CAN JUST GET A PHOTO MR. MR. MAYOR, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

THANK YOU.

THAT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT ONE. MR. MAYOR, I HAVE ONE FINAL RECOGNITION FOR THIS MORNING, AND THIS ONE IS A RETIREMENT RECOGNITION.

TODAY, WE RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF SUSANNAH LYNN, WHO WILL RETIRE ON MAY THE 22ND AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.

SUSANNA BEGAN HER JOURNEY WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN 1995, AND THROUGHOUT HER CAREER, SHE SERVED IN A VARIETY OF CRITICAL ROLES, FROM THE AUTO POUND UNIT TO SOUTHWEST PATROL TO INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

ALWAYS BRINGING PROFESSIONALISM, CARE AND AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.

SHE WENT ON TO SERVE AS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO MULTIPLE CHIEFS OF POLICE, A ROLE THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE TRUST THAT HAS BEEN PLACED IN HER.

SHE HANDLED SENSITIVE MATTERS WITH DISCRETION, SUPPORTED HER TEAMS WITHOUT HESITATION AND OF CALM TO EVEN THE MOST DEMANDING SITUATIONS.

SUSANNA IS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER KINDNESS AND HER WILLINGNESS TO HELP OTHERS.

AS A BILINGUAL PROFESSIONAL, SHE WAS OFTEN A BRIDGE FOR OUR SPANISH SPEAKING EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALWAYS STEPPING IN TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE FELT HEARD AND SUPPORTED.

IN 2023, SHE WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE FRIENDS OF THE DALLAS POLICE CHIEF'S NON-SWORN EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR, AN HONOR THAT REFLECTS THE DEEP RESPECT AND APPRECIATION THAT SHE EARNED THROUGHOUT HER CAREER.

SUSANNA, YOUR DEDICATION HAS TRULY MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND WE ARE SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR 31 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR RETIREMENT.

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON THIS IMPORTANT MILESTONE.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. THANK YOU SUSANNA.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SAY SOME WORDS. IN.

OUT. I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF DALLAS FOR BEING SO KIND THROUGHOUT MY CAREER, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, I WOULDN'T BE WHO I AM TODAY.

AND ESPECIALLY, I'M SO HONORED TO WORK FOR CHIEF COMBS.

HE HAS BEEN THE BEST CHIEF, AND I KNOW THAT HE'S GOING TO DO SOME GREAT THINGS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY.

THAT'S SO SWEET TO GIVE ME A PREJUDICE ABOUT YOU, NOT ABOUT ME.

NO, IT'S ABOUT YOU, TOO. IS THAT OKAY? OF COURSE.

WE'LL DO A PICTURE. CHIEF, YOU'RE GOING TO STICK AROUND HERE AND BE A PART OF OUR PHOTOGRAPH.

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I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE OUR MAYOR PRO TEM FOR A SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. TODAY, WE RECOGNIZE VISIT DALLAS FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.

THEY HIGHLIGHT THE BEST OF DALLAS. THEY PLAY A STRONG ROLE IN OUR ECONOMY, FROM OUR SMALL BUSINESSES TO ATTRACTING CONVENTIONS AND EVEN HELPING WITH RELOCATIONS.

SO I WILL BE READING A PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR.

WHEREAS TOURISM PLAYS A POWERFUL ROLE IN DALLAS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, AND THE CITY'S ROBUST TRAVEL HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE 2024 VISITORS, SPENDING A TOTAL OF $6.9 BILLION, MARKING A 60% INCREASE OF 2.6 BILLION OVER THE PREVIOUS DECADE. AND AS WHEREAS TRAVELERS SPENDING GENERATES CRITICAL TAX REVENUE THAT SUPPORTS ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT DALLAS RESIDENTS. IN 2024, TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY VISITORS SPENDING TOTALED $649 MILLION.

MARKING NEARLY 30% INCREASE OF 148 MILLION OVER THE PREVIOUS DECADE.

AND WHEREAS DALLAS CONTINUES TO GROW AS A GLOBAL CITY AND PREMIER DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS, CULTURE AND COMMERCE. AND WHEREAS DALLAS IS HOME TO THE MICHELIN RECOGNIZED CULINARY SCENE, WORLD CLASS EVENTS LIKE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 AND MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS THE NEW KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER.

THE DALLAS ARTS DISTRICT HAS BEEN RANKED NUMBER ONE ARTS DISTRICT IN AMERICA FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS.

AND WHEREAS A DEFINING ELEMENT OF DALLAS DESTINATION DESTINATION BRAND IS OUR MAVERICK CAN DO SPIRIT, WHICH DALLASITES CAN DEMONSTRATE BY WELCOMING VISITORS WITH TRUE DALLAS HOSPITALITY.

NOW. THEREFORE, ERIC L JOHNSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, DOES PROCLAIM MAY 7TH, 2026 AS DALLAS CAN DO SPIRIT DAY.

MAYOR, CAN WE LET CRAIG VISIT WITH VISIT DALLAS SAY A FEW WORDS? OF COURSE. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM AND MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.

APPRECIATE THIS HONOR. THE HONOR TO SELL AND MARKET THE CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE.

OUR BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD OF US, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE JOINING ABOUT 250 VOLUNTEERS TOMORROW AT FAIR PARK TO DO A CLEANSING BEFORE FIFA WORLD CUP.

SO WE WANT TO GIVE BACK, AND WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR OF BEING ABLE TO SELL AND MARKET THIS WONDERFUL CITY.

MAYOR, CAN WE DO A QUICK PICTURE? OF COURSE. COME ON.

INSIDE THE RAIL.

ALL RIGHT, MEMBERS, WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS.

I'M GOING TO RECOGNIZE MISS CADENA NEXT FOR A SPECIAL PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THIS MONTH WE REMEMBER MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN.

YESTERDAY, JODI VOICED YELLOWFISH OF MMIW ORGANIZED A REMEMBRANCE ON BEHALF OF WOMEN.

AND I'M GOING TO READ A PROCLAMATION FROM YOUR OFFICE.

WHEREAS MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S DAY IS AN ANNUAL INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE AWARENESS REGARDING THE INEQUALITY AND VIOLENCE FACING AMERICAN, INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE WOMEN AND GIRLS WHO REPRESENT A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF OVERALL MISSING AND MURDERED VICTIMS. AND WHEREAS TEXAS IS HOME TO THREE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES THE ALABAMA TRIBE OF TEXAS, KICKAPOO, TRADITIONAL TRIBE OF TEXAS, AND THE YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO.

AND WHEREAS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF RESERVATIONS OFTEN FACE CHALLENGES OF POVERTY,

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AND WHEREAS, ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE OVER 10,200 INDIGENOUS MISSING PERSONS IN 2024.

OF THIS NUMBER, OVER 5600 WERE FEMALE, WITH MOST BEING UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

AND WHEREAS THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION REPORTS INDIGENOUS WOMEN ARE MURDERED AT TEN TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.

HOMICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG INDIGENOUS INDIGENOUS WOMEN AGES 10 TO 24.

AND WHEREAS MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN.

TEXAS REMATRIATE, A DALLAS BASED ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS INDIGENOUS FAMILIES SEARCH FOR AND BRING HOME MISSING AND MURDERED RELATIVES, WORKS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, LEGISLATORS, MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN, INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, THE CITY OF DALLAS ACKNOWLEDGES AND SUPPORTS INITIATIVES THAT RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS CRISIS AND HELP PUT AN END TO THE SENSELESS VIOLENCE HARMING INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ERICK L JOHNSON, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 5TH, 2026 AS MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AWARENESS DAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE ONE MORE. BUT HE'S NOT HERE, SO WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT ONE.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY SECRETARY NOW.

MADAM SECRETARY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND GOOD MORNING. THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WILL NOW HEAR ITS FIRST FIVE REGISTERED SPEAKERS. I WILL RECITE THE SPEAKER GUIDELINES.

SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY, DECORUM AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

ANY SPEAKER MAKING PERSONAL, IMPERTINENT, PROFANE OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSING THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM.

FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN PERSON FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE SESSION.

INDIVIDUALS WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK FOR THOSE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.

YOU WILL NOTICE THE TIME ON THE MONITOR AT THE PODIUM WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, PLEASE STOP FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS.

I WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. ALSO, SPEAKERS, PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT DURING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REFER TO A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BY NAME AND ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO MAYOR JOHNSON.

ONLY FIRST SPEAKER LINDA BATES.

GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS LINDA BATES. I'M A CONTAMINATED RESIDENT OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

I WAS CONTAMINATED BY GAFRR AND AND AND MURPHY MELLO IN WEST DALLAS.

Y'ALL STILL LETTING THE PLANTS RUN? PEOPLE STILL SICK.

BEING CONTAMINATED IS WORSE THAN HAVING COVID HAVING COVID YEAR ROUND.

YOU'RE UP, YOU'RE DOWN. YOU'RE SICK. YOU'RE NOT SICK.

WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE FOR THE PEOPLE? ALL OF MY FRIENDS THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH.

MOST OF THEM DIED FROM CANCER BECAUSE OF THE CONTAMINANTS.

BUT Y'ALL STILL PASSING THE LAWS TO LET THEM REGULATE AND ALL THIS.

OUR HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PEOPLE MAKING THEIR MONEY.

THEY CAN FIND ANOTHER JOB, BUT WE CAN'T BURY THE DEAD.

WE NEED HELP STOPPING THE POLLUTERS IN DALLAS.

OUR HEALTH IS BAD, OUR KIDS ARE MENTALLY ILL.

IT'S ALL SO MUCH GOING ON WITH POLLUTION. MR. ERIC, YOUR FAMILY LIVED IN WEST DALLAS. I'M PRETTY SURE YOU GOT FAMILY MEMBERS WITH CANCER.

IT'S PLAGUING US. I DONE HAD IT. IT'S NOT NICE WAKING UP WITH COPD.

IT'S NOT GOOD TAKING BREATHING TREATMENTS EVERY DAY.

IT'S NOT GOOD HAVING OUR KIDS GO TO MH IT'S NOT GOOD.

HELP US HELP OURSELVES. WE NEED HELP. STOP THE POLLUTERS! G F AND ANYBODY THAT WANT TO CONTAMINATE OUR PEOPLE, WE NEED HELP.

AND I. AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT ALSO. I COME DOWN HERE TO ASK Y'ALL, CAN Y'ALL DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE STREETS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? I KEEP HAVING TO BUY PARTS FOR MY CAR BECAUSE IT'S POTHOLES ALL THROUGH OAK CLIFF AND WEST DALLAS.

IT'S RIDICULOUS. WE CAN'T GO TO THE SHOPPING CENTER AT LAKE WEST AND GET NOTHING DONE WITHOUT BUMPING THE HOLES.

KEYS, KEYS, SHOPPING CENTER, LANCASTER AND KEYS.

IT'S RIDICULOUS HOW WE TEAR UP OUR CAR GOING THROUGH THERE.

CAN WE GET SOME SUPPORT IN OUR COMMUNITIES? WE NEED SUPPORT TO.

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OUR STREETS ARE REGULAR. WE GOT THE REGULARS CARS AND WE SPEND THE MOST MONEY.

CAN Y'ALL HELP US IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEED HELP.

NOT IN THE HOMELESS. TAKE THE FIND SOMEWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.

A TREATMENT CENTER OR SOMETHING. INSTEAD OF JUST ARRESTING THEM AND LET THEM RIDE AND WALK AROUND IN MY COMMUNITY.

WE GOT PROSTITUTES ALL UP AND DOWN THERE. WE DON'T.

WE. THE POLICE ONLY MESS WITH THEM WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT.

SO CAN WE GET SOME HELP IN OUR COMMUNITY? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WILLIAM HOPKINS.

MY NAME IS WILLIAM HOPKINS. MAYOR JOHNSON, LINDA BATES.

HER FAMILY WAS FEATURED IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS OF HAVING THE HIGHEST LEAD LEVEL IN IN TEXAS, HER SISTER PAULA THE LEAD LEVEL WAS TEN. IT WOULD BE REAL HIGH.

HER SISTER PAULA LEAD LEVEL WAS 234. IT'S IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS.

YOU CAN FIND IT. I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET A COPY OF THIS TO MISS CADENA.

A COPY OF THIS. MISS.

THAT'S THAT'S THE LAWSUIT WHERE THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS SUED THE RSR IN 1983.

NOW, THEY MOVED THE WHITE PEOPLE IN THE 70S, THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE STATE OF TEXAS MOVED THE WHITE PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THE OUT OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN WEST DALLAS IN THE 80S.

JOHN WILEY PRICE AND THE MINISTERS AND AND, AND REVEREND SPEARS AND AMONGST THE PREACHERS MINISTERS IN WEST DALLAS HAD THE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE BOYS CLUB. DON'T TELL NOBODY. JESSE JACKSON, HE WAS THERE.

COME TO THE BOYS CLUB, DON'T TELL NOBODY AND GET LIKE SOME CHICKS WITH 200 000.

SOME CHICKS WAS 100,000 IN THE IN THE WEST DALLAS BOYS CLUB AND TOLD THEM, DON'T TELL NOBODY AND GET HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

NOW THE PEOPLE ARE DYING. OMAR, Y'ALL ALLOWED OMAR TO STAY IN THE BACK ROOM WHILE.

TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT'S DYING FROM THE LID.

OMAR NEVER SAID NOTHING, BUT HE HAD MEETINGS AT THE MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER WITH THE HISPANICS.

THEY HAD HISPANIC FOOD. THEY HAD HISPANIC BAND.

HE GAVE OUT COUPONS TO THE HISPANICS PAID FOR FROM THE SES.

I MEAN, FROM THE GFGAF WERE PAYING OMAR TO GET THE HISPANICS FOOD, A LIVE BAND AND SOME CARS FOR MONEY. JEFF WAS GIVING OMAR THE MONEY FOR THAT, SO HE STAYED IN THE BACK ROOM WHILE I SPOKE.

MAYOR JOHNSON, YOU ALLOWED HIM TO STAY IN THE BACK ROOM WHILE THE PEOPLE DYING.

I'M HERE TODAY, MAYOR JOHNSON, TO TRY TO HAVE A MEETING WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT'S DYING IN WEST DALLAS.

I'VE BEEN BEGGING FOR 29 YEARS DOWN HERE. MAYOR JOHNSON, ALL I'M ASKING FOR A MEETING TO TRY TO SOLVE THE HOURS THEY. THE CITY OF DALLAS SUED AND GOT THE MONEY.

AND I JUST WANT TO GET THE MONEY TO HELP THE PEOPLE.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS TOLD US. DON'T LET THE KIDS PLAY IN THE BACKYARD.

DALLAS MORNING NEWS 2012. MAYOR JOHNSON I NEED SOME HELP WITH MY MOTHER'S, MY MOTHER'S PROPERTY.

THAT'S YOUR TIME. CAN I GET ONE MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER'S PROPERTY? NO. THAT'S A DAMN SHAME, MAN. THANK YOU. DIANE SMITH IS CANCELED.

JAMES WALKER. JAMES WALKER. IT'S NOT PRESENT.

TAMMY KUKLA. HI THERE. GOOD MORNING. SO DURING PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK, I WANT TO BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING WHAT TRUE PUBLIC SERVICE LOOK LIKE THIS PAST WEEKEND IN WEST DALLAS. IT STARTED WITH A VISION OF DPD OFFICER BIANCA RINCON, THE ENTIRE LAKE WEST STOREFRONT UNIT, SERGEANT GRIMES AND DPD ANIMAL CRUELTY UNIT TO BRING CITY DEPARTMENTS, NONPROFITS, OUTREACH TEAMS AND THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE NOT JUST TO RESPOND, BUT TO PREVENT, TO EDUCATE, TO CONNECT, AND THE VISION MATTERED.

[00:30:05]

CHRIS LUNA AND THE SPCA OF TEXAS PETCO LOVE AND JORDAN CRAIG WITH OPERATION KINDNESS.

I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER FROM D SIX AND HER TEAM FOR HELPING AMPLIFY THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WEST DALLAS COMMUNITY AND ENSURING RESIDENTS KNEW THESE RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE AND D2 AND D1 FOR THEIR SUPPORT.

AND A PERSONAL THANK YOU TO ACM CHOKAN. YOU ARE INCREDIBLE.

I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE REMARKABLE DEDICATION OF THE ENTIRE DPD LAKE WEST TEAM THAT HELPED MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

SENIOR CORPORAL PARHAM, SENIOR CORPORAL ESTRELLA, SENIOR CORPORAL GRAHAM, SENIOR CORPORAL MORALES, SENIOR CORPORAL TURNER, POLICE OFFICER BIANCA RINCON, SERGEANT DOMINGUEZ AND SERGEANT GRIMES IN THE ENTIRE ANIMAL CRUELTY UNIT.

I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE THERE.

311 STORMWATER THE DALLAS WEST LIBRARY AND ESPECIALLY DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR RAMON AND HIS TEAM SHOWED UP AND HELPED ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. I WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR HUTTO AND THE INCREDIBLE TEAM AT THE WEST DALLAS MULTIPURPOSE CENTER.

SO ON SATURDAY, WE OFFERED FREE VACCINES. THANKS TO THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE WEST DALLAS COMMUNITY AND ACCESS TO FREE SPAY NEUTER.

WE WERE ABLE TO SERVICE 69 INDIVIDUALS AND 147 PETS IN THREE HOURS.

WE HAVE THE LIST THANKS TO DPD. OF THE 72 PEOPLE AND 197 OTHER PETS THAT WERE THERE THAT WE WILL PROVIDE SERVICES FOR IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. WE WANT TO THANK THEM PERSONALLY.

THE DPD ANIMAL CRUELTY UNIT AND DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE PERSON THERE TO PASS OUT EDUCATION MATERIALS.

THEY WERE GIVEN MATERIALS ON ANIMALS IN HOT CARS, HOT PAVEMENT, PROPER SHELTER.

IT WAS REALLY REMARKABLE. EVEN ONE OF THE CRUELTY OFFICERS BROUGHT THE LITTLE SNAKE TO EDUCATE.

WE ALSO WANT TO THANK THE SOUTH DALLAS EMPLOYMENT PROJECT THAT WAS THERE, HELPING PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PET PASSAGES FOR SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LOST THEIR PETS AS WELL.

THIS EVENING, DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AT THE WEST DALLAS MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER IS HOSTING A COMMUNITY MEETING FROM 630 TO 730, WHICH IS D SIX FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY THERE.

THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU TO GLORIA. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, FREDDY DELGADO. FREDDY DELGADO IT'S NOT PRESENT.

CYNTHIA HERNANDEZ.

HELLO THERE. FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE A NOTARIZED LETTER THAT I TYPED UP, AND I WANT TO MAKE A SUGGESTION ON THEM MAKING A NEW LAW FOR ANIMALS AND DOGS. IN CERTAIN CASES, A LAW SUCH AS TO HAVE VISITATION RIGHTS TO SEE YOUR PET. ONCE AGAIN, IF A DOG GETS PICKED UP OFF OF A CERTAIN PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION AND THE OWNER IS NOT PRESENT AND THE LANDLORD REPORTS YOUR DOG IN, AND YOUR ANIMAL IS TAKEN AWAY AND ADOPTED OUT WITHIN A FEW DAYS, SUCH AS THREE FOUR DAYS, WHICH IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GO AND PICK UP YOUR PET.

I AM REQUESTING VISITATION RIGHTS. YOU COULD EXCHANGE PHONE NUMBERS, MEET WITH THEM IN A PUBLIC PLACE ALONG WITH A SECURITY GUARD. THIS WOULD CREATE NEW JOBS, SUCH AS A JOB FOR SECURITY GUARDS, AND IT WOULD CREATE AND GENERATE EXTRA FUNDS AND A SMALL FEE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER.

AND THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A NEW LAW.

AND THE NEW BUILDING AND NEW WORKPLACE SHOULD BE CALLED REUNITED.

REFINEMENT AND PETS AND PET OWNERS HAVE FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER.

THIS IS ONLY IN CERTAIN CASES AND FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT CHILDREN.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LARRY COLE.

[00:35:02]

AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ONE OF THE CO COMPLIANCE MANAGERS, MISS MISTY BROOKINS, A SOUTHEAST DISTRICT.

MY CONCERN IS WITH CO COMPLIANCE. THE ISSUE THAT I'M HAVING IS WHEN SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES COME OUT, YOU SEE A VIOLATION BEING BEING DONE AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME IN REAL TIME.

THEY DON'T SPEAK TO THE PERSON THAT'S DOING THE VIOLATION.

THEY COME TO THE HOMEOWNERS AND TELL THEM WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE ALLEYWAY, WHICH WE DO, BUT I'M AFRAID TO GO OUT THERE AND SPEAK TO THE HOMELESS THAT'S IN THE ALLEYWAY.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO LIVE. FIRST OF ALL, I'M NOT AGAINST THE HOMELESS, BUT I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE.

HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE ALLEY MYSELF. BUT WHAT BOTHERED ME IS WHEN ONE OF THE PEOPLE GOT AN INK PEN, HE WRITES HIS HIS LETTER. HE WALK AROUND TO THE RESIDENCE, PUT A ONE IN VIOLATION SIGN ON THE RESIDENCE DOOR, AND NO ONE WOULD WANT TO HAVE A WARNING VIOLATION PUT ON THEIR DOOR AND THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

SO I'M ASKING SOMEONE FROM THIS CODE COMPLIANCE.

SOMEONE'S HERE TO PLEASE SPEAK WITH ME IN PERSON.

I CALLED THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE. I CALL THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.

I CALL DISTRICT SEVEN CITY COUNCIL OFFICE. SOMEONE DID GET IN CONTACT WITH MISS BROOKINS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO EXPEDITE GETTING THE ALLEYWAY CLEAN. THE PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT WE'RE HAVING HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF NOW, BUT IF SOMEONE WOULD BE WILLING TO MEET WITH ME OR TALK WITH ME.

I'LL BE GLAD TO SPEAK WITH THEM. I'M GOING BACK TO ONE THING TO SAY.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE MOVIE COMING TO AMERICA? THE QUEEN ASKED.

THE HUSBAND SAID HE DIDN'T LIKE SOMETHING GOING ON.

HE ASKED HER. SHE ASKED HIM, YOU'RE THE KING.

IF SOME YOU SEE YOU DON'T LIKE. YOU'RE THE KING.

YOU CAN CHANGE IT. SO IF SOMEONE WOULD GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH HIM IN PERSON, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS CONCLUDES YOUR. THIS CAN.

OKAY. OKAY. MR. MAYOR, THIS CONCLUDES YOUR FIRST FIVE REGISTERED SPEAKERS.

THE REMAINING SPEAKERS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL AT THE CONCLUSION OF ITS CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR VOTING AGENDA.

[VOTING AGENDA]

ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? THE AYES HAVE IT. THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

NEXT ITEM. MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE. AGENDA ITEM TWO IS CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THIS MORNING.

YOU HAVE INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENTS AND A VICE CHAIR APPOINTMENT.

YOUR NOMINEES FOR INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, NANCY Z.

DYKEMAN IS BEING NOMINATED BY COUNCILMEMBER ROTH.

MISS DYKEMAN MEETS THE COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY OF DISABLED PERSONS.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATION TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR COMMUNITY CENTER.

BOARD FOR. ANNETTE MOSS IS BEING NOMINATED BY COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON TO THE VETERAN AFFAIRS COMMISSION.

STEVEN COLE IS BEING NOMINATED BY COUNCILMEMBER MENDELSOHN MR..

COLE MEETS THE PREVIOUS MILITARY SERVICE. SPECIAL QUALIFICATION YOUR VICE CHAIR APPOINTMENT.

RICHARD BEING NOMINATED VICE CHAIR OF THE PERMIT AND LICENSING APPEAL BOARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMON AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS.

THESE ARE YOUR NOMINEES, MR. MAYOR. IS THERE A MOTION? I HEARD A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT. NOMINEES ARE APPROVED. CONGRATS, MR. MAYOR. YOUR BRIEFINGS CONTINUE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TURN IT OVER, THEN TO ACTUALLY.

LET'S SEE. HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

[BRIEFINGS]

IT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU ON APRIL THE 15TH. TODAY'S STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO CONSIDER THE CITY COUNCIL PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET AS OF FRIDAY,

[00:40:08]

I THINK I'M GIVING IT BACK TO YOU. I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.

WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT NOW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THEN JEROME STEWART, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR A MOTION.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I MOVE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL GO INTO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE TO CONSIDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 2020 627 HUD CONSOLIDATED PLAN BUDGET.

SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED. AND SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? AYES HAVE IT. WE'RE NOT ACTING IN A IN A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.

AND I'LL REMIND YOU THAT WHEN WE'RE ACTING AS A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE VOTES ON THESE AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027, HUD CONSOLIDATED PLAN BUDGET ARE NOT FINAL ACTIONS, BUT MERE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE FINALLY VOTED ON AT A LATER DATE.

THE MOTIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED IN A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ARE AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING REMOVING OR STRIKING SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.

POINTS OF ORDER, OF COURSE. APPEALS AND INQUIRIES.

ROLL CALL VOTES AND BALLOT VOTES ARE NOT ALLOWED.

WE'LL USE CITY SEALS, I THINK, WHICH ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED NOW TO SIGNAL SUPPORT FOR AN AMENDMENT.

AND ALTHOUGH A FORMAL VOTE WON'T BE TAKEN, THE TAKEN.

THE CITY SECRETARY WILL RECORD THE NAMES OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, SHOWING THEIR SEALS IN FAVOR OF A GIVEN MOTION, AND WILL FOLLOW THE USUAL 531 DEBATE FORMAT. HOPEFULLY THAT'S CLEAR TO EVERYONE.

AND NOW I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MADAM CITY MANAGER, TO GET US STARTED.

MISS WHEATON, THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER TOLBERT.

TODAY'S BRIEFING COVERS. THE CITY COUNCIL SUBMITTED AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 27 CONSOLIDATED PLAN BUDGET.

WE WILL REVIEW THE AMENDMENTS, CONDUCT STRAW VOTES AS THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AND GATHER COUNCIL FEEDBACK.

THE PRESENTATION ALSO WALKS THROUGH KEY DATES AND NEXT STEPS IN THE HUD BUDGET DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL PROCESS.

SO WITH THAT, WE CAN JUST WALK THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS ON SLIDE.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. NEXT SLIDE. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE FIRST AMENDMENT I BELIEVE WAS WITHDRAWN FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RIDLEY.

MR. MAYOR, MAY I ADDRESS THAT? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING PROPERLY HERE. SURE.

GO AHEAD. MY REACTION THAT RESULTED IN A COMMUNICATION OF WITHDRAWAL FOR MY AMENDMENT WAS BASED UPON ADVICE FROM STAFF THAT IT WOULD NOT BE PERMISSIBLE BECAUSE IT WOULD SUPPLANT WHAT WE HAD ALLOCATED IN THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM FOR ADA IMPROVEMENTS AT CITY HALL. BUT I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT WE DO NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDS BEYOND WHAT WAS ALLOCATED IN THE BOND PROGRAM.

AND SO I DO WANT TO MAINTAIN THIS AMENDMENT AS, IN ADDITION TO THE BOND FUNDING, AVOIDING THE OBJECTION THAT STAFF HAD ABOUT SUPPLANTING. THANK YOU. SO THE FIRST AMENDMENT, THE SOURCE OF FUNDS IS PUBLIC FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN ELIGIBLE AREAS.

THE USE OF FUNDS IS DALLAS CITY HALL. THE SPECIFIC ALLOCATION FOR ADA COMPLIANCE ABOVE WHAT IS CURRENTLY SET ASIDE FOR ADA COMPLIANCE AT CITY HALL AND THE AMENDMENT TOTALS $1.2 MILLION.

SO DO WE NEED DO WE NEED YOU TO EXPLAIN LIKE, DO YOU WANT TO USE YOUR FIVE MINUTES NOW? SURE. OKAY. GO AHEAD. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. MAYOR. DO I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS BEFORE I ADDRESS IT? YES. OKAY. POINT OF INFORMATION. WHO WAS THAT? SORRY. MAYOR PRO TEM JUST ABOUT IF THAT WAS WITHDRAWN.

DO WE NOT GO TO THE NEXT AMENDMENT? HE'S. NO, I'M RESCINDING MY WITHDRAWAL.

YEAH, HE'S PUTTING IT BACK OUT THERE. SO THAT'S THE ITEM. SO HE NEEDS TO MAKE THE ITEM. HE'S GOING TO MAKE A MOTION NOW TO PUT IT OUT.

AND IT WOULD NEED TO BE SECONDED TO GET OUT THERE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. I MOVE TO AMEND THE CDBG PROGRAM BUDGET TO PROVIDE $1.2 MILLION FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES IN INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN ELIGIBLE AREA, SPECIFICALLY DALLAS CITY HALL FOR ADA COMPLIANCE.

[00:45:10]

WOULD YOU LIKE TO. SURE. CONTINUE. CITY HALL HAS MANY NEEDS FOR ADA COMPLIANCE.

CLEARLY, THE BUILDING WAS BUILT BEFORE THE ADA EXISTED, AND SO ALTHOUGH WE IDENTIFIED SOME NEEDS FOR RESTROOM COMPLIANCE IN THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE MANY OTHER NEEDS FOR ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS TO CITY HALL TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO THE DISABLED. AND THIS FUNDING IS NEEDED. I'M ADVISED BY OUR CFO, AND I NOTE THAT THE EXISTING BUDGET THAT STAFF HAS PREPARED FOR THE CDBG FUNDS INCLUDES FUNDING FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENT. THIS IS SIMPLY A TARGETED ALLOCATION TO ADA COMPLIANCE AT CITY HALL WITHIN THAT GENERAL CATEGORY.

ANYONE ELSE? DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. SO I HAVE A QUESTION OF OUR STAFF.

I GUESS MR. ERIKSSON AND MAYBE MR. COPELAND OR MR. ERIKSSON, I THINK WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A LIST OF ADA COMPLIANCE ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO CONTEND WITH. IN FACT, I HAD A REPORT SENT TO ME, AND IT'S HUNDREDS OF PAGES OF LONG PAGES LONG ALONG WITH PHOTOS. AND SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE THAT IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT ADA COMPLIANCE, IS CITY HALL AT THE TOP OF THAT PRIORITY LIST OR ARE THERE SOME OTHER I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF FACILITIES IN THE CITY'S PORTFOLIO.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ONES THAT COME TO THE TOP IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, NEED OR PUBLIC USE, ETC.? HI. THANK YOU. THOR ERICKSON, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT.

OUR TEAM THAT HAS DONE THE ADA ASSESSMENTS FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES HAS DONE OVER 60 ASSESSMENTS.

WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON LOOKING AT COMPLETE FACILITIES IN TERMS OF WHAT COULD BE PRIORITIZED, BUT WE CURRENTLY ASSESS DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF DIFFERENT FACILITIES IN TERMS OF HIGH PRIORITY BASED ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE IMPROVEMENTS BEING DONE IN A RESTROOM AT ONE LOCATION OR A RAMP AT ANOTHER, IS THAT THE ASSESSMENTS OVERALL IN THAT PORTFOLIO ARE ADDRESSED HOLISTICALLY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY BUILDING BY BUILDING.

WE'RE WORKING ON OUR FRIDAY MEMO TO HAVE A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF ALL OF THOSE AS AN UPDATE TO THE TRANSITION PLAN IN 2020, AND A CURRENT UPDATE ON THE WORK THAT'S BEEN CARRIED OUT THROUGH FACILITIES, REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT, TRANSPORTATION AND BOND, AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT REPAIRS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT WAS A VERY CITY HALL ANSWER.

THANK YOU. SO I ASKED AND FIRST RATTLE OUT OF THE BOX WAS UNION STATION, WHICH THAT'S PUBLIC TRANSIT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OLD BUILDING. NEXT WAS FAIR PARK.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME FUNDS THAT ARE DIRECTED TO FAIR PARK IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT NOT EVERY AREA.

IT'S A BIG PLACE. AND YOU, YOU KNOW, CAN ARGUE THAT THAT IS A HIGHLY UTILIZED CITY FACILITY? NEXT WAS KEAST. KEAST REC CENTER. SO OBVIOUSLY VERY ACTIVE, YOU KNOW, WITH PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.

AND SO THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THAT IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT AUGMENTING OUR ADA COMPLIANCE, WHICH I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, IT'S WHAT, WHAT IS THE TOP OF THE LIST OR WHAT ARE THE TOP PLACES THAT IT SHOULD GO? AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM STAFF IS THAT THIS THIS BUILDING IS NOT NUMBER ONE.

NO DOUBT THERE ARE ISSUES HERE. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT ADA COMPLIANCE, I MEAN, DISCUSSIONS AROUND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEEDED TO GET AROUND AND MOVE DIFFERENTLY HAD STARTED IN THE LATE 60S AND INTO THE EARLY 70S, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED IN THIS PLACE, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS SOMETHING PERCOLATING TO BECOMING A NATIONAL ISSUE OF CONSIDERATION.

BUT COMING BACK TO THIS ITEM. IF WE WANT TO ALLOCATE THE MONEY, GREAT.

BUT I THINK IT NEEDS TO GO TO WHERE WE HAVE INFORMATION ON THE CRITERIA THAT YOU OUTLINED FIRST BEFORE WE JUST AUTOMATICALLY EARMARK IT FOR A CITY OR A FACILITY.

WHEN WE'VE GOT SUCH A LONG LIST AND THEN I'M HEARING THAT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE EGREGIOUS OR MIGHT NEED TO MOVE IN FRONT OF THIS.

SO I JUST WANTED COLLEAGUES TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN LOOKING AT THIS ITEM.

THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON CHAIRMAN RIDLEY'S PROPOSED AMENDMENT?

[00:50:01]

I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT. I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH A COLLEAGUE IN MCC AND WE HAD A OF I REMEMBER WE HAD A FIRE ALARM THAT WENT OFF AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO BRING HER DOWN MANY, MANY FLIGHTS OF STAIRS AND WE ALL STAYED WITH HER.

AND SO I THINK THAT THIS BUILDING, ESPECIALLY BEING MANY STOREYS HIGH, IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES SAFE AND TRY TO PROVIDE SOME ADA COMPLIANCE. SO FOR THAT REASON, I'LL BE SUPPORTING.

THANKS. NOW, CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM AS WELL.

LITERALLY THIS IS CALLED THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE AND IT IS NOT FULLY ACCESSIBLE NOW.

MANY PARTS OF THE BUILDING HAVE MADE SOME AMOUNT OF ADA COMPLIANCE MODIFICATIONS.

SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT RESTROOMS, THERE'S A HANDICAPPED RESTROOM THAT'S WIDER FOR WHEELCHAIRS WITH BARS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED TO HANG ON ELEVATED TOILETS SO THAT IT'S NOT AS DIFFICULT TO LOWER YOUR BODY.

BUT THE DOOR IS HEAVY AND THIS IS A PROBLEM. AND SO IT'S REALLY THAT NEXT STEP THAT'S NECESSARY HERE.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE ALL TAKEN A BREATH AS WE'VE WATCHED PEOPLE WALK DOWN THIS AISLE AFRAID THAT THEY'LL FALL BECAUSE THE SANCTIONS ARE NOT FIXED. AND VERY EASILY WE COULD EXTEND THAT.

ARMREST TO INCLUDE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE COULD TOUCH.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S RAILINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE, RIGHT? SO THERE ARE WAYS TO GET AROUND THIS BUILDING.

THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS CONVENIENT AND THEY'RE NOT FULLY ACCESSIBLE.

MEANING IF SOMEBODY NEEDED TO GO TO THE RESTROOM AND THEY WERE IN A WHEELCHAIR AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO OPEN THAT DOOR, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T, BUT THEY MIGHT NEED ASSISTANCE FROM SOMEBODY.

BUT AT LEAST THE TOILET IS IN THE RIGHT SPOT.

SO THIS WILL ENHANCE THE AVAILABILITY OF AND ACCESS FOR THE WHOLE BUILDING.

FOR ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE THAT PAY TAXES HERE THAT WE ARE MEANT TO SERVE.

THERE ARE OTHER NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND I AGREE WITH THAT.

I THINK WHEN WE HAD THIS BRIEFING LAST, I WAS MENTIONING HOW CAMPBELL GREEN REC CENTER DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A RAMP TO GET FROM THE SIDEWALK TO GET OVER THE CURB THAT IS ADA COMPLIANT. IT HAS SOME DROPPED ASPHALT.

BUT I WILL SAY, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT IT, NOT UNLIKE THE ANSWER THAT CHAIRMAN RIDLEY GOT, I GOT THE ANSWER THAT, WELL, THAT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BOND FOR THE REMODEL OF CAMPBELL GREEN.

SO IT'S UNNECESSARY TO USE THIS FUNDING HERE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK OUR REC CENTERS NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE.

OUR LIBRARIES NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE. THESE ARE THE PLACES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING FOR COMMUNITY WITHIN OUR CITY.

BUT THIS BUILDING IS ALSO PART OF THAT. AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE LONG AGO.

AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE THE DOLLARS AVAILABLE TO ALLOCATE TOWARDS IT NOW.

THANK YOU, MISS BLACKMON, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. SO I GUESS I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE SELL THE PLACE? DOES THIS MONEY, DO WE LOSE IT? DOES IT BE. DO YOU COME BACK TO US AND REALLOCATE IT? WHAT? WHAT'S THE. THE PROCESS, I GUESS. SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO JUMP IN.

I JUST JUMPED RIGHT IN. IF THE. IF THE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED AND NOT USED, THEY'LL BE REALLOCATED.

SO WE CAN REALLOCATE IT. YES. SO IF WE DECIDE TO PUT IT HERE AND SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE VACATE THE BUILDING, THEN THAT MONEY, DO YOU COME BACK TO US AND SAY, THIS MONEY IS NOT GOING TO BE USED NOW? AND WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE FOR IT TO GO? YES. OKAY.

SO WE DON'T LOSE THE MONEY. IT JUST. OKAY, SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS IN.

AND I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, IS WHEN DO WE GET THE FUNDS THEN TO START COULD COULD ACTUALLY START MAKING THE CHANGES, THE ADA COMPLIANCE STUFF. SO THE HUD BUDGET IS SCHEDULED TO BE FINAL APPROVED ON JUNE 24TH, EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST. OKAY. SO WE'LL HAVE A CLEAR PATH OF WHAT OUR DIRECTION IS REGARDING CITY HALL BY THEN.

SO WE COULD ALLOCATE IT AND THEN COME BACK IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE VACATING AND WE PUT THAT MONEY TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAY BE IN THE PORTFOLIO.

BUT I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE BRING THIS UP, THIS BUILDING UP, OR HAVE A DISCUSSION TO DO IT AND HAVE THE MEANS TO DO IT.

SO THANK YOU, MR. ROTH, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

[00:55:04]

IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE AMENDMENT THAT'S BEFORE YOU IS TO USE $1.2 MILLION OF A $4.2 MILLION LINE ITEM. THE $4.2 MILLION LINE ITEM IS FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITH STAFF WORKING ON A PRIORITIZATION OF WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL.

THIS AMENDMENT DESIGNATES 1.2 TO BE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS USE.

RIGHT. AND SO THAT THAT INDICATED THAT THERE'S OTHER FUNDS AVAILABLE IF WE WANT TO ALLOCATE TO OTHER THINGS.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ALLOCATION OF THESE FUNDS HAS TO BE FOR SO-CALLED SHOVEL READY PROJECTS OR PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND READY TO GO.

RIGHT. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION ON THE FUNDS WOULD BE THAT THE PROJECTS WOULD BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED FAIRLY QUICKLY.

THERE ARE HUD REGULATIONS REGARDING THE TIMELY EXPENDITURE OF CDBG FUNDS, AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS WATCHING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE FUNDS SPENT ACCORDING TO THOSE REGULATIONS. THANK YOU.

THE OTHER THING THAT I UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE THE FUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR, WHICH WOULD EXPIRE IN JULY, END OF JULY IF THEY WEREN'T USED OR IF THEY WEREN'T ALLOCATED TO SHOVEL READY PROJECTS, THEY COULD BE ROLLED OVER INTO THE NEXT YEAR.

YES, SIR. THAT IS CORRECT. THE HUD BUDGET IS CONSIDERED A MULTI YEAR BUDGET.

IT DOESN'T JUST RUN FROM OCTOBER 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 30TH.

ANY FUNDS THAT REMAIN AT THE END OF THE YEAR DO ROLL OVER AND CONTINUE FOR THEIR BUDGETED PURPOSE.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TO GET THEM SPENT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN TO MEET THE HUD REGULATIONS.

AND I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S AN INTERESTING AND CRITICAL POINT THAT JACK BRINGS UP IS THAT THESE ARE FEDERAL FUNDS.

THEY COULD BE TAKEN AWAY IN FUTURE YEARS BY THE BY THE GOVERNMENT.

SO OUR OUR MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE GROUP IS THAT WE FIND THE PROJECTS AND WE SPEND THAT MONEY AND GET THEM, GET THEM ALLOCATED INCLUDING PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH EXPIRE AT THE END OF JULY.

THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SHOVEL READY PROJECTS SO THAT WE TRY TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS TO PROJECTS THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON IMMEDIATELY. THANK YOU. AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS AMENDMENT AND THE ONE SECOND OF.

CHAIR WEST RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. I'M I'M GOING TO BE VOTING AGAINST THE AMENDMENT FOR TWO REASONS.

THE FIRST IS, AS COUNCILWOMAN BLACKMON MENTIONED WE HAVEN'T MADE THE DECISION YET ON CITY HALL.

IF WE DECIDE TO STAY IN CITY HALL IT'S VERY LIKELY WE WILL BE RENOVATING THESE BATHROOMS ANYWAY, AND SO WE MIGHT FIX THE ADA ISSUES NOW AND THEN RIP OUT THE REPAIRS TO RENOVATE THE BATHROOMS WHEN WE FIX THE PIPES AND EVERYTHING BEHIND THERE.

SO WE WOULD BE SPENDING MONEY TWICE. THE SECOND REASON IS BECAUSE THE MOTION PUTS THIS ONE FACILITY AHEAD OF ALL OTHER FACILITIES IN THE CITY. AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHERE TO ALLOCATE OUR VERY MUCH NEEDED ADA DOLLARS, IT SHOULD BE BASED ON BEST EVIDENCE. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BEST EVIDENCE, EVIDENCE IS GOING TO BE HOW MANY PEOPLE USE A FACILITY IN THE CITY IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.

I KNOW A LOT MORE IN MY RESIDENTS USE KEITH'S REC CENTER, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN MY DISTRICT.

THEN COME TO CITY HALL ON ANY GIVEN YEAR. SO IF THAT'S THE CRITERIA WE'RE GOING TO USE TO FIX THE ADA ISSUES, WE SHOULD BASE IT ON THAT. SO I THINK JUST ARBITRARILY PICKING ONE FACILITY OVER THE OTHERS WITHOUT DECIDING WHAT EVIDENCE WE'RE GOING TO USE TO PRIORITIZE IT IS A MISTAKE. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN JOHNSON.

YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I CONCUR WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS AND CHAIR WEST FOR EVEN MENTIONING IN THEIR COMMENT KEITH'S PART THAT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WHAT THE DATA SAY.

AND I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES LOOKING OVER INTO THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND UNDERSTANDING THE DATA AND WHAT AND WHAT IS NEEDED AND WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.

I ALSO WANT TO REITERATE VERY QUICKLY WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH CITY HALL.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS NOW. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? AND THEN AFTER WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION I'VE BEEN SAYING IT FOR A WHILE NOW.

[01:00:04]

AND SO RIGHT NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO WAIT, AS COUNCILWOMAN BLACKMON SAID, AND MY OTHER COLLEAGUES, LET'S SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEN WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.

CHAIR SAID IT AGAIN. IF WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND FIX UP CITY HALL AND DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE SOME OF THESE ISSUES ANYWAY. AND I AGREE WITH CHAIR MENDELSOHN THAT THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE.

SO THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF A LONG TIME AGO, BUT WE'RE HERE NOW.

AND SO WE GOT TO TACKLE THESE ISSUES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I THINK EXCUSE ME, I THINK WE'RE ON ROUND TWO'S NOW, UNLESS I MISSED ANYONE. SO I'M GOING TO MISS CADENA FOR THREE MINUTES.

JACK. SO I WAS LOOKING AT THE AMENDMENT. IT IT JUST SAYS DALLAS CITY HALL.

RIGHT. SO EVEN IF WE WERE TO MOVE TO A DALLAS CITY HALL, WOULD WE HAVE TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS OR WOULD IT JUST BE FOR WHEREVER WE ARE? MA'AM. IT COULD BE USED FOR DALLAS CITY HALL. I WAS INQUIRING IF WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THE ADDRESS, AND I'M TOLD NO, THAT IT WOULD BE ADVERTISED AS DALLAS CITY HALL.

SO THEN THESE FUNDS COULD BE USED IF WE DO MOVE INTO A NEW BUILDING, BECAUSE I'M SURE WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ADA COMPLIANT AS WELL.

YES. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT HELPS ME EVEN MORE WITH MY DECISION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS BUILDING BEING SEVEN FLOORS, SEVEN STORY, WELL, EIGHT STORIES, RIGHT? AND THEN IF WE DO END UP MOVING, WE DON'T HAVE TO REALLOCATE THE FUNDS.

SO THANKS SO MUCH. I'M GOING TO GO TO CHAIRMAN GRACEY FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE, AGAIN, LIKE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY SAID, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO AND WHAT HAPPENS TO CITY HALL, WHETHER WE STAY OR NOT TO TIE UP. EVEN THOUGH IT'S $1.2 MILLION, BUT TO TIE UP $1.2 MILLION IN A BUILDING THAT'S STILL IN, YOU KNOW, UNCERTAIN, THE FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN.

I DON'T THINK IS A WISE FROM A FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE.

IT'S NOT A WISE DECISION. I UNDERSTAND IT CAN BE SAVED AND PUT ASIDE TO GO INTO THIS BUILDING OR TO THE OTHER CITY HALL OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

BUT WHEN WE'RE IN A BUDGET CRUNCH, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO TRY TO LOCK UP TIE UP MONEY INTO SOMETHING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE USED.

WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEEDS THAT THAT ARE RIGHT NOW NEEDS THAT COULD BE USED AGAIN, TO MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES POINTS, IT COULD BE TO OTHER REC CENTERS, OTHER ADA COMPLIANT ISSUES.

SO FOR THAT REASON, I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING THIS AMENDMENT.

WHILE I CAN APPRECIATE IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A NECESSARY AMENDMENT WHILE YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE OF CITY HALL IS RIGHT NOW.

SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, MR. IRELAND.

I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT THE TOTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, FEDERAL DOLLARS INTENDED TO BE USED FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS IS THAT WAS FOUR POINT. HOW MUCH WAS THAT? 4.44 4.3 MILLION 4.3. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT 1.2 THAT WE WANT TO THAT THIS AMENDMENT EARMARKS JUST FOR THIS BUILDING.

SO A QUARTER OF THAT. YOU KNOW AND THANK YOU, DIRECTOR ERICKSON, ON OUTLINING THE MULTIPLE POINTS THAT WILL BE GATHERED IN AN ANALYSIS TO GET US TO THIS LIST OF WHERE ACROSS ALL OF OUR CITY FACILITIES THE ADA COMPLIANCE ISSUES MIGHT RISE TO THE TOP AND HELP US PRIORITIZE.

AND SO WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BEING A DATA DRIVEN CITY.

AND SO IT SEEMS THAT IF WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONSIDERATION TO HELP US DEVELOP THAT PRIORITY LIST, THAT WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE NARROWING THIS FUNNEL TO ONE PARTICULAR BUILDING, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DISCUSSION IS AROUND IT.

IF CITY HALL'S ITEMS RISE TO THE TOP, THEN SO BE IT.

BUT FROM THE DISCUSSIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH STAFF, AND I'M SURE ALL OF US GO THROUGH THIS AND TALKING TO OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT DIFFERENT FACILITIES THAT THEY ENGAGE WITH, WHETHER IT'S A REC CENTER OR AN ARTS FACILITY, ETC..

YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FEELING THAT MANY OF THOSE WOULD RISE TO THE TOP AS WELL.

SO I WON'T SUPPORT THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE NEED TO KEEP OUR OPTIONS OPEN AND MAKE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU. CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE, BUT LET'S JUST BE CLEAR.

WE'VE HAD OUR OWN STAFF SAYING THAT THERE'S THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES IN THIS BUILDING EVERY SINGLE DAY.

[01:05:04]

MANY WHO DO NEED ACCOMMODATIONS, AS WE'VE SEEN OUR DISABILITY RATES IN THE CITY GROW.

WE HAVE A VERY DISABLED POPULATION AND IT'S NOT JUST PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.

WHEN WE THINK OF THIS AS WHEELCHAIRS AND THOSE SORT OF FACTORS, IT'S ALSO THINGS LIKE VISION.

IT'S ALSO THINGS LIKE HEARING AND THE LIGHTING.

SO IT'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE WHEELCHAIR ISSUE.

BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE LEGAL TEST IS NOT IF IT'S A POPULAR PLACE, IT'S REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION.

AND THAT CAN BE ONE PERSON. AND WHEN WE'RE SITTING HERE WITH THE RESOURCES, I'M NOT SURE WHEN WE GET SUED HOW WE CAN SIT THERE AND SAY WE HAVE THE MONEY TO MAKE THESE ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT WE DECIDED NOT TO DO IT BECAUSE OF POLITICS ABOUT THIS BUILDING.

SO THAT IS SHAMEFUL. WHAT IS THE TIMING ON THIS? I MEAN, IS IT CORRECT THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO THIS UNTIL JUNE? SO THE PRELIMINARY ADOPTION AND CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE ON MAY 13TH.

THAT STARTS THE 30 DAY REVIEW PERIOD. THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING ON JUNE 10TH AND THEN FINAL ADOPTION ON JUNE 24TH.

AND SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION TODAY? I MEAN, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE RESOLUTION ABOUT THIS BUILDING BEFORE THIS IS ADOPTED? SO I KNOW THAT OVER THE NEXT 4 TO 6 WEEKS, THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PROVIDED TO COUNCIL REGARDING THIS BUILDING.

I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMELINE, BUT AS JEANETTE MENTIONED, THIS BUDGET WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED ON JUNE THE 24TH 24TH.

SO YOU DO NOT HAVE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TODAY. IT'S PART OF OUR REGULAR PROCESS.

WE DO AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE THE PRELIMINARY ADOPTION, BUT YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS TO THE BUDGET UP UNTIL FINAL ADOPTION ON JUNE 24TH.

YES, MA'AM. WELL, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I WOULD I WOULD THINK IT'S TERRIBLE FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND ALLOCATE THIS TO SOMETHING ELSE, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE UNCERTAIN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS BUILDING.

AND WE'RE BEING PRESSED FOR A TIMELINE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BEING DONE INTENTIONALLY AS SOME SORT OF SWAY ON THIS BUILDING, I HOPE NOT. I'LL ASSUME NOT. BUT THIS IS THE PROCESS WE FOLLOW EVERY YEAR FOR HUD BUDGET, AND WE BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR AMENDMENTS. MOST YEARS THERE ARE NOT AMENDMENTS PROPOSED.

SO IF THIS AMENDMENT PASSES AND THEN BY THE END OF JUNE, THERE'S RESOLUTION OF THIS BUILDING.

AND FOR SOME TERRIBLE REASON, THE VOTE IS TO DEMOLISH, ABANDON THIS BUILDING.

WOULD WE NOT BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND DO A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT? YES, MA'AM. YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT EVEN AFTER OCTOBER 1ST.

IF IF IT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET THAT'S ADOPTED, IT'S SUBMITTED TO HUD.

WE DO REPROGRAMING OF CDBG ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO IT CAN CHANGE IT AT THAT POINT AS WELL.

WELL, THEN I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE VOCALLY AFFIRMED THAT THEY DON'T YET HAVE A POSITION ON THE DISPOSITION OF THIS BUILDING, THAT THIS IS THE BEST USE IS TO PUT IT INTO THIS BUILDING, AND THEN IF THEY SOMEHOW COME UP WITH THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD ABANDON AND DESTROY THIS BUILDING, THEN WE COULD BRING FORWARD A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT.

THANK YOU. MR. RESENDEZ, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. IS CITY HALL A PUBLIC FACILITY? YES. IS IT WITHIN ELIGIBLE AREAS? IT IS NOT WITHIN AN ELIGIBLE AREA, BUT BECAUSE IT IS A D A COMPLIANCE, THIS TYPE OF USE IS AN ELIGIBLE USE.

OKAY. SO THEN WHETHER THIS AMENDMENT IS APPROVED OR NOT, FUNDS COULD BE UTILIZED FOR CITY HALL ANYWAY FOR ADA COMPLIANCE.

CORRECT? YES. OKAY. AND SO ONCE THE PRIORITIZATION IS FINALIZED, CITY HALL ADA COMPLIANCE ISSUES COULD STILL BE ADDRESSED WHETHER THIS AMENDMENT IS APPROVED OR NOT. RIGHT. THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY. SO I WON'T BE APPROVING THIS AMENDMENT.

THANK YOU. MR. BLAIR, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I DON'T THINK I'M GONNA TAKE FIVE. BUT LET ME ASK JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

[01:10:02]

SO LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION. WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT ADA COMPLIANCE AND WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE WHAT BUILDINGS NEED TO BE ADA COMPLIANT. THIS IS NOT ON THE THE THIS IS NOT THE TOP PRIORITY.

SO I BELIEVE, AS MR. ERICKSON MENTIONED, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WILL BE DISTRIBUTING A MEMO THIS WEEK THAT LISTS VARIOUS ADA NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. ERIC, I'LL LET YOU SPEAK. YES. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. JACK. COUNCILWOMAN. WE HAVE NOT YET RANKED THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES.

WE HAVE RANKED THE DIFFERENT ADA COMPONENTS WITHIN THE FACILITIES.

AND SO SOME FACILITIES MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE ADA ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.

AND SO WE'LL PRESENT SOME CLARITY ON THAT. ACCORDING TO ALL THE PUBLIC FACILITIES WE'VE DONE ASSESSMENTS ON.

SO WHEN WE'RE RANKING AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ITEMS, HAVE ONE OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT IS OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. IS THAT NOT CORRECT? WHICH BUILDING? RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ON MAIN STREET TO 2401.

I THINK THAT'S THE ADDRESS. YES, THAT'S THAT'S INCLUDED.

AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE LAST TIME I WENT IN THERE AND I AM ADA NEEDED, I WENT IN THERE WHEN WHEN I RECENTLY WHEN I HAD REPLACEMENT ON MY KNEE AND, AND YOU CAN'T GET IN THAT BUILDING IF YOU ARE A D A IF YOU NEED IF YOU HAVE ADA NEEDS. SO WOULD THAT NOT BE SOMETHING THAT TOOK A HIGHER PRIORITY OF, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT CITY HALL? SO AGAIN, WE'LL PRESENT MORE INFORMATION ON THE TOTAL RANKINGS.

WE DO LOOK AT TOTAL VISITORS TOTAL NEEDS, THE TYPE OF ELIGIBLE USE, THE GENERAL COSTS, THE TIME FRAME OF DESIGN PLANNING.

SO THERE'S MULTIPLE FACTORS THAT GO INTO HOW THAT THE RANKING HAS BEEN DONE.

OKAY. AND IF SO, IF WE. THIS IS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE.

WE'RE TRYING TO PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

IF WE HAVEN'T RANKED HOW TO. AND THAT MEANS WE ARE TRYING TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR SOMETHING THAT.

WE HAVE NOT RANKED AS THE HIGHEST NEED BASED ON A MULTIPLE COMPLIANCY COMPONENT.

IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, THERE'S BEEN THE ADA TRANSITION PLAN.

THE LAST UPDATE WAS IN 2020, AND A VARIETY OF PUBLIC FACILITIES HAVE BEEN LISTED THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON ADDRESSING THE DIFFERENT ADA COMPONENTS YEAR OVER YEAR WITH BOND FUNDING GENERAL FUND, OTHER ELIGIBLE FUNDING ACCORDING TO THE PROJECT.

AND SO THERE'S A COMPONENT OF A LIST. THE REQUEST TODAY TO LOOK AT DEDICATION OF CITY HALL IS PART OF LOOKING AT CITY HALL'S ONE PUBLIC FACILITY IN A LIST OF ALL THE PUBLIC FACILITIES FROM THE CITY.

OKAY. AND THEN WE ALSO SAID THAT IF WE ARE IF WE'RE ALLOCATING THESE FUNDS FOR CITY HALL TODAY, AND WE DECIDE AND WE MAKE A DECISION THAT WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO RETAIN THIS BUILDING, WE WOULD THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE ALREADY THAT WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED FOR THE BUILDING WOULD ALSO THEN BE UTILIZED AS WELL.

CORRECT. I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID IT RIGHT, BUT YOU GET IT.

I BELIEVE THAT WAS ANSWERED BY MR. IRELAND EARLIER.

YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. I GOT YOU, MR. ROTH. YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

JUST A CLARIFICATION. THE IF IF THESE $4 MILLION ARE NOT ALLOCATED BY JUNE 15TH, THEN THEY'RE THEY ARE LOST AT THAT POINT.

NO, THAT'S NOT CORRECT. SO THE CITY MANAGERS RECOMMENDED BUDGET INCLUDES 4.3 MILLION FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, AND SO THE TWO AMENDMENTS WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOCATE OR SET ASIDE FUNDING FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS.

IF THE AMENDMENTS ARE NOT APPROVED TODAY, THERE'S STILL 4.3 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

NO, I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. I'M ASKING ABOUT THE THE CDBG FUNDS SPECIFICALLY.

THEY HAVE TO BE DESIGNATED AND ALLOCATED, DON'T THEY, IN ORDER TO BE USED PARTICULARLY.

[01:15:10]

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME PROJECTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS TO BE SPENT FROM OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH OF NEXT YEAR.

WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM. IT'S HUD FUNDING.

SO IT HAS TO BE ALLOCATED THAT IT'S IT'S THIS MONEY IS FROM THE HUD FUNDED CDBG FUNDS, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT. AND IN ORDER TO GET THOSE FUNDS FROM HUD, DON'T WE HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT WE'RE SPENDING IT ON A PARTICULAR PROJECT? WE ARE TELLING THEM THAT WE'RE SPENDING IT ON PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE TO DESIGNATE THE SHOVEL READY ACTUAL PROJECT TO DO THAT.

NO, SIR. SO HUD WILL ACCEPT OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN WITH THE DESIGNATION FOR CITY FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT A LIST OF THE ACTUAL PROJECTS. AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF COUNCIL DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS AMENDMENT, WE STILL HAVE THROUGH JUNE THE 24TH, IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THE COUNCIL.

I TO ME, I DON'T SEE A DOWNSIDE IN ALLOCATING THESE FUNDS.

WE CAN CHANGE IT LATER ON IF WE WANT TO. WE'VE GOT IT IN THE.

WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THAT A LINE ITEM IN THE BUDGET IF WE NEED TO USE IT.

WE'VE GOT 2 MILLION OTHER FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO DESIGNATE FOR OTHER PROJECTS IF WE WANT TO.

WE'VE GOT FUNDS FROM THIS CURRENT YEAR THAT ARE NOT, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN USED, THAT WE CAN REALLOCATE.

THERE'S NO REASON NOT TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDS. THEY'RE NOT LOCKED IN FOREVER AND EVER.

AND IT AT LEAST ALLOWS US TO, TO DEAL WITH A BUDGET ITEM THAT IF WE NEED THAT MONEY, WE'VE GOT THOSE FUNDS ALREADY ALLOCATED.

WE KNOW WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM, AND IT DOESN'T IMPACT OUR BUDGET.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE NOT ALLOCATING FUNDS TO A PARTICULAR PROJECT WHEN WE HAVE OTHER.

WE CAN STILL DO OTHER PROJECTS. THIS ISN'T EXCLUSIVE TO ANY OTHER PROJECT.

IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGNATE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN USE IT AND IT.

AND IT GIVES US A CLEAR PATH TO HAVE THE NEED IF WE NEED IT.

IT DOESN'T SAY WE HAVE TO SPEND IT TOMORROW, BUT WE HAVE TO.

BUT WE ARE ALLOCATING IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULDN'T ACT ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHICH IS MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT WE CAN PUT TO GOOD USE HERE, AND WE CAN DESIGNATE IT TO THIS PARTICULAR USE.

AND WHETHER WE USE IT OR NOT IS NOT THE POINT.

IT'S DESIGNATING IT TO A PARTICULAR USE. I'M SORRY, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS IS NOT A VALUABLE PROJECT. IT'S NOT A VALUABLE ALLOCATION AND IT'S NOT BAKED IN IN STONE.

SO I STILL WOULD WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE APPROVE THIS AND LET'S MOVE ON.

MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MAYOR. I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT.

WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CRITERIA AND THE BENEFIT, WE CONTINUE TO INVEST PRECIOUS CDBG DOLLARS IN COMMUNITIES OF HIGHER INCOME IN AREAS THAT AREN'T ADDRESSING BLIGHT, AREN'T ADDRESSING.

AND WE CONTINUE TO NOT INVEST IN COMMUNITIES THAT NEED REPAIRS FOR SIDEWALKS, RECREATION CENTERS, AND COMMUNITIES OF NEED. AND SO WHILE ADA IS CRITICAL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE LOOKING AT.

THAT'S ONLY ONE CHECK MARK ON THE LIST OF CDBG ELIGIBILITY.

AND I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING TO ADDRESS OUR COMMUNITIES OF LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COMMUNITIES.

AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THE AMENDMENT.

THANK YOU MAYOR. CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.

THANK YOU. WELL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REFUTE THAT COMMENT.

THE THREE QUARTERS OF THE DOLLARS ARE LITERALLY SPENT FOR LOW INCOME PROJECTS.

AND ADA COMPLIANCE IS SOMETHING THAT CUTS ACROSS EVERY KIND OF INCOME LEVEL, EVERY AGE AND LITERALLY EVERY KIND OF ABILITY OR DISABILITY. THE, THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD DEFER ONLY TO THE NEXT AMENDMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO PROVIDE FREE SIDEWALKS FOR FOLKS. I MEAN, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSATION.

BUT THE SIDEWALKS ARE THE OWNER'S ACTUAL RESPONSIBILITY.

ONE DOES NOT CHOOSE TO HAVE A DISABILITY. IT IS A FACT OF LIFE.

AND IT'S A DIFFICULT FACT OF LIFE. AND AS SOMEBODY WHO VERY OFTEN NEEDS ACCOMMODATION TO DEAL WITH STAIRS AND OTHER ISSUES, I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT FACT OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE.

[01:20:04]

THANK YOU. IT'S INTERESTING. IT FEELS LIKE GROUNDHOG DAY LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS AROUND THIS HORSESHOE, BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS THE SAME ONES WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE BOND. WE NEED TO PUT IT IN OUR IN OUR DISTRICT.

IT'S GOT TO GO HERE, IT'S GOT TO GO THERE. AND THIS IS WHY THE BUILDING THAT WE HAVE, THAT'S AN I.M.

PEI BUILDING. HENCE MY T SHIRT IS THE. IN THE SITUATION IT'S IN, IT'S.

SO I MEAN, SOMEDAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND IT MAY NOT BE HERE. IT MAY BE IN FOUR WEEKS.

BUT UNTIL WE DECIDE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE HOMESTEAD, THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUALLY HAVE THESE DEBATES AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FIXING UP OUR CENTER CENTER, OUR CITY CENTER BUILDING. AND AND IT IS GOING TO TAKE US SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE STUFF FROM OUT OF OUR DISTRICT AND PUT IT IN HERE WHEREVER WE GO.

AND IF IT'S A NEW BUILDING WE RENT OR A NEW BUILDING WE BUILD, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO UPKEEP IT.

AND SO LIKE I SAID, THIS IS GROUNDHOG DAY FROM THE THREE OF US.

I THINK THAT WE THERE'S THREE OF US WHO VOTED TO PUT MONEY IN THE BOND TO, TO TRY TO FIX A BUILDING.

AND SO SOME, SOME TIME WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE THAT.

AND SO IF WE RENT, IT'S GOING TO BE MONEY OUT OF OUR DISTRICTS BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO BE A RENT PAYMENT.

IF WE BUY, IF WE FIX, IT'S GOING TO BE MONEY.

SO ONE DAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO THE BILL IS GOING TO COME DUE, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START FIGURING IT OUT. NOW, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, AND IT'S GOING TO BE FUTURE COUNCILS, AND IT'S GOING TO BE FUTURE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO SAY, WELL, WHAT IS THIS IN MY DISTRICT? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THOSE HARD DECISIONS. THANK YOU, MR. BAZALDUA YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

MAYOR. YES. ON THE ELIGIBLE USES IT'S BEEN MENTIONED TO WAIT TO SEE THE PRIORITY OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. CAN CAN YOU JUST GIVE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ELIGIBLE ON THE FINDINGS WE ARE GOING TO GET? BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING ADA IS KIND OF AN ANOMALY.

ELIGIBLE USE FOR CDBG FUNDS IN GENERAL. CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. IS DOES NOT HAVE A CAPPED CATEGORY.

WE CAN USE IT FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, HUMAN SOCIAL NEEDS.

THAT HAS A 15% LIMIT. BUT THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE PUBLIC FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS OR HOUSING RELATED, THEY DO NOT HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE CAP FROM HUD.

AND SO IF WE WERE. I APOLOGIZE, SIR. JUST A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.

FOR THE FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE, IT HAS TO BE IN A LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREA BASED ON CENSUS TRACT DATA, OR THERE'S AN EXCEPTION FOR, FOR ADA FOR ADA.

SO AND THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE POINT IS MOOT TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THE PRIORITIES ON CITY HALL WHEN I THINK THE ONLY ELIGIBLE USE OF ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE COMING BACK AS FINDINGS WOULD IN FACT BE THE ADA, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T IN THE APPROPRIATE CENSUS TRACK.

IS THAT ACCURATE TO SAY? SO THIS THIS DOESN'T IMPACT WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR ON IN MAY.

IT'S KIND OF CONFLATING THE TWO SUBJECTS. AND I THINK THAT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO BOTH, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT THIS CAN BE ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT WE CAN GET WE CAN REALLOCATE. I THINK THAT EVEN IN SOME OF THE POTENTIAL RELOCATIONS, AS IT WAS MENTIONED, COUNCILMEMBER CADENA MENTIONED IT'S NOT LOCKED IN TO AN ADDRESS.

THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEED FOR ADA COMPLIANCE WORK WHEREVER WE ARE.

I WOULD ASSUME UNLESS IT'S GOING TO BE A NEWER BUILDING. AND SO FAR FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S MANY NEW BUILDING PROSPECTS FOR US TO BE LOOKING AT AS, AS SOLUTIONS. SO I JUST, I, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE POINT HAS BEEN MADE SEVERAL TIMES THAT WE ARE KIND OF JUMPING AHEAD AND WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO BE BRINGING US IN MAY, SPECIFIC TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE CITY HALL WORK.

AND I DON'T DON'T BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A RELEVANT POINT.

IF THE ONLY THING THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY BE USING THESE FUNDS FOR IS ADA.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD WAIT. THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON FOR OR AGAINST MR. RIDLEY'S MOTION? HIS AMENDMENT ART SEEING NONE INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT BY SHOWING YOUR CITY SEAL PLACARD SEALS RAISED IN FAVOR.

COUNCILMEMBER ROTH, CADENA BAZALDUA, BLACKMON, MENDELSOHN AND RIDLEY.

WITH ONLY SIX RAISED IN FAVOR. THIS AMENDMENT FAILS, MR.

[01:25:03]

THE NEXT AMENDMENT WAS PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WEST.

AS MENTIONED EARLIER, I'VE WITHDRAWING THE AMENDMENT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WERE THERE ANY MORE? I DON'T THINK SO.

PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY. YEAH. GO AHEAD AND STATE YOUR INQUIRY. SO LET'S TEST BIRD OUT.

IF THIS AMENDMENT FAILED AND THIS ONE WAS WITHDRAWN AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A TIMELINE THAT INVOLVES PUBLIC HEARINGS.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHAT PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRIES ARE DIRECTED TO ME.

THAT'S ACTUALLY A DEBATE POINT, I THINK. RIGHT.

SO IS IT A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE, OR DO YOU WANT TO ASK STAFF SOMETHING THAT'S NOT REALLY A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY? WELL, ARE WE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, OR WILL WE RESOLVE THE QUESTION THAT THIS BRIEFING WAS POSING? THERE'S THERE'S NOTHING THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO DO ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.

SO WE'D MOVE ON TO THE NEXT. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO CALL ON THE CITY MANAGER TO WRAP UP THE THE FUTURE OF THIS ITEM? I'M SORRY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? WELL, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS NOW? OKAY, OKAY, I'LL LET THEM. I'LL LET THE CITY MANAGER DECIDE WHO SHE WANTS TO ADDRESS THAT.

BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY IN THERE, AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS. SO GO AHEAD. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AND YES, WE ARE PREPARED TO SHARE THE NEXT STEPS. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TODAY? AGAIN, THIS WAS STAFF BRINGING THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS PART OF THE ON GOING PROCESS THAT THAT WE DO ANNUALLY.

SO MR. IRELAND OR MISS WHEATON JUST POINT OUT THE NEXT STEPS AFTER TODAY.

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, MANAGER TOLBERT. SO ON SLIDE SIX NEXT STEPS INCLUDE PRELIMINARY ADOPTION CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND START OF A 30 DAY REVIEW PERIOD. ON JUNE 10TH, THERE'S A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 24TH.

THERE'S FINAL ADOPTION OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN BUDGET.

THE BUDGET WILL BE SUBMITTED TO HUD ON AUGUST 14TH, AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1ST.

AND SO THAT CONCLUDES THIS BRIEFING. FOR WHAT PURPOSE? I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE ANSWER THAT WAS GIVEN.

SURE, SURE. SO GIVEN THAT NO AMENDMENTS WERE ADOPTED, WHAT WOULD THAT BUDGET INCLUDE FOR THIS THIS ALLOCATION? AS MR. IRELAND MENTIONED, THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WHERE THERE WERE NO AMENDMENTS PROPOSED FOR THE HUD BUDGET.

AND SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ALLOCATED 4.3 MILLION FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

AND SO THE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED AND ADOPTED UNDER THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CATEGORY.

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE WILL WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS YOUR YOU ALL TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED UNDER THAT CATEGORY.

OKAY. BUT AMENDMENTS ARE STILL ABLE TO BE OFFERED AT ANY OF THOSE DATES.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

MADAM CITY MANAGER. NEXT, WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT BRIEFING ITEM, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE READY TO DO.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND WE ARE READY TO MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER B.

THE TEAM WILL END UP STAYING. THIS IS THEIR ITEM AS WELL.

THIS ITEM PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT AND OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO ISSUE ADDITIONAL DEBT.

THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS MADE DURING THE BRIEFING ON THE NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER, AND SO WE AGREED TO COME BACK AND PROVIDE YOU WITH A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW THAT SHOWS YOU A CLEAR ASSESSMENT OF OUR CURRENT EXISTING DEBT, THE STRUCTURE AND SOURCES OF REPAYMENT AND THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT GOVERN HOW THE CITY MANAGES ITS OVERALL DEBT PORTFOLIO.

THIS BRIEFING WILL OUTLINE PROJECTED FUTURE DEBT.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DEBT THAT WAS ALREADY PLANNED PREVIOUSLY.

IT WILL ALSO COMMUNICATE ISSUANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CURRENT 2024 BOND PROGRAM AND OTHER PLANNED OBLIGATIONS INCORPORATED IN OUR FINANCIAL FORECAST AND CAPACITY FOR OVERALL ADDITIONAL NEEDS AT THIS TIME.

JACK IRELAND, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, WILL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE CAN ENTERTAIN YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS TOLBERT. AS MENTIONED, I'M JACK IRELAND, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY.

AND SO WE'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT IN. AND ON SLIDE TWO, YOU'LL SEE THE TOPICS THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT OVERVIEW. WE WILL DISCUSS THE SOURCE OF FUNDS THAT WE USE TO PAY FOR OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.

WE HAVE A FEW SLIDES ON OUR OUTSTANDING OUR EXISTING DEBT.

[01:30:01]

FUTURE DEBT AND NEXT STEPS. SO ON SLIDE THREE, JUST AS AN OVERVIEW, THE CITY HAS HISTORICALLY USED DEBT FINANCING RATHER THAN CASH FINANCING TO PAY FOR LONG TERM CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS.

THOSE TYPES OF ASSETS HAVE INCLUDED STREET IMPROVEMENTS, FLOOD PROTECTION, STORM DRAINAGE PROJECTS, PARK AND RECREATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND FACILITY PROJECTS INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, LIBRARIES, HOMELESSNESS. HOMELESSNESS AND OTHERS.

WE ALSO USE DEBT FINANCING THROUGH OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION PROGRAM FOR EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS.

FIRE APPARATUS FLEET. WE'VE USED IT FOR SQUAD CARS, HELICOPTER VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS.

BY USING DEBT, WE ARE ABLE TO SPREAD THE COST OF THE ASSET OVER THE LIFE OF THE ASSET SO THAT THOSE RESIDENTS THAT BENEFIT FROM THE ASSET ARE THE ONES WHO PAY FOR IT OVER THE OVER THE TERM OF THE REPAYMENT. DEBT FINANCING IS GOVERNED BY STATE LAW HERE IN TEXAS, AND VOTER APPROVAL IS REQUIRED FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE DEBT THAT WE USE.

PROPERTY TAX FOR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS PLEDGED AND USED AS THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUNDS TO PAY OUR DEBT, AND WE MUST LEVY A SUFFICIENT TAX RATE TO COVER BOTH THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS.

AND I'LL TURN TO MISS WEEDEN TO WALK THROUGH THE SOURCE OF FUNDS THAT WE USE TO REPAY THE DEBT.

THANK YOU, MR. IRELAND. GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT IS PRIMARILY REPAID WITH PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WHICH IS PLEDGED TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON THE BONDS.

PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS CALCULATED BASED ON THREE FACTORS THE APPRAISAL VALUES, THE APPRAISED VALUES, THE TAX RATE SET BY CITY COUNCIL, AND EXEMPTIONS ALLOWED BY STATE LAW AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.

OUR CITY'S TOTAL TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUE IS CURRENTLY AT 226.5 BILLION, WHICH IS ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AT 53% AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AT 47%. GROWTH PROJECTIONS USED FOR DEBT CAPACITY RELY ON LONG TERM HISTORICAL TRENDS RATHER THAN RECENT SPIKES. OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 GROWTH RATE WAS 5.3%, AND THE LONG TERM AVERAGE OVER A 40 YEAR PERIOD IS ABOUT 4.26 4.26%. AND THIS IS THE RATE THAT WE USE IN OUR DEBT MODEL.

AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE STATE'S 3.5% PROPERTY TAX REVENUE CAP.

SO THAT CAP ONLY APPLIES TO THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THE TAX RATE.

ON SLIDE SIX, WE SHOW THE LONG TERM GROWTH OF THE CITY'S TAXABLE PROPERTY TAX BASE.

OUR FIVE YEAR GROWTH IS 9%, TEN YEAR GROWTH IS 8.5%.

AND THEN OUR 30 YEAR GROWTH IS AT 5.8%. AND SO THESE LONG TERM AVERAGES ARE USED FOR DEBT CAPACITY PLANNING TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY MAINTAINS A STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE DEBT PROGRAM. ON SLIDE SEVEN, THE FISCAL YEAR 26 PROPERTY TAX RATE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL IS 69.8 $0.08 PER 100 VALUATION. THE THE TAX RATE IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, WITH 19.1 $0.03 DEDICATED TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

EACH YEAR, CITY COUNCIL SETS THE GENERAL FUND TAX RATE AND THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATES INDEPENDENTLY.

THE DEBT SERVICE PORTION HAS STEADILY DECREASED OVER TIME, DOWN 0.2 $0.05 IN FISCAL YEAR 26 AND A TOTAL OF 7.3 $0.03 SINCE FISCAL YEAR 11. OUR CURRENT DEBT CAPACITY PROJECTIONS ASSUME THAT THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE REMAINS AT 19.1 $0.03, AND FOR EVERY $0.01 CHANGE IN THE TAX RATE. THAT EQUALS APPROXIMATELY $22.6 MILLION IN REVENUE.

ON SLIDE SIX, WE REFLECT HOW THE TAX RATE HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE DEBT SERVICE RATE HAS AGAIN STEADILY DECREASED AS THE CITY MANAGES DEBT RESPONSIBLY AND LEVERAGES THAT STRONG GROWTH IN THE TAX BASE. SLIDE NUMBER NINE SHOWS HOW A RESIDENT'S TOTAL TAX BILL IS DIVIDED AMONG THE MAJOR TAXING ENTITIES ABOUT 31%, OR 31.4%, OF THE PROPERTY TAXES PAID, COME TO THE CITY OF DALLAS.

THE REMAINING 68.6% GOES TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, SUCH AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND COLLEGE DISTRICT.

OF THE PORTION THAT GOES TO THE CITY, THE REVENUE IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

FOR EVERY $1 A RESIDENT PAYS IN PROPERTY TAXES, ROUGHLY 31.4% GOES TO THE CITY.

AND AGAIN, THAT IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND AND THE GENERAL FUND.

[01:35:01]

SO ON SLIDE 11, JUST WANTED TO MENTION OUR OUTSTANDING DEBT BECAUSE AS WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO AFFORD GOING FORWARD, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE VERY CONCERNED AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR DEBT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ISSUED.

SO AGAIN, WE'VE ISSUED THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO TO FINANCE THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

VOTERS IN DALLAS HAVE APPROVED SEVEN SEPARATE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAMS DATING BACK TO 1998 THAT WE HAVE LISTED HERE.

OBVIOUSLY, THERE WERE BOND PROGRAMS PRIOR TO 1998, BUT WE JUST PICKED UP AT THAT POINT AND MOVED FORWARD.

SO WE'VE WE'VE HAD VARIOUS PROPOSITIONS. THE 98 HAD 11 PROPOSITIONS.

23 WE HAD. 17 THE OH FIVE PROGRAM ONLY HAD ONE PROPOSITION FOR FACILITY FOR HOMELESSNESS.

2006 WE HAD 12 PROPOSITIONS ACROSS ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACILITIES.

IN 2012, WE ONLY HAD THREE PROPOSITIONS ONE FOR STREETS, ONE FOR FLOOD PROTECTION AND STORM DRAINAGE AND ONE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN 2017 AND 2024, WE'VE HAD TEN PROPOSITIONS IN BOTH OF THOSE BOND PROGRAMS. SO MOVING TO SLIDE 12 OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT IS APPROVED BY VOTERS IS ALSO PAID OUT OF OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND, INCLUDING OUR EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION NOTES THAT WE USE TO FINANCE FLEET EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY AND CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATIONS, WHICH MAY BE USED FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE VOTERS OR FOR RISK MANAGEMENT FUNDING.

BOTH OF THOSE HAVE REQUIREMENTS IN STATE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH.

AND THE STATE IS ROUTINELY LOOKING AT LIMITING WHAT MUNICIPALITIES ARE ABLE TO ISSUE DEBT FOR.

WHEN WE DO ISSUE DEBT, WE DO HAVE TO GET OPINION FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS TO ALLOW US TO ISSUE DEBT.

OTHER DEBT FUNDED THROUGH THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM HAS INCLUDED, OTHER THAN THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WE ISSUED IN 2005 FOR THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT FUND.

AT THAT TIME, WE ISSUED $500 MILLION. AND THAT IS REPAID MOSTLY THROUGH PROPERTY TAX, BUT ALSO WHERE THERE IS EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, WHETHER IT BE IN WATER DEPARTMENT, AVIATION CONVENTION CENTER, THEY DO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEBT PAYMENT FOR THOSE.

WE ALSO HAVE IN OUR DEBT SERVICE BUDGET, THE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT, BECAUSE WE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE DISTRICTS AND OUR CONTRIBUTION OR OUR PARTICIPATION IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND BASED ON THE SPLIT OF THE TAX RATE.

SO THERE IS ABOUT $36 MILLION BUDGETED IN OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND FOR PAYMENT PARTICIPATION IN THE TIF.

THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE $97 MILLION THAT WE PAY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.

MOVING TO SLIDE 13. LOOKING AT OUR OUTSTANDING DEBT, THIS TABLE SHOWS OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS THAT ARE VOTER APPROVED.

OUR EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION NOTES AND OUR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH OF 2025.

WE HAVE $2.5 BILLION OF PRINCIPAL. THAT'S OUTSTANDING.

AND THEN THERE IS $1.1 BILLION OF INTEREST THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PRINCIPAL, FOR A TOTAL OF $3.6 BILLION.

THE CHART BELOW THE TABLE HAS THREE LINE ITEMS, OR THREE LINES ON THE CHART.

THE YELLOW LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM IS THE INTEREST, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE INTEREST PAYMENT HAS BEEN ANNUALLY OVER OR THE OUTSTANDING HAS BEEN OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. 1.1 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 16 IS STILL ABOUT $1.1 BILLION IN 26.

THE BLUE LINE IS THE PRINCIPAL. THAT'S OUTSTANDING.

IT HAS GROWN FROM 1.7 BILLION IN 20 16 TO 2.5 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 26.

AND THEN THE GREEN LINE IS THE TOTAL OF THE INTEREST PLUS THE PRINCIPAL FOR THE TOTAL OUTSTANDING.

ON PAGE 14 TWO THINGS LISTED HERE. THE TABLE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE IS FROM OUR BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT WAS PRINTED LAST SUMMER. AND IT SHOWS ALL OF THE VARIOUS SERIES OF DEBT THAT WE STILL HAVE PRINCIPAL OUTSTANDING.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT CHART IN VERY SMALL PRINT, $2.5 BILLION OF PRINCIPAL, THAT'S OUTSTANDING. SO WHILE OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ARE AUTHORIZED BY VOTERS EVERY 4 TO 6 YEARS, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ISSUE THE ENTIRE AMOUNT AT ONE TIME.

WE ISSUE ANNUALLY BASED UPON OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY.

AND JUST AS A COMPARISON, I KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT JUST HAD A $6.2 BILLION BOND PROGRAM APPROVED.

[01:40:04]

THEY'RE GOING TO ISSUE THAT OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD.

AND SO THE SAME WITH THE CITY. WE ISSUE BONDS THAT ARE AUTHORIZED.

WE GET THE VOTER AUTHORIZATION, WHICH OF COURSE WE HAVE TO HAVE, AND THEN WE ISSUE IT BASED UPON OUR FINANCIAL CAPACITY.

AND THEN WE WORK WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS TO IDENTIFY REFUNDING OPPORTUNITIES WHEN WE CAN REFUND BONDS AND ACHIEVE A SAVINGS.

OUR BONDS ARE TYPICALLY CALLABLE AFTER TEN YEARS, AND WE SEEK THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE OUR INTEREST BURDEN WHEN POSSIBLE.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE 15. THE TERM OF OUR DEBT VARIES BASED UPON THE TYPE OF DEBT THAT WE'RE ISSUING.

OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, THOSE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.

WE TYPICALLY FINANCE THAT OVER 20 YEARS WITH LEVEL PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS, OUR CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION, THOSE ARE FINANCED OVER TEN YEARS LEVEL PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS, OUR EQUIPMENT NOTES AND MASTER LEASE.

THEY HAVE VARIOUS TERMS THAT MATCH THE USEFUL LIFE.

SO SOME OF OUR MASTER LEASE DEBT MAY BE FINANCED FOR THREE YEARS.

SOME OF OUR MASTER LEASE DEBT MAY BE FINANCED FOR TEN YEARS.

IT DEPENDS UPON THE ASSET THAT'S BEING PURCHASED.

AND THEN THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WE ISSUED IN 2005 THAT WAS ISSUED WITH 30 YEAR DEBT LEVEL DEBT.

YOU CAN SEE IN THE CHART THERE AGAIN, THIS IS FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET BOOK.

IT SHOWS THE 2.5 BILLION OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL, THE 1.1 BILLION OF INTEREST FOR THE TOTAL OF 3.6.

AND YOU CAN SEE HOW WE PAID THE DEBT DOWN IF WE DO NOT ISSUE ANY MORE DEBT IN 2044, ALL OF OUR DEBT WILL BE PAID OFF.

WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO SET A TAX RATE BASED ON THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE.

SO WE WOULD, IF THAT WERE TO BE THE SCENARIO, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE LOWERING OUR DEBT SERVICE PORTION OF THE TAX RATE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT LEVY A DEBT FOR TAXES, YOU CANNOT LEVY A TAX RATE FOR DEBT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DEBT TO SUPPORT IT.

SO MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PAGE JUST SOME NOTES ABOUT OUR DEBT PROFILE.

I'M GOING TO LET JEANETTE WALK THROUGH THOSE SLIDES. THANK YOU.

JACK. THE CITY, AS JACK MENTIONED, HAS CURRENTLY ABOUT 200 OR 2.5 BILLION IN OUTSTANDING GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.

SO THIS IS THE PRINCIPAL. OUR ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT IS APPROXIMATELY 435 MILLION.

AND THAT COVERS BOTH THE INTEREST AND THE PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS ON OUR OUTSTANDING GEO BONDS.

THE ANNUAL INTEREST RATE ON THE CITY'S DEBT IS 3.06%.

AND SO THIS REFLECTS OUR STRONG CREDIT AND FAVORABLE BORROWING POWER BORROWING CONDITIONS.

THE AVERAGE MATURITY IS SEVEN YEARS, AND THE CITY USES, AS JACK MENTIONED, A LEVEL LEVEL PRINCIPLE STRUCTURE WHICH ACCELERATES THE REPAYMENT.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE 18. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE CITY'S DISCIPLINED APPROACH TO MANAGING DEBT.

THE CITY FOLLOWS VERY STRICT FINANCIAL POLICIES TO ENSURE OUR DEBT LEVELS REMAIN RESPONSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE.

THESE STRONG ADHERENCE TO THESE POLICIES HELPS MAINTAIN OUR SOLID BOND RATING, WHICH LOWERS OUR BORROWING COSTS.

DEBT ISSUANCE IS CAREFULLY PLANNED, BUDGETED AND STRUCTURED TO SUPPORT OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.

SLIDE 19 SHOWS HOW THE CITY MEASURES ITSELF AGAINST KEY FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR DEBT MANAGEMENT.

THE CITY MEETS OR EXCEEDS EVERY BENCHMARK SHOWN ON THIS TABLE.

THE DEBT SERVICE FUND RESERVE IS WELL ABOVE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED 5%.

WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 18%. CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION SHOULD NOT EXCEED 15% OF TOTAL DEBT.

AND SO WE'RE CURRENTLY AT THE 14.3% THRESHOLD.

OUR AVERAGE G.O. BOND MATURITY IS SEVEN YEARS, WHICH IS UNDER THE TEN YEAR MAX.

AND OUR G.O. SHARE AS A AS A G.O. DEBT, AS A SHARE OF TAXABLE PROPERTY VALUE IS WELL BELOW THE 4% LIMIT.

WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 0.7%. DIRECT AND OVERLAPPING DEBT REMAINS WELL WITHIN THE 8% LIMIT.

WE'RE AT 3.9%, AND OUR G.O. DEBT REPRESENTS 15.2% OF TOTAL GOVERNMENTAL FUND EXPENDITURES.

SO THAT'S UNDER THE 20% CAP. SO OVERALL, THE CITY REMAINS IN STRONG COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF OUR DEBT MANAGEMENT CRITERIA.

ON SLIDE 20, YOU SEE THE CITY HOLDS STRONG BOND RATINGS ACROSS THE MAJOR AGENCIES.

THESE RATINGS REFLECT A GROWING TAX BASE, HEALTHY RESERVES, AND CONSISTENT ABILITY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

PAST RATING PRESSURES STEM FROM THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM SYSTEM, THE BACK PAY LAWSUIT, OUR SALES TAX DEPENDANCE AND PROP U, WHICH LIMITS FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY.

AND NEXT, I'LL TURN IT BACK TO JACK. SO MOVING TO SLIDE 22.

WE HAVE THREE SLIDES ON DEBT PER CAPITA. I WANTED TO MENTION.

[01:45:04]

IT'S A SIMPLE SNAPSHOT SNAPSHOT, NOT NECESSARILY A MEASURE OF AFFORDABILITY OR FISCAL HEALTH.

DEBT PER CAPITA IS OFTEN USED TO COMPARE AGAINST PURE CITIES.

HOWEVER, THIS ANALYSIS IS LIMITED. IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR PROPERTY VALUES OF A TAX BASE OR THE AGE OF THE CITY.

DEBT PER CAPITA DOES NOT REFLECT TRENDS OVER TIME DUE TO NEW VOTER APPROVED BOND PROGRAMS AND DEBT PER CAPITA DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT PART OF OUR DEBT IS PAID FOR BY OUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS.

IT IS SIMPLY ASSUMING THAT EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD HAS A SHARE OF DEBT AND DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT 53% OF OUR PROPERTY VALUE IS IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE THE ONES PAYING FOR PART OF THE DEBT.

BUT WE HAVE LAID OUT OUR DEBT PER CAPITA ON SLIDE 23 AND 24, STARTING ON 23, YOU CAN SEE THAT DEBT PER CAPITA OVER TIME.

AND WE HAVE INSERTED TEXT BOXES SHOWING DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIMES, DIFFERENT BOND PROGRAMS THAT WERE ISSUED.

YOU CAN SEE BACK IN 2005, THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT $500 MILLION THAT WAS ISSUED AT THAT TIME, IT DID DRIVE UP OUR DEBT PER CAPITA. YOU CAN SEE THE PAY REFERENDUM WAS SETTLED IN FISCAL YEAR 23.

AND AFTER THAT, OUR DEBT STARTED GOING UP AGAIN DEBT PER CAPITA.

ALSO, WE ISSUED CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION OUTSIDE OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM IN 23 AND 24, WHICH AGAIN DROVE UP OUR DEBT PER CAPITA. SO IF YOU LOOK FROM FISCAL YEAR 98 TO FISCAL YEAR 26, THE DEBT PER CAPITA HAS CHANGED FROM $590 TO 1910.

I DON'T REALLY LIKE THE COMPARISON. AND NORMALLY I DON'T INCLUDE ADJUSTMENTS FOR INFLATION, BUT I DID IN THIS CASE WHEN ADJUSTED FOR 28 YEARS OF INFLATION, THE $590 OF DEBT PER CAPITA, 99, 1998 WOULD BE ADJUSTED TO 1195 IN 20 $6. SO COMPARISON OF 1195 PER CAPITA VERSUS 1910. NOW IT'S STILL A 60% INCREASE.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE 24. LOOKING AT THE DEBT PER CAPITA COMPARED TO THE OTHER MAJOR CITIES IN TEXAS AUSTIN, FORT WORTH, HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO. AND THEN JUST A SNAPSHOT OF FIVE OF OUR SUBURBAN NEIGHBORS ARE LISTED AS WELL.

AGAIN, DALLAS AT 1910 PER CAPITA. AND YOU CAN SEE THE COMPARISON.

THERE'S MANY THINGS. YOU'LL SEE THAT THE AGE OF THE THE CITY, WHETHER THE CITY HAS BUILT OUT, WHETHER THERE'S HOW FAST THE CITIES GREW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS IMPACT THE DEBT PER CAPITA.

SOME OF THE SUBURBAN CITIES MAY HAVE MADE INVESTMENTS, BUT THEY STILL HAVE A SMALLER POPULATION.

AND SO THAT WOULD SHOW A DRIVE UP IN THEIR COST PER CAPITA.

SO MOVING PAST THE DEBT PER CAPITA TO FUTURE DEBT.

MOVING TO SLIDE 26. JUST AS A REMINDER, IN OCTOBER OF THIS PAST FALL, WE DID BRIEF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON OUR FUTURE DEBT AND OUR FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK. AT THE TIME, WE TOLD THE COMMITTEE THAT WE HAD THREE PRIMARY DEBT ISSUANCES PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR, $250 MILLION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.

COUNCIL APPROVED THAT. WE CLOSED ON THOSE BONDS IN DECEMBER OF 2025 AS THE SECOND OF FIVE TRANCHES FOR THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM.

IN DECEMBER OF 25, WE ALSO CLOSED ON $35 MILLION OF EQUIPMENT ACQUISITION CONTRACTUAL NOTES, AND THEN WE'RE ISSUING $53 MILLION OF MASTER LEASE THIS YEAR.

BUT THE ISSUANCE OF THE MASTER ELITE MASTER LEASE DEBT IS BASED UPON.

WE PAY WHEN WE RECEIVE THE EQUIPMENT AND WE PAY FOR IT, WE DON'T BORROW THAT UPFRONT.

WE'RE ABLE TO BORROW THAT AS WE'RE MAKING THE PAYMENTS FOR THE EQUIPMENT.

ON SLIDE 27, YOU'LL SEE A CHART THAT WE SHARED WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER THAT JUST LAYS OUT THE FIVE YEARS OF DEBT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FORECAST OR THAT WE HAD IN OUR FORECAST AT THAT TIME, AGAIN, SHOWING IN THE FAR RIGHT HAND COLUMN, FISCAL YEAR 26, A TOTAL OF $338 MILLION OF DEBT FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 PLANNING, $350 MILLION OF DEBT, FISCAL YEAR 28 829 MILLION. AND I'LL STOP THERE, BECAUSE I WANT TO POINT OUT THE $500 MILLION OF PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR FORECAST TO POTENTIALLY ISSUE IN FISCAL YEAR 28.

[01:50:02]

BUT BACK WHEN WE WERE PREPARING THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM, AND I BRIEFED YOU ALL IN AUGUST OF 2023, WE TOLD YOU THAT WE WERE KIND OF RESERVING SOME CAPACITY FOR THE POTENTIAL OF POTENTIAL PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.

AT THAT TIME, WE WERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PENSION AND HOW WE WERE WE GOING TO RESOLVE THAT? WE TALKED ABOUT SELLING ASSETS, INCREASING OUR CONTRIBUTIONS, AND I TOLD Y'ALL THAT I HAD RESERVED ABOUT $500 MILLION FOR POTENTIAL USE FOR PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS. THEN ALSO IN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, YOU SEE THAT WE WOULD HAVE OUR LAST TRANCHE OF THE 24 BONDS IN FISCAL YEAR 29.

AND SO WE AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 30, WE WOULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED.

SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, 28 THE 2024 BONDS THAT VOTERS APPROVED IN MAY OF 24 WAS $1.25 BILLION. WE'VE ISSUED AGAIN THE FIRST TRANCHE IN FISCAL YEAR 25, THE SECOND TRANCHE WE CLOSED ON LAST DECEMBER, FISCAL YEAR 26. AND WE HAVE THREE MORE TRANCHES OF DEBT TO ISSUE IN 27, 28 AND 29 $250 MILLION EACH. THE DETAIL ON THE PROJECTS THAT ALIGN TO EACH OF THE PROPOSITIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE APPENDIX.

ALL OF THE DETAIL IS IS BACK IN THE BACK. MOVING TO SLIDE 29.

REGARDING THE FUTURE DEBT, FUTURE DEBT CAPACITY EXISTS BASED UPON OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS.

AND JEANETTE TALKED ABOUT WHERE THE REVENUE COMES FROM TO PAY THE DEBT.

EXISTING DEBT. WE TALKED ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING DEBT PRINCIPAL PLUS INTEREST THAT WE HAVE TO PAY.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DEBT THAT WE PLANNED, BUT WE HAVE ALSO UPDATED THE MODEL.

NOW THAT WE CLOSE FISCAL YEAR 25, WE ROLLED FORWARD OUR FUND BALANCE.

WE CLOSED THE DECEMBER 25TH BONDS AT BETTER INTEREST RATES THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED.

WE DID MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO INTEREST RATES ON FUTURE DEBT BASED UPON THE THE FAVORABLE RATES THAT WE GOT THIS LAST DECEMBER, AND BY DOING THAT, I WAS ABLE TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

SO I WANT TO EXPLAIN THE TABLE THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE 29.

THE BLUE WOULD REFLECT WHAT I HAD PUT TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, 5 OR 6 MONTHS AGO, ANTICIPATING THAT WE WOULD ISSUE THE $250 MILLION FOR THREE YEARS FOR THE 2024 GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, HOLDING THAT $500 MILLION OF POTENTIAL PENSION OBLIGATION, BOND CAPACITY. AND THEN WE WOULD STILL HAVE THE ABILITY IN FISCAL YEAR 29 TO HAVE ANOTHER BOND ELECTION FOR ANOTHER $1.25 BILLION.

WE COULD AFFORD THAT. NOW, AS I MENTIONED, WITH THE SECOND BULLET, WE'VE GONE IN, UPDATED OUR MODEL TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES, MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR INTEREST RATES GOING FORWARD, AND I WAS ABLE TO INCREASE THE OVERALL DEBT BY $200 MILLION IN THIS TIME PERIOD.

AND SO BASED UPON THE APRIL 15TH BRIEFING ON THE POLICE ACADEMY AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY AND THE NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL $250 MILLION.

SO WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF I DROPPED IN THE $250 MILLION IN WORKING WITH THE STAFF FROM THE BOND OFFICE AND DEV, THEY WOULD NEED THAT FUNDING $120 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 27, 80 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 28 AND 50 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 29. AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN THAT MIDDLE GREEN COLUMN WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT AND STAY WITHIN OUR ANNUAL DEBT CAPACITY, I DID HAVE TO LOWER THE 24 GEO BONDS FROM 250 TO 180 AND PUSH IT OUT TO A FOURTH YEAR. AND I HAD TO LOWER THE 28 ALLOCATION FROM 250 DOWN TO 220 AND DROP THAT OVER INTO FISCAL YEAR 30. SO STILL ABLE TO DO THE 24 BOND PROGRAM.

BUT WITH THIS SCENARIO, IT STRETCHES IT OUT JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR.

IT STILL HOLDS THE CAPACITY. IF THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO SEND FORWARD TO THE VOTERS $500 MILLION FOR PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS, AND THEN IF THE CITY COUNCIL CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD RELATED TO THE POLICE ACADEMY AND THE BRIEFING FROM APRIL THE 15TH ON $250 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL NEED THERE THAT STILL ALLOWS FOR FUTURE BONDS, DROPPED IT FROM 1.25 TO 1.2 BECAUSE I NEEDED A LITTLE MORE MONEY TO MAKE THE POLICE ACADEMY WORK. BUT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT SCENARIO AND HOW THAT LAYS OUT.

SO MOVING ON TO NEXT STEPS. REALLY INTERESTED IN YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY.

[01:55:05]

I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING A JOINT MEETING WITH FINANCE, AND SO WE'LL TAKE COUNSEL'S DIRECTION ON THAT.

AND THEN NEXT STEPS CONTINUED. WE'RE COMING BACK IN JUNE TO DISCUSS THE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY IN MORE DETAIL.

ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS, COST REFINEMENTS.

AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MENTION, IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY BONDS AND YOU WANTED A NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026 ELECTION, THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE THE DEADLINE IS SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST THE 12TH.

WE WILL UPDATE OUR DEBT SERVICE FINANCIAL CAPACITY MODEL AT THE END OF JULY AFTER WE GET OUR CERTIFIED VALUES.

IF WE GOT A LITTLE MORE VALUE THAN WHAT WE'VE PROJECTED, IF WE GET MORE THAN THAT 40 YEAR AVERAGE, IT INCREASES THE CAPACITY A LITTLE BIT. SO WE WILL UPDATE AGAIN AT THE END OF JULY.

WE'LL WILL BRING YOU A RECOMMENDED BUDGET IN AUGUST.

OF COURSE, I ALWAYS CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON ANY DEBT ISSUANCE AND EVERY DEBT ISSUANCE.

WE DO HAVE TO GET COUNCIL AUTHORIZATION, SO I'M NOT OUT THERE BORROWING ON MY OWN.

I HAVE TO COME GET YOUR AUTHORIZATION TO DO IT.

SO WITH THAT THAT IS OUR PREPARED REMARKS AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. JANET. JEANETTE AND JACK AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO CHAIRMAN WEST FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. REALLY NICE JOB SYNTHESIZING A LOT OF INFORMATION AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.

JACK AND JEANETTE. A COUPLE OF CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS FOR ME.

JACK, YOU MENTIONED THAT IN ORDER TO ISSUE CORRECT ME IF I'M SAYING ANY OF THIS WRONG, PLEASE.

500 MILLION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER PUBLIC ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENTS WE WOULD NEED TO PUSH OUT THE FISCAL YEAR 28 BOND PROJECTS, SOME OF THEM TO FISCAL YEAR 30.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES, SIR. JUST ONE CLARIFICATION.

I HEARD YOU SAY 500. WE'RE LOOKING AT $250 MILLION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL CHOOSES TO DO.

YES, IT WOULD REQUIRE US, INSTEAD OF ISSUING THREE MORE TRANCHES TO FINISH 24, WE WOULD NEED FOUR TO FINISH THE 24 BOND.

OKAY, OKAY. I HEARD YOU SAY 250. AND THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS.

BUT SOMEHOW 500 ENDED UP IN MY NOTES. OKAY, SO LET'S GO THEN.

THAT TAKES ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH IS ARE WE ON TRACK FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 TO GET ALL OF THESE PROJECTS MOVING THAT WE HAVE 250 MILLION FOR FOR FISCAL YEAR 25? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, FOR THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I GET TO DEFER IT TO SOMEONE ELSE.

DEV. DEV OR JENNY. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO COME HELP WITH THAT AND WHY JENNY AND WHY JENNY IS COMING.

COUNCIL MEMBER. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE 250, THEN YOU ADD THE 500 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE PLANNED IN 2023 FOR PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS TO THAT NUMBER. THAT'S FIVE. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HEARD THE 500 MILLION.

THAT WAS FOR THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS THAT WE'VE BEEN PLANNING SINCE 23.

THAT'S NOT BEEN APPROVED OR ISSUED. THEN YOU ADD 250 TO THAT NUMBER.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HEARD THE HALF A MILLION. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WHERE WHERE DOES THE 500 GET ADDED.

IN WHAT YEAR DOES THAT GET ADDED IN. SO JACK WILL YOU SHOW THAT IN THE CHART.

YES, MA'AM. ON SLIDE 29 IN THE BOTH THE BLUE AND GREEN SECTION, YOU'LL SEE IN THE SECOND COLUMN OF FISCAL YEAR 28.

YEAH. THE 500 MILLION. AND AGAIN, THAT IS A PLACEHOLDER THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE 23.

IT STILL HASN'T BEEN APPROVED BY THIS BODY, ETC.

IT WOULD REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL. SO BOTH THE 250 FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY AND THE 500 WOULD REQUIRE VOTER APPROVAL IF WE DO THEM, THEN THE TWO. THE. THE FISCAL YEAR 28 PREVIOUSLY APPROVED VOTER PROJECTS GET MOVED TO 30.

YES, SIR. IT DOES REQUIRE PUSHING OUT SOME OF THOSE.

SO YOU WOULD BE PUSHING THOSE OUT FOR TWO YEARS? YES, SIR. OKAY.

SO THEN MY GOING BACK TO MY OTHER QUESTION IS HOW ARE WE DOING PUSHING OUT THE 2025 PROJECTS? AND IF WE ARE BEHIND ON THAT, AND I'M NOT HOPING WE'RE NOT, BUT IF WE'RE BEHIND ON THAT, HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO SLIDE 29, IF AT ALL? AND EXCUSE ME, JENNY NISWANDER, I'M DIRECTOR OF THE BOND OFFICE.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO AS YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE A QUARTERLY REPORT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

THAT KIND OF GOES OVER AT A HIGH LEVEL WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHEN IN TERMS OF THE 2024 BOND AND GOING BACK TO THE 2006 BOND PROGRAM THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED AND WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING THAT WILL BE ENCUMBERED AND EXPENDED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR FOR THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM,

[02:00:06]

SO WE DO ASK FOR THE DATES. BUT THERE WILL BE SOME PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE BUT WILL NOT BE ENCUMBERED IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

OKAY. SO WE HAD FORECAST THE SCHEDULE IS FOR 250 MILLION, BUT WE THINK WE'RE ONLY GOING TO BE ENCUMBERING 134 MILLION. DID I, DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT? YES.

THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SHOWING AS OF THE LAST QUARTERLY REPORT. WE DO HAVE ANOTHER QUARTERLY REPORT, I BELIEVE COMING OUT THIS MONTH. AND WE'LL BE UPDATING THAT. OKAY. I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO IT'D BE NICE IF WE HAD IT WITH WITH US.

AND I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THAT BEFORE. BUT WHAT CAN YOU TELL US GENERALLY? I MEAN, I'M NOT TRYING TO CALL THE DEPARTMENTS OUT, YOU KNOW, AND LINE THEM UP HERE TO, TO ANSWER, YOU KNOW, TO ANSWER. BUT WHAT, WHAT GENERALLY IS THE HOLD UP WITH $120 MILLION IN BONDS? I EXCUSE ME, I THINK THAT THE HOLDUP HAS BEEN FOR THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, WE, WE JUST WEREN'T SET UP FOR THIS BOND PROGRAM TO GO STRAIGHT INTO CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE.

SO WE ARE A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS TO FOLLOW.

DO YOU THINK COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, CAN I JUST ADD TO JENNY'S COMMENT? SO WHEN WE BUILT THE, THE, THE 2024 BOND PROGRAM, WE PUT MONEY INTO PROJECTS THAT INCLUDE BOTH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

AND SO WHAT IS HAPPENING IS IN THE EARLY PART OF THE BOND PROGRAM, THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS WERE ENCUMBERING THE DESIGN FUNDING.

WHAT AND AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION. AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WE'RE NOT ABLE TO UTILIZE ALL OF THE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

AND SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN 2017 AND IN PAST BOND PROGRAMS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A RAMP UP FOR DESIGN, AND THEN WE GO INTO CONSTRUCTION LATER ON.

AND SO YOU KNOW, THE BOND PROGRAMS TEND TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD WHERE WE ACTUALLY ALLOCATE THE DOLLARS.

DO YOU THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE UP GROUND IN FISCAL YEAR 2627.

SO IT DOESN'T IMPACT JACK'S PLAN FOR 28? SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOND OFFICE DID THIS THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR AS WELL, IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNING, ALIGNING THEIR PROJECT SCHEDULES WITH THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE IN THAT FISCAL YEAR.

SO WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DID A REALLY GREAT JOB OF LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PROJECTS ARE, ARE BEING SCHEDULED FOR DESIGN. AND IF THEY HAD CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS IN YEAR THREE THAN WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE OUT AND AND MOVE DOLLARS AND OTHER PROPOSITIONS FORWARD TO, TO ACCOUNT FOR PROJECTS THAT WERE THAT WERE READY.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, SO WE CAN GET THEM OUT THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THEN JUST A POINT. WELL, I WOULD ASK IF, IF YOU COULD HAVE YOUR OFFICE BRING US THE, THE MOST UPDATED QUARTERLY REPORT AND WE CAN JUST HAVE A PHYSICAL COPY OF THAT AS WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION TODAY.

AND THEN I DO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION OF HAVING THE PENSION AND FINANCE MEETING JOINTLY AS IT COMES UP LATER THIS MONTH, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, I MEAN, THIS DOES IMPACT OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AS A CITY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PENSIONS. SO THANK YOU.

CHAIRMAN GRACEY RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, CHAIR WEST.

A LOT OF YOUR QUESTIONS WERE CENTERED AROUND THE MINE IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE I UNDERSTOOD SLIDE 29 AND WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD HAVE.

IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS, I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN A SIMPLER WAY TO.

THE BLUE IS THE WAY THINGS ARE CURRENTLY ALLOCATED AND PLANNED FOR THE.

FOR THIS 2024 BOND PROGRAM. AND THEN THE ONLY THING THAT'S BEING ADDED IS A PROPOSED 500 MILLION FOR THE PENSION.

AND THEN IN THE GREEN, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS YOU HAVE THE PENSION THERE, BUT THEN YOU HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 250 FOR POTENTIAL PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THEN I SEE THAT THIS GETS REDUCED IN IN 30.

SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHICH PROJECTS WILL BE.

IS THIS SAYING THAT PROJECTS WILL BE DELAYED AS A RESULT? AND MAYBE I'M NOT USING THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THIS 250 GETS IMPLEMENTED INTO THIS BOND SCHEDULE,

[02:05:05]

YOU ACTUALLY ANSWERED IT. SO IN ORDER TO INSERT.

SO REMEMBER THE 500 MILLION FOR PENSION. WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THAT IN OUR NUMBERS IN THE BLUE SINCE 2023.

SO PULLING THAT OVER DOESN'T NECESSARILY CHANGE ANYTHING.

BUT WHEN YOU ADD THE 250 CORRECT, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE THEN INSERTING THAT AS THE PRIORITY.

SO PROJECTS THAT WERE PLANNED IN THAT YEAR, YOU MOVE THOSE PROJECTS BACK.

AND SO AND THEN I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHICH PROJECTS AND HOW WILL WE DETERMINE WHICH PROJECTS ARE IMPACTED, BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY, LIKE, I'M NOT NECESSARILY AGAINST, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT I THINK THESE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE COMMUNICATED TO THE PUBLIC. IF WE GO THROUGH A BOND.

YES, SIR. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS AN EXHIBIT IF IT'S NOT IN THE APPENDIX, WHERE WE LIST OUT THE PROJECTS BY PROPOSITION THAT WERE PLANNED FOR EACH OF THE YEARS SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

MR. IRELAND, AM I RIGHT? WE HAVE THAT DATA. YES, MA'AM.

YOU'RE CORRECT. SO THERE IS IN THE APPENDIX THE DETAILS.

THAT IS BASED ON $250 MILLION IN EACH YEAR. IT IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF ANY MOVEMENT THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY.

AND I THINK JENNY CAME FORWARD TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD BE.

YES, YES. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO WHAT? THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY DISCUSSION WITH ANY OF THE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHAT PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE MOVING AT THIS POINT. WE REALLY WANTED TO GET IN FRONT OF COUNCIL BEFORE WE STARTED DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE THOUGHT OF AS A AS A BIG PICTURE IS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IF PROJECTS HAVE DESIGN DOLLARS IN YEARS ONE AND TWO AND CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS IN YEAR THREE, BUT IT'S NOT UNDER DESIGN YET, THEN THOSE CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS AREN'T NEEDED, RIGHT? SO SO THOSE WOULD BE THE EASY WINS THAT WE COULD WE COULD MOVE THOSE OUT A YEAR AND KIND OF LOOK, LOOK AT THAT WITHOUT IMPACTING THE SCHEDULE, WITHOUT IMPACTING GETTING THOSE PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THEIR CURRENT SCHEDULE. SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE DON'T HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A HARD AND FAST PLAN, BUT WE WOULD BE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ANY CHANGES WERE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. JACK, COULD YOU READ THE FIRST BULLET ON SLIDE THREE? SLIDE THREE. YEAH. CITY HAS HISTORICALLY USED DEBT FINANCING TO PAY FOR LONG TERM CAPITAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS.

THANK YOU. SO THIS IS THE VERY FIRST THING IN THE PRESENTATION THAT I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH.

AND WE ARE ALWAYS TAKING OUT DEBT TO FINANCE EVERYTHING.

AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE GOOD FISCAL POLICIES WE COULD ADOPT IS TO AGREE TO ACCRUE FOR REPLACEMENT OF EVERY NEW ITEM THAT WE BRING FORWARD SO THAT WE'RE PAYING CASH AND WE'RE NOT ALWAYS PAYING DEBT.

AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GIVING UP MORE THAN A QUARTER OF EVERY DOLLAR WE SPEND IN PROPERTY TAXES TO GO TO DEBT PAYMENTS.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE END UP WITH TERRIBLE FISCAL PROBLEMS. ONE OF THE MANY REASONS. SO CAN WE LOOK AT SLIDE NUMBER SIX.

THIS IS THE PROPERTY TAX BASE AND THE BEAUTIFUL CHART OF HOW IT HAS GROWN.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS AND YOU SEE THAT IN FIVE YEARS, THE PROPERTY VALUE HAS INCREASED 9% IN TEN YEARS, 8.5%. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE THE ENVY OF ANY COMMUNITY.

THIS IS REALLY REMARKABLE. BUT HERE WE ARE IN A BUDGET FREEZE, AND THIS IS OUR OWN PROBLEM BECAUSE CLEARLY WE DO NOT HAVE A REVENUE PROBLEM. WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE PROBLEM WITH SPENDING.

ON SLIDE SEVEN, THIS IS JUST CALLING OUT YOUR OWN NUMBER OF BULLET THREE.

THE THIRD BULLET WHERE 27.4% OF PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED TO DEBT SERVICE.

THIS SHOULD GIVE EVERYONE PAUSE. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

IF WE DIDN'T HAVE SO MUCH DEBT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A LARGER GENERAL FUND AND FUND THE PROJECTS THAT WE WANT.

SO EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING WITH THAT, WE ARE REDUCING OUR FUTURE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE WE'RE PAYING INTEREST AND THAT IS ONLY GOING UP AND UP AND UP. SLIDE 12. THE VERY LAST BULLET. COULD YOU READ THAT ONE?

[02:10:07]

SO OUR TAX RATE CURRENTLY IS 69.88. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. SO WE COULD REDUCE OUR TAX RATE ALMOST $0.06 IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TIFS.

AND WHAT DO WE DO. WE KEEP EXPANDING OUR TIFS.

WE KEEP EXTENDING OUR TIFS. WE GIVE SO MANY TAX ABATEMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A VERY HIGH TAX RATE COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE CITIES AND COMPARED TO THE OTHER CITIES IN THE DFW AREA.

MOVING ON TO SLIDE 20. THIS IS ABOUT OUR DEBT PROFILE AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BOND RATINGS.

CAN YOU GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF HOW OUR BOND RATINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE? I'M GOING TO SAY 2019, SINCE THAT IS THE LONGEST SERVING THAT ANY OF US ARE.

I'LL MAKE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE MOODY'S RATING.

SO THAT RATING WAS ADJUSTED BASED ON PROPOSITION U.

LET ME PULL UP OUR OTHER HISTORICAL RATINGS. WELL I THINK FITCH IN 2019 WAS DOUBLE A PLUS STABLE.

WE'RE NOW JUST DOUBLE A STABLE. MOODY'S IN 2019.

DOUBLE A ONE WITH STABLE OUTLOOK, NOW A ONE NEGATIVE S&P 2019AA PLUS STABLE.

I MEAN WE'VE GONE DOWN TWO NOTCHES. WE'RE NOW AT DOUBLE A NEGATIVE STABLE.

SO YOU'RE CORRECT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OVER TIME SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BOND RATING.

PRIMARILY THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN HAVE BEEN THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEMS, UNFUNDED LIABILITY, THE POLICE AND FIRE BACK PAY LAWSUIT THAT HAD NOT BEEN SETTLED AT THE TIME.

SO BOTH OF THOSE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. THE POLICE AND FIRE BACK PAY LAWSUIT WAS SETTLED.

THAT IS RESOLVED. THE DALLAS POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM.

WE HAVE A FUNDING PLAN THAT THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL AND THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM BOARD BOTH APPROVED, AND THAT THE TEXAS PENSION REVIEW BOARD HAS ACCEPTED.

SO I EXPECT THAT THOSE THINGS WILL BE RECOGNIZED BY THE RATING AGENCIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

BUT THEY DON'T MOVE YOU UP VERY QUICKLY. IT WILL TAKE PROBABLY SEVERAL YEARS OF SEEING OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM BEFORE THEY WILL ACTUALLY TAKE ANY ACTION THAT MIGHT ADDRESS THAT. BUT AGAIN, THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY REASONING THAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN ON ANY DOWNGRADE AND EVEN PROPOSITION U. ALTHOUGH THERE WASN'T A CHANGE TO THE RATING.

MOODY'S DID CHANGE THE OUTLOOK FROM STABLE TO NEGATIVE AS A RESULT OF PROPOSITION U.

THAT WAS PASSED AND THEY VIEWED THE RATING AGENCY VIEWED THAT AS A NEGATIVE BECAUSE IT REDUCED OUR FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY.

SO DON'T YOU THINK THAT WHEN THE ANALYSTS LOOK AT ESPECIALLY THE PENSION AND THE PROJECTED CONTRIBUTION, WHERE OVER $500 MILLION, MEANING AN ENTIRE EXTRA FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR OUR CITY WOULD BE REQUIRED AS A PAYMENT. THAT THEY'LL WONDER, HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY DO THAT WHEN WE CAN'T EVEN STAY IN OUR BUDGET TODAY? NO, I'M NOT CONCERNED WITH THAT. AND SO WE HAVE A PLAN THAT WE HAVE APPROVED TO MAKE OUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO POLICE AND FIRE PENSION.

IF THE COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED WITH COMMITTEE, IS CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER YOU WANT TO ISSUE BONDS THAT WOULD MOVE PART OF THAT CONTRIBUTION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND BY WAY OF ISSUING A PENSION OBLIGATION BOND.

THE PENSION OBLIGATION BOND WOULD NOT INCREASE THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION.

IT WOULD JUST BE A DIFFERENT WAY OF MAKING OUR CONTRIBUTION.

SO BUT I THINK IT SHOULD THAT CONTRIBUTION WOULD THEN REQUIRE INTEREST.

YES. YES, MA'AM. IT WOULD. AND SO THAT'S THAT'S A CONVERSATION.

THE BODY WILL HAVE TO HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY WANT TO WHETHER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO THAT OR NOT.

AND IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND.

IT IS AN OPTION THAT RIGHT NOW I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ISSUING THE BONDS BECAUSE IN ORDER TO MAKE ISSUING PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS

[02:15:06]

THE INTEREST RATES ARE TOO HIGH RIGHT NOW FOR THAT.

THERE NEEDS TO BE A SPREAD BETWEEN WHAT WE PAY IN DEBT AND WHAT THE THE PENSION SYSTEM IS ABLE TO EARN IN INTEREST.

AND RIGHT NOW, I DO NOT THINK THAT SPREAD WOULD BE APPROPRIATE GIVEN THE HIGH COST OF BORROWING.

SO GETTING AUTHORIZATION DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN ISSUING THOSE BONDS.

BUT YEAH, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE TRIGGERS WOULD BE FOR IF WE DO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THAT WAY.

AND SO THE DOWNGRADE IN THESE BOND RATINGS, WHAT HAS THAT MEANT IN TERMS OF BASIS POINTS FOR OUR FOR OUR DEBT.

I APOLOGIZE, COULD YOU ASK AGAIN I WAS TRYING TO SIDEBAR.

SURE. NO PROBLEM THAT WITH THE DOWNGRADE IN OUR BOND RATINGS, WHAT DOES THAT MEANT IN TERMS OF THE COST OF THE BASIS POINTS FOR OUR DEBT? THERE IS A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE. IT'S REALLY NOT VERY SIGNIFICANT.

I WOULD HAVE TO TO GO BACK AND PULL SOME INFORMATION TO GET YOU AN EXACT ANSWER OF WHAT YOU KNOW, A FEW BASIS POINTS MEANS ON THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT A HUGE COST INCREASE, BUT IT IS, THERE'S AN EXTRA, THERE IS EXTRA COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOWER BOND RATING.

WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT 25 BASIS POINTS ON A $300 MILLION DEBT FOR 20 YEARS.

THAT'S $750,000. THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO US.

THE DEBT PER CAPITA THAT YOU'RE SHOWING ON PAGE 23.

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE SEES HOW ALARMING IT IS, THAT IT HAS GONE MUCH HIGHER FOR OUR CITY ITSELF THAN IT HAD IN THE PAST.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT'S NOT A GREAT MEASURE SINCE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE COMMERCIAL AND OUR DEBT HAS CHANGED.

OUR PROPERTY TAX HAS CHANGED. IS FROM RESIDENTIAL YOUR FOCUS TO NOW HEAVIER ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE HELP YOU. HELP ME HELP YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. TO THE BUDGET TEAM AND FINANCE TEAM.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT DEBT AND ON. WELL, IT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY WANT TO RUN, YOU THINK ABOUT RUNNING THE CITY LIKE YOU MIGHT WANT TO RUN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHERE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE CASH FOR IT, YOU YOU KNOW, YOU SAVE OR WHATEVER, BUT CITY EXPENSES CAN BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF SOMETHING THAT MAY.

WELL, GOING TO PAGE THREE, FINANCING SPREADS THE COST OF THE ASSET OVER THE LIFE OF THE ASSET.

SO THOSE BENEFITING FROM THE ASSET ARE PAYING FOR THE ASSET.

ASSET FOUR TIMES IN ONE SENTENCE. WOW. QUADRUPLE WORD SCORE.

SO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IN SOME OF WHAT WE BUY FLEET OR OTHER CITY ASSETS.

CERTAINLY. SO WE BUILD A NEW RECREATION CENTER.

SO WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? DO WE WANT TO SAVE UP THE CASH CHARGE.

OUR CURRENT RESIDENCE TAXES, SAVE THE MONEY THAT THEY PAY TO THE CITY AND THEN BUILD IT.

AND THEY EITHER MOVE OR DIE AND THEY NEVER BENEFIT FROM IT.

OR DO WE ISSUE DEBT, WHICH DOES COME WITH AN INTEREST COST, BUT WE ISSUE THE DEBT, WE BUILD IT.

AND THEN THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE LIVING IN DALLAS THAT ARE USING THAT RECREATION CENTER ARE PAYING THE TAXES, THAT PAYS THE DEBT ON THAT FACILITY THAT WE BUILD.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST IT'S A PHILOSOPHY. AND I WISH THAT WE HAD MORE CASH TO BUILD MORE WITH CASH, BUT WE CAN'T BUILD IT ON WHAT I WISH. AND IT'S ONE THING THAT'S PROBLEMATIC IS THE STATE CHANGES HAVE MADE IT HARDER BECAUSE THERE IS A CAP ON THE GENERAL FUND.

WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO GROW OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY THE THE 3.5% CAP.

AND I THINK THAT CAP IS AT RISK OF BEING LOWERED, AND IT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO MOVE.

IF WE WANTED TO LOWER THE TAX RATE ON THE DEBT SIDE, WE CAN'T MOVE IT OVER TO THE OPERATING SIDE.

WE'LL HAVE TO REDUCE IT IF WE HIT THE CAP. SO IT'S IT'S THERE'S THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS IN THAT LAW, IN MY OPINION THAT THAT RESTRICT US, THAT LIMIT US.

SO WE NEED TO BE SURE WE USE DEBT WISELY. IT CAN BE A STRATEGIC TOOL.

AND SO WHEN I WAS TEXTING WITH YOU ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, SO THERE ARE SOME RESTRICTIONS AROUND THIS.

[02:20:02]

WE'VE GOT COOLING OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LEDGE IS GOING TO DO. BUT BUT WE CAN'T JUST GO DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO GENERATE DEBT ON JUST ANYTHING? NO, MA'AM. YOU CANNOT USE. YOU HAVE TO. PER STATE LAW, YOU HAVE TO SET TWO TAX RATES.

YOU HAVE TO SET YOUR GENERAL FUND TAX RATE AND YOUR DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE.

AND YOU CAN'T MOVE MONEY BETWEEN. OKAY. SO WHAT GOES TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND HAS TO BE USED TO PAY DEBT.

IT CANNOT BE USED FOR OPERATING EXPENSES. IT CAN'T BE USED FOR POLICE SALARIES OR RECREATION HOURS OR ANY OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR DEBT. AND THE STATE HAS RULES ON WHAT WE CAN ISSUE DEBT FOR.

AND SO THE STATE HAS ROUTINELY VISITED THROUGH THE LEGISLATION ON POSSIBLY RESTRICTING WHAT YOU CAN ISSUE DEBT FOR.

AND SO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE WE ISSUE DEBT AND GET THEIR APPROVAL.

AND SO IT'S YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE IT AGAIN FOR OPERATING EXPENSES.

ALL RIGHT. AND THANK YOU ON SLIDE FIVE FOR CALLING OUT THAT 53% OF PROPERTY VALUE IS COMMERCIAL AND 47% IS ON RESIDENTIAL.

BECAUSE I THINK WE KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS OR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IS CARRYING A LOT OF WEIGHT.

WITH REGARD TO THESE NUMBERS, I ALSO ON PAGE NINE, I INTEND TO SHARE THIS WITH RESIDENTS JUST SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY TALK TO US ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY TAX RATE OR HOW MUCH THEY PAY.

UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S 31%, THAT ACTUALLY COMES BACK TO THEIR CITY.

AS I LOOK AT PAGE 11, THANK YOU FOR THE HISTORY ON THE BOND PROGRAMS, BUT IT DOES MAKE ME WONDER ABOUT OUR BOND PROCESS AND HOW IT'S IN A BIT OF A VACUUM. YOU KNOW, WE GO, WE REALLY WENT THROUGH PAIN LAST TIME BECAUSE IF THERE'S NOT A MASTER PLAN, YOU START GETTING INTO ELBOW THROWING OVER WHO GETS WHAT AND WHEN.

WE HAVE HOMELESSNESS, GETTING $19 MILLION AND PARKS GETTING $385 MILLION, IT JUST IT DIDN'T SEEM TO REFLECT SOME OF OUR NEEDS AND MAYBE SOME OF OUR OUR VALUES.

I LOVE PARKS, BUT THEY'RE HIGHLY DESIRABLE PROPERTIES.

I ALSO WONDER ABOUT WHEN WE ARE ALLOCATING BOND DOLLARS FOR THINGS LIKE LAND ACQUISITION.

I MEAN, IT'S SOMETHING WE ALL WANT, BUT THAT PUTS MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS INTO THE GENERAL FUND AD INFINITUM.

AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, HAVING LIVED THROUGH MANY OF THESE BOND PROCESSES, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT IS SOMETHING. WELL, I GUESS I'M SAYING WE NEED TO WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT BOND PROCESS BECAUSE THE IMPLICATIONS WE GET ALL CAUGHT UP IN IT IN THE MOMENT.

AND THEN WE AND COUNCILS HENCE MUST LIVE WITH THIS.

AND THAT MEANS OUR RESIDENTS MUST LIVE WITH IT.

SO LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE OF THAT I THINK IS CRITICAL.

LOOKING AT TIFS. SO WE HAD DEVELOPED A POLICY, I BELIEVE, ON EXPIRING TIFS AND DIRECTING THOSE FUNDS TO PARTICULAR PROJECTS OR AREAS WHEN NORMALLY THAT MONEY THAT WHEN THE TIF EXPIRES, THE FUNDS GENERATED, THE TAXES GENERATED TO HELP DEVELOP AN AREA AND GROW A TAX BASE WOULD GO BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

WILL YOU JUST DO A HIGH POINT ON THAT ONE? YES, MA'AM.

SO I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN.

MAYBE FOUR YEARS. JUST TWO. OKAY. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, COUNCIL APPROVED FOR EXPIRING TIFS FOR THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THAT TIF TO GO INSTEAD OF BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

IT GOES TO A INFRASTRUCTURE REDEVELOPMENT FUND.

IT'S ABOUT $6 MILLION A YEAR. THAT IS A TOOL THAT THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT USES FOR FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT NEED INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE IN THIS SITUATION, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD SHOULD LOOK AT BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'VE GOT A THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL AND IT'S CRITICAL TO GROWING AND DEVELOPING.

CERTAINLY THE SOUTHERN SECTOR OF THE CITY. BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE'RE COULD BE CUTTING OFF OUR NOSE TO SPITE OUR FACE ON MAYBE SOME OTHER NEEDS THAT SOME AREAS OR THE SOUTHERN SECTOR MIGHT NEED, BUT WE'VE LIMITED OURSELVES WITH THOSE FUNDS.

SO I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'VE STUDIED THAT. BUT I THINK THAT'S WORTHWHILE.

MAYBE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CHAIR, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT. THANK YOU FOR THE CHART ON PAGE 19 WITH THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA.

THAT'S A HELPFUL TOOL TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE SET AS OUR, OUR, OUR GUIDELINE, AND THEN WHERE, HOW WE'RE PERFORMING. ON PAGE 20, I THINK THIS IS SO CRITICAL.

THANK YOU FOR CALLING OUT WHAT OUR, SOME OF OUR NEGATIVE RATINGS COULD BE AROUND, BUT WE TALK ABOUT GROWING OUR TAX BASE.

[02:25:06]

AND IT REALLY SPEAKS TO. IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE OUR NEIGHBORS GIVE INPUT ON PROJECTS, BUT WE JUST CAN'T COME AT THINGS WITH A HARD NO. I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS SLIDE ON PAGE 20, ABOUT OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP GET OURSELVES OUT OF THE BUDGET, BIND THAT WE'RE IN BY HAVING SMART GROWTH WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ENDPOINT, BUT HAVING A KIND OF A PLACE OF YES MINDSET.

THANKS. JEROME STEWART, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I THINK THIS IS A AN APPROPRIATE QUESTION, BUT YOU GUYS CAN CERTAINLY REIN ME IN IF IT'S NOT.

BUT JUST TO REFRESH ALL OF OUR MEMORY BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT OUR PENSION OBLIGATION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR DEBT OBLIGATION.

SO COULD YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH JACK HOW THAT'S CHANGED? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GROWING NUMBER. AND, AND IT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD THING.

IT MEANS WE REACHED AN AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR DALLAS POLICE AND FIRE COLLEAGUES.

AND SO IF YOU COULD JUST WALK US THROUGH FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT HAVE A RUSTY MEMORY OR MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HERE WHEN THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR STEP UP, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THAT PERIOD? YES, MA'AM. SO THE POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM HAS ROUGHLY A 4 BILLION UNFUNDED LIABILITY THAT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND SO THE MAYOR APPOINTED A TASK FORCE OF SORT THAT STARTED LOOKING AT IT, SOME EXPERTS IN FINANCE AND PENSIONS AND GAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THEN WE WORKED A LOT THROUGH THE PENSION AD HOC COMMITTEE A LOT OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DALLAS POLICE AND FIRE PENSION SYSTEM BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVES AND REACHED A FUNDING AGREEMENT. AND SO DECEMBER OF 2025 THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE REVISED FUNDING PLAN AND THE BOARD APPROVED THE REVISED FUNDING PLAN, WHICH LAYS OUT CONTRIBUTIONS OVER A 30 YEAR PERIOD.

AND THAT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF THE TEXAS PENSION REVIEW BOARD IS THAT WE FULLY FUND IN 30 YEARS.

AND SO WE CAME UP WITH A SCHEDULE OF HOW WE WOULD DO THAT.

AND SO FIRST IN THAT IS WE SET ASIDE THE, THE LEGACY UNFUNDED LIABILITY AND WE WE PAY THAT ON A SET SCHEDULE OVER THE 30 YEARS.

AND THEN WE ALSO PAY WHAT IS CONSIDERED A NORMAL COST, WHICH IS A PERCENT OF PAY FOR NEW LIABILITY THAT'S BEING ADDED TO ACTUALLY GO TO AN AUTOMATICALLY TO AN ACTUARIALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION RATE, WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO INCREASE LIKE $65 MILLION IN ONE YEAR.

AND WE FELT LIKE WE COULD NOT HANDLE THAT. BUDGETARILY.

AND SO WE AGREED TO A PLAN WHERE WE ARE HAVING FIVE YEARS OF STEP UP IN INCREMENTS OF ABOUT $20 MILLION A YEAR.

AND SO IN THE CURRENT YEAR, WE'RE PAYING A TOTAL OF ABOUT $225 MILLION IN OUR CONTRIBUTION.

AND THAT WILL GO UP FOR, I BELIEVE, THREE MORE YEARS NOW.

AND THEN IT WILL STILL CONTINUE TO GO UP OVER TIME, BUT IT'S MORE AT A STEADY PACE THAN THESE BIG STEP UPS.

AND WE WILL BE USING AN ACTUARIALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION RATE THAT IS RECALCULATED EVERY FEW YEARS AND SETS THE PERCENT THAT WE PAY.

AND SO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE SOME OF THAT COST OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND AND MOVE IT INTO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. BUT THAT COMES AT A COST BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO PAY INTEREST.

BUT IT WOULD BE A WAY TO CREATE CAPACITY WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND IF COUNCIL CHOSE TO DO THAT.

SO IS THAT. YES, THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. AND SO WHEN WE GET PAST THE FIVE YEAR STEP UP, YOU'RE THINKING THAT THE INCREASES AFTER THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT UNDER THAT 20 MILLION. YES, MA'AM.

AND SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS LAID OUT FOR THE FULL 30 YEARS, AND THE ACTUAL PAYMENTS GO FROM LIKE 225 THIS YEAR.

AND IN 30 YEARS IT'S 400 MILLION. AND THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SHOCK FACTOR, RIGHT? YEAH. THOSE ARE STARTLING NUMBERS. IT WAS. SO THE WAY I LOOKED AT THAT IS THE CURRENT PENSION CONTRIBUTION AS A PERCENT OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS ABOUT 10%.

ABOUT 10% OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS POLICE AND FIRE PENSION CONTRIBUTION.

IF WE GROW THE GENERAL FUND AT A RATE OF ABOUT 3% A YEAR, WHEN WE GET OUT 30 YEARS AND IT'S $400 MILLION.

[02:30:07]

YEAH. THAT'S HARD TO PUT OURSELVES IN THAT PLACE. IT IS.

ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THIS IS HELPFUL BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD THE NUMBERS ABOUT IT'S GOING TO BE 400 MILLION.

IT'S GOING TO BE 500 MILLION. AND THOSE ARE FRIGHTENING NUMBERS.

BUT IF THOSE ARE NUMBERS IN THE, YOU KNOW, 30 YEAR TIME FRAME, THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.

SO WE WILL I BELIEVE MY COMMITTEE IS TAKING UP THE QUESTION AND LOOK TO LOOK MORE THOROUGHLY INTO THE PENSION OBLIGATION BOND.

SO WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO QUIZ YOU MORE ON THAT.

BUT BUT WE WILL BE FACING THAT DECISION AT SOME POINT JUST TO, TO WORK ON THAT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. ROTH, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. JACK, COULD YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE THE $435 MILLION THAT WE'RE PAYING IN THE DEBT SERVICE COST? WHERE DOES THAT SHOW UP? IN THE IN THE BUDGET BUCKETS? WE'VE GOT GENERAL FUND IS ONE BUCKET. WE'VE GOT THE ENTERPRISE FUND IS ONE BUCKET.

WE'VE GOT THE CAPITAL FUND IN ONE BUCKET. AND THEN SAID THE OTHER FUND, I GUESS.

BUT WHERE DOES THAT 435 SORT OF SHOW UP? YES, SIR.

AND SO WE'LL SHOW YOU IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION KIND OF HOW THE TOTAL BUDGET LAYS OUT, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE LARGER BUCKETS IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.

IT ACTUALLY HAS ITS OWN TAB AND STARTS ON PAGE 487 IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET DOCUMENT.

BUT WE LAY OUT THE REVENUE AND EXPENSES THAT COME INTO THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT FUND.

WE ALSO HAVE INCLUDED OTHER DEBT THAT THE CITY HAS IN THAT SECTION, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE TOTAL $5.3 BILLION BUDGET.

IS OUR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT. AND IT IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY A SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAX.

AND AGAIN, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT CLEARLY IS SO THAT THAT 435 MILLION IS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE THREE BIG THE THE THREE BIG BUCKETS. OR IS IT REFLECTIVE AS A BIG NUMBER IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET BUCKET? IT IS A SEPARATE STANDALONE BUCKET IN THE OPERATING IN THE IF YOU CAN PICTURE THE TOTAL 5 BILLION.

AND THEN THERE IS THE OPERATING. IT IS ONE OF THE BIG BUCKETS UNDER OPERATING.

AND IT IS IT'S STANDALONE BUCKET OF $430 MILLION OR SO.

OKAY. SO IT'S NOT IN THAT. AND I'M SORRY TO BE.

I'M. AND MAYBE IT'S AN INAPPROPRIATE QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT IN THAT PART OF IT IS IN THE BILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL BUDGET.

CAPITAL BUCKET. NO, IT'S A IT'S A SEPARATE FROM THAT BUCKET.

OKAY. SO IT'S NOT IN THAT BILLION DOLLAR BUCKET.

NO. WOULD YOU PRESENTATION. I'M GOING TO SEE IF WE CAN PULL UP THE NEXT PRESENTATION THAT.

WELL, WE CAN IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION, WE CAN TALK.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'D BE FINE. THANK YOU. MISS KENNEDY RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. WHICH DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS MADE A COMMENT, AND IT MADE ME WONDER. SO IF WE PURCHASE PROPERTY WITH BOND MONEY, AND THEN WE DON'T USE, YOU KNOW, THAT OR DON'T GO FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT, WHAT HAPPENS IF WE SELL THE THE PROPERTY OR ARE WE ABLE TO DO THAT? YES, MA'AM. YOU YOU ARE ABLE TO SELL. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHEN YOU SELL IT.

IF YOU SELL IT AND YOU HAVEN'T PAID OFF THE DEBT, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE THE DEBT THAT'S OUTSTANDING ON IT.

OR WE ARE ABLE TO PUT IT BACK INTO THE PROPOSITION AND USE FOR A LIKE PURPOSE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN BUY IT WITH BONDS, SELL IT, AND THEN PAY FOR RECREATION CENTERS OR OPERATIONS WITH IT.

WE EITHER HAVE TO USE IT TO PAY THE DEBT OR DO MORE OF THE ORIGINALLY INTENDED PURPOSE.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN WE DO PURCHASE PROPERTY BECAUSE I A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I WAS BROUGHT IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. THERE WAS PROPERTY BOUGHT IN 2008 WITH BOND MONEY.

IT WAS, I THINK THE CITY PAID $1.1 MILLION AND NOW WE'RE HAVING TO PAY TO CLEAN IT UP.

AND THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS HAPPENING AT THAT LOCATION.

AND SO SOMETIMES WHEN WE PURCHASE PROPERTY, IT COULD ACTUALLY END UP COSTING US MORE OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND IF WE DON'T USE IT FOR WHAT IT'S PLANNED FOR.

[02:35:05]

THANK YOU. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS ON PAGE 29, THE 250 MILLION THAT'S CONSIDERED FOR FUTURE BONDS.

WERE YOU EXPECTING THAT TO BE ONE $250 MILLION BOND, OR WERE YOU ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THREE DIFFERENT ELECTIONS? YOU'RE REFERENCING PAGE 29, THE FUTURE BONDS FOR 250 FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

I WOULD ASSUME ONE ELECTION AND WE WOULD SELL IT IN THREE TRANCHES.

AND THE REASON THAT IT'S SPACED OUT IS 120, 80 AND 50 IS I ASKED THE BOND OFFICE, HOW WOULD YOU NEED TO DEPLOY THE MONEY? DO YOU NEED $250 MILLION ALL AT ONE TIME IN FISCAL YEAR 27? AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH NO, WE DON'T NEED IT ALL AT ONCE. WE NEED TO TO PHASE IT, BUT WE GET AUTHORIZATION AT ONE TIME.

OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN ON SLIDE 26, CAN YOU READ THAT VERY LAST BULLET? 52.9 MILLION MASTER LEASE FUND, PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, IT INFRASTRUCTURE AND GENERAL CITY FLEET AND EQUIPMENT.

SO FOR ME, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT IT INFRASTRUCTURE WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT SORT OF DUPLICATION, DUPLICATION, BOTH OF SOFTWARE, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT HARDWARE? THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT. AND SO BEFORE WE GO DOING A MASTER LEASE, I HOPE WE GET THAT ALL CLEANED UP.

AND SAME THING FOR CITY FLEET. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FLEET THAT'S SITTING UNUSED.

AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO AUTHORIZE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS UNTIL ALL OF THAT IS CLEANED UP.

AND I THINK WE OWE THAT TO OUR TAX HOLDERS, OUR TAXPAYERS, THAT WE DON'T HAVE VERY LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT AND GET MORE.

SO UNLESS THERE HONESTLY, UNLESS THEY'RE POLICE CARS AND YOU CAN SHOW US THAT ACTUALLY THEY'RE IN USE AND IT'S NECESSARY.

I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE DOING THAT. THE LAST SLIDE I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS SLIDE 28.

AND I'M GOING TO LABEL THIS WHOLE SLIDE UNDER.

JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD. AND SO WE HAVE AUTHORIZATION FOR ALL OF THIS.

BUT GIVEN THE FINANCIAL REALITIES WE'RE FACING, I HOPE THAT WE WILL CONSIDER IS IT NECESSARY BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'VE GOT LOTS OF BOND DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED, THAT WE'VE SAT ON BECAUSE THE TIMING WASN'T RIGHT AND WE'VE GOT PROPOSITIONS THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE, LIKE HOUSING. WE HAVE PROPOSITIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FUNDED OTHER WAYS, LIKE FLOOD PROTECTION AND STORM DRAINAGE, WHICH STILL COULD BE CONVERTED TO REVENUE BONDS INSTEAD OF TAKING OUT GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBTS.

AND SO I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE, IS THERE A COMMITMENT THAT ANY REDUCTION IN BOND SPENDING WILL BE EQUAL ACROSS DISTRICTS OR WILL BE FULLY CITY WIDE PROJECTS? I'M GOING TO HAVE TO ASK THE BOND OFFICE TO RESPOND.

SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT ANY REDUCTIONS ANYWHERE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN MAKE THE COMMITMENT THAT IT WOULD BE EQUAL ACROSS DISTRICTS. WE'RE REALLY THE FIRST FOCUS WAS TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING TO BE UTILIZED. AND IF THERE WERE ANY OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, QUICK WINS, EASY, EASY DOLLARS THAT WE COULD CAPTURE THAT I WAS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

OUTSIDE OF THAT, WE JUST HAVEN'T PUT TOGETHER A PROTOCOL ON HOW TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.

WELL, YOU KNOW CHAIRMAN GRACEY WAS LIKE, WELL, I'D HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE TO SEE IF I'M OKAY.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE AS LONG AS IT'S NOT HIS DISTRICT, HE'S GOING TO BE OKAY. AND I WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY.

RIGHT. AND SO I WOULD SAY TO YOU, I THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK AT CITYWIDE PROJECTS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL. WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO GO FORWARD WITH THE 250 THAT IT SURE FEELS LIKE IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING POLITICAL. AND I THINK THAT IS A DANGEROUS THING TO DO.

SO I THINK I'M OUT OF TIME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MISS BLACKMON, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. AND AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS. AND JEANETTE, I'M GLAD YOU'RE NOT TOO FLOODED FROM YESTERDAY'S EVENT, SO I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE WITH US. I THINK WHAT I, I JUST NEEDED TO LIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT.

ANYWAY, I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING HERE IS THAT WE'VE COME TO THIS POINT WHERE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THE SAME WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING THEM.

AND, AND SO WITH THAT I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, OR MY QUESTION IS YOU HAVE A 5347 COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL.

[02:40:05]

AND THAT'S HOW MUCH THE TAX BILL OR THE TAX, I DON'T CALL IT BURDEN, BUT THAT'S THE RATIO OF HOW OF WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING FROM FROM, FROM ENTITIES. IS THAT ALSO THE SAME RATIO AS FAR AS WHAT IS OCCUPIED IN OUR CITY? IS IT IS OUR CITY REALLY 53% COMMERCIAL? AND I MEAN, YOU CAN GET ME THAT BECAUSE WHERE I'M GOING IS THAT WE MAY NEED TO TALK ABOUT COMMERCIAL DISCLOSURE. I MEAN, BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS THAT PAY A LOT OF TAX AND IT MAY NEED TO BE MORE BALANCED.

NOW IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. THE 5347 SPLIT IS THE SPLIT OF THE APPRAISED VALUE.

OKAY, BUT BUT IT'S THE APPRAISED VALUE, WHICH MEANS.

SO I GUESS I'M I'M DO YOU SEE WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO WITH IT? I'M TRYING TO SEE IS THE COMMERCIAL PART OF THE APPRAISED VALUE ACTUALLY A FAIR ASSESSMENT? OH AND THE BURDEN'S NOT ON THE RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNER AND THAT COULD BE A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION LATER, BUT, BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO WITH THIS IS, ARE FOLKS PAYING WHAT IS ACTUALLY DO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, LIKE, IS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF THIS EQUATION NOT BEING TAXED PROPERLY, THE VALUE? AND SO, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S JUST, THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I HAVE, AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.

BUT WHEN MY DISTRICT, AND I'M SURE THERE'S SOME OTHERS WHEN IT'S HEAVILY RESIDENTIAL, THEY'RE PAYING A BIGGER BURDEN OF IT BECAUSE OF OF THE DISCLOSURE, I THINK BECAUSE NONDISCLOSURE. BUT I WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS.

SO, SO I UNDERSTAND THE THE QUESTION ABOUT THE APPRAISAL OR ARE THEY JUST FAIR APPRAISALS? THE APPRAISAL BOARDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.

WE TAKE THE CERTIFIED VALUE AND WORK WITH IT.

I DO KNOW THAT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL THEIR APPRAISALS.

I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY THROUGH MAY 15TH TO DO THAT.

LARGE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES HAVE A LEGAL TEAM THAT HELP DO THAT.

I KNOW. YEAH. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WORTHY OF LOOKING INTO THAT.

SO. OKAY. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, I BELIEVE IT WAS YOU KNOW, SALES TAX INCREASING, I MEAN, AS WE'VE SEEN, IT'S, IT'S A PRETTY VOLATILE MECHANISM. I MEAN, YOU GET A DOWNTURN, A WAR IN INTEREST RATES GO UP, WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS, AND BAM, THAT'S WHAT HITS.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF WE, IF WE START GROWING OUR TAX BASE AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT AS THE MECHANISM IN WHICH TO PAY THE BILLS, ARE WE, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO HOW AS A CITY, IS THAT GOING TO GET US, GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO PAY THE $500 MILLION, YOU KNOW, PENSION BILL? BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE'RE IF YOU TO ME, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A STEADY STREAM OF INCOME.

WELL, I THINK DEVELOPMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

THE MORE COMMERCIAL VALUE THAT'S IN THE CITY, THEREFORE, THEY WILL CARRY MORE OF THE TAX BURDEN AND LESS ON THE RESIDENTS. RIGHT NOW IT'S THE 5347 SPLIT THAT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT LOOKING BACK.

IT'S NOT CHANGED VERY MUCH OVER TIME. IT'S BEEN UP AND DOWN, BUT IT'S BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT.

SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO GROW THAT SIDE OF THE THE TAX BASE AND SHIFT MORE OF THE BURDEN THAT DIRECTION.

BUT I FEEL IT MAKES US VULNERABLE TO DOWNTURNS.

I MEAN, YES, MA'AM. OKAY. NOT AS MUCH AS PROP AS SALES TAX.

SALES TAX OBVIOUSLY IS MUCH MORE VOLATILE. I MEANT SALES TAX.

SORRY. NOT NOT PROPERTY TAX. SALES TAX IS DEFINITELY VOLATILE.

YEAH. RIGHT NOW ABOUT 24% OF OUR GENERAL FUND COMES FROM SALES TAX.

SO IT'S A BIG, BIG PIECE OF OUR, OUR BUDGET. OKAY.

AND SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE COMPARISON PER CAPITA I GUESS ON PAGE 24 YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST RING SUBURBS AND THERE DEFINITELY THERE'S AN INCREASE AND YOU SAID SOMETHING INTERESTING.

IT'S BECAUSE THEIR POPULATION HAS. GROWTH PER CAPITA GOES UP.

THE THE THE, THE DEBT PER CAPITA GOES UP BECAUSE OF POPULATION GROWTH.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON FRISCO AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE BEEN GROWING FAST.

THEY HAVE BEEN PUTTING IN A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

THEY'RE STILL GROWING THEIR POPULATION, BUT THEY'RE SPENDING AT A HIGHER RATE THAN THEIR POPULATION IS GROWING.

[02:45:01]

SO YOU SAID IT INTERESTING THEIR POPULATION. SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE NEED TO GROW THE POPULATION AS WELL IN DALLAS.

AND YES, YOUR YOUR DEBT PER CAPITA WOULD GO DOWN IF WE HAD MORE PEOPLE THAT LIVED HERE.

RIGHT. AND SO AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT WAS AN INTERESTING, I THOUGHT DATA POINT THAT AND WE TALK ABOUT DENSITY IN THIS CITY AND WE TALK ABOUT GROWING SMART AND, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS, I THINK, A KEY BECAUSE YOU SAID IT HITS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF, OF, OF OUR OF OUR PROPERTY TAX. IT INCREASES OUR SALES TAX AND IT REDUCES IT PER CAPITA.

IS THAT A FORMULA TO GET US THROUGH FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS? I'M TRYING TO FIND A MAGIC BULLET IN A, IN A PATH FORWARD.

AND SO THAT'S. AND GIVE US A LITTLE NORTH STAR TO GO BY.

OKAY. IT'S JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT. I GUESS. I WOULD SAY I WOULD SAY THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES.

AND I THINK WHAT WE CANNOT MISS IN THE CONVERSATION, COUNCILWOMAN, IS THE ONGOING WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO AROUND EFFICIENCIES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. I THINK ALL OF THOSE ARE GREAT LEVERS.

THOSE ARE GREAT WAYS TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING EXTERNALLY.

BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE INTERNAL PIECE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING SOLUTIONS.

WE'RE BRINGING WAYS TO DELIVER SERVICES AT A WAY WHERE WE'RE NOT CONTINUING TO APPROACH AND TACKLE THE PROBLEMS THE SAME WAY.

THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT ADVANCING MORE TECHNOLOGY.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT'S NOT THE QUANTITY OF POSITIONS, IT'S WHAT TYPE OF POSITIONS DO WE NEED.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT, WHICH IS WHY WE STARTED THAT PROCESS IN 2024, REALLY LOOKING AT EVEN THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND MAKING SURE THAT IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T NECESSARILY CONTROL, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO.

SO WHEN YOU COUPLE THAT WITH THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, I THINK THAT'S HOW YOU HAVE A YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A FINANCIAL ROADMAP THAT GETS YOU BETTER DOWN. YES, MA'AM. THAT GETS YOU DOWN THE ROAD. SO I THINK THAT THAT WILL BE WHAT COUNCIL SHOULD BE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE WANT YOU TO FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION.

BUT ALSO, I KNOW I HEARD ABOUT MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS.

WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF OUR ATTENTION AND A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OF TRYING TO OPTIMIZE THE WAY WE DELIVER OUR PERMITTING SERVICES.

AND THAT HELPS BUSINESSES NOT ONLY COME TO THE CITY, BUT THEY'RE ABLE TO ADVANCE.

THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THINGS ON THE BOOKS A LOT FASTER.

WE NEED THE NEW DEVELOPMENT, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING ANY ROADBLOCKS FOR THAT TO PROGRESS.

SO OVERALL, I THINK IT IS A IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.

THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO, BUT THE OUTPUT HAS TO BE THIS COMBINED EFFORT, BOTH WHAT WE DO INTERNALLY AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS EXTERNALLY.

BUT YOUR POINTS ARE RIGHT ON TARGET WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD.

OKAY. AND THEN FINALLY PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS IS WE'RE GOING TO GET A MEETING TO DISCUSS THAT.

IS THERE A TIME FRAME ON THAT WHEN WE WOULD GO OUT TO THE MARKET? OH, NO, MA'AM, NOT AT THIS POINT. LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER COUNCIL WOULD NEED TO AUTHORIZE, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET VOTER APPROVAL. AND THEN I THINK WE SHOULD SET SOME TRIGGERS IN PLACE ON HOW WHAT WE WANT TO PAY IN INTEREST.

WE DON'T WANT TO ISSUE IF IT'S NOT UNDER 5% AS AN EXAMPLE, OR WE WE DON'T WANT TO ISSUE UNTIL THE SPREAD BETWEEN WHAT WE BORROW AND WHAT THEY EARN IS AT LEAST 2% OR, OR WHATEVER THE TRIGGERS ARE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD CHOOSE.

AND WE'LL COVER THOSE TWO. AND I THINK THE PENSION AD HOC COMMITTEE MEETING IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD COME BACK AND KIND OF GIVE SOME CRITERIA AROUND WHEN WE WOULD WANT TO THEN BE IN THE MARKET, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT GET APPROVAL, WE DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ISSUE ANYTHING BEFORE 28 OR 29, BUT WE COULD LAY OUT THAT CRITERIA FOR YOU AS PART OF THE PENSION CONVERSATION.

AND YOU HAVE AUTHORIZATION FOR TEN YEARS. AFTER YOU GET VOTER AUTHORIZATION, YOU HAVE TEN YEARS FOR ISSUANCE.

OKAY. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN GRACEY RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND AGAIN, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO TO REITERATE, I KNOW MY COMMENTS EARLIER ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHICH PROJECTS WILL BE IMPACTED.

AND YES, IT IS A MATTER OF WHICH IMPACT, WHICH PROJECTS WILL BE IMPACTED IN OUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS.

BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT WHAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED.

WE'VE HEARD THESE PHRASES TIME. THIS IS WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO. THIS IS WHEN WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO IT, AND THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO ROLL OUT. SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO BE ALTERED AS A RESULT, WHICH AGAIN, WHETHER WE'RE FOR IT OR NOT, DEPENDING ON HOW THE BOND PROGRAM FOR THE 250 FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY GETS MARKETED, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT'S BEING SACRIFICED AND WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT AND WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT DISTRICT THREE, IT'S JUST ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY OF IT ALL. AND WE DON'T OVERHYPE THE NECESSARY NEED FOR

[02:50:06]

SO AGAIN, YES, AT SOME LEVEL IT IS ABOUT THE DISTRICTS, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT TRANSPARENCY IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE, YES, WE GOT TO DO THIS. AND YES, THIS WASN'T PLANNED.

AND YES, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU IN ORDER TO DO IT.

SO IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THIS, THAT'S FINE. BUT HERE'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST YOU.

IT'S JUST ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY, THE METHODOLOGY WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH.

DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE HAVE A REAL METHODOLOGY IN PLACE JUST YET, BUT THAT METHODOLOGY IS.

AGAIN, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE COMMUNICATED SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S BEING SACRIFICED AS A RESULT OF THIS POTENTIAL BOND PROGRAM.

THAT'S ALL I'M GETTING AT. IF YOU'VE ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO IT, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF NOW. FROM A SCHEDULING PERSPECTIVE, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE WAITING FOR PROJECTS TO START, AND THEY HAVEN'T.

AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, THOSE THINGS ARE DELAYED.

SO THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF FINE COMB, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE A FINE COMB TOOTH THROUGH OUR METHODOLOGY TO ENSURE THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING WHEN WE SAY THEY'RE GOING TO HAPPEN FROM THERE.

SO THAT WAS THE POINT OF, OF, OF THAT COMMENT.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMEMBER GRACEY.

AND YOUR POINTS ARE RIGHT IN ALIGNMENT WITH ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING NEXT.

SO WE CAN BRING BACK MORE OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE TYPE, THE PROJECTS AS THEY'RE PLANNED.

I KNOW THAT APPENDIX HAS A LOT OF DATA IN IT, BUT I THINK THAT IS AN EXERCISE WHERE WE CAN SHOW BASED ON OUR CURRENT ENCUMBRANCES, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO, WHAT MIGHT BE LAGGING, AND WHAT MIGHT THEN JUST NATURALLY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE PUSHING BACK.

AND WE CAN BRING THAT AS PART OF A JUNE CONVERSATION, AND THEN WE CAN SHOW YOU THAT.

AND SO I WOULD SAY OUR JUNE 3RD BRIEFING THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME TIME TO WORK THROUGH IT.

I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSOHN RECOMMENDED LOOKING AT THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE CITYWIDE.

THAT COULD BE A PART OF THE ANALYSIS. SO IF YOU WILL ALLOW FOR US, WE COULD BRING THAT BACK.

AND THAT WAY YOU HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO OR NOT DO.

SO WE CAN DO THAT AS PART OF THE NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

AND I'LL FOLLOW ALONG ON THAT WITH MISS NICE WANDER IN.

IN LOOKING AT BOND PROGRAM PROJECTS. THEN WHAT'S WHAT COULD WE GAIN? AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED AN ANSWER FROM YOU. I WOULD JUST SAY THIS WOULD BE PART OF YOUR EVALUATION IS I THINK WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE, IN PARKS, $11 MILLION IN PLAYGROUNDS.

WELL, WE ALL WANT IF WE'VE GOT AGING OR DON'T HAVE A PLAYGROUND, WE'D LIKE THOSE.

BUT THAT'S A HIGHLY SPONSORED OPPORTUNITY. EVEN IF IT WAS 50% OF THE PROJECT COST.

AND IN SOME NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO SELF-FUND AMONGST NEIGHBORS.

IN OTHERS, THEY MAY FIT COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT CRITERIA, AND THERE MAY BE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT INVESTMENT TO FULFILL THEIR CRITERIA AND ALSO GIVE TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO THERE'S NOT REALLY A CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE IT WOULD NOT BE DOABLE.

YOU KNOW, PAVILIONS, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M LOOKING AT PARKS, BUT THOSE ARE HIGHLY DESIRABLE LIBRARIES, ETC. NAMING OPPORTUNITIES TO FOLLOW ON WHERE I WAS LEAVING OFF TALKING ABOUT GROWING OUR TAX BASE.

I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS ON OUR OBLIGATION TO OUR PENSION FUND, REALLY GROWING OUR TAX BASE.

I MEAN, IF WE WANT TO FULFILL THAT OBLIGATION TO OUR PENSION FUNDS, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AND MAKING DECISIONS TODAY THAT WILL HELP FULFILL THAT MASSIVE $485 MILLION OBLIGATION 30 YEARS FROM NOW.

SO THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT ARE BEFORE US, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMING YEARS.

BUT I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS BECAUSE I MEAN, I KNOW WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

WE SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT. BUT IT DOES CONCERN ME WHEN WE LEVY TOO MUCH SERIOUSNESS ON IT, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT THOUGHT OF AS BEING THE SMARTEST WAY TO GO.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS WE COULD DO? WE'VE GOT A BIG REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO.

I KNOW WE'RE EVALUATING THAT, AND A LOT OF WHAT WE MIGHT SELL IS KIND OF PENNIES AGAINST THIS, THIS MASSIVE OBLIGATION THAT WE DO HAVE A FUNDING SOUNDNESS RESTORATION PLAN FOR.

BUT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE CAN DO IS MAKE SURE THE FUNDS ARE PERFORMING OPTIMALLY.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE FIVE YEAR STEP UP. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT REALLY SEEING ANY KIND OF BENEFIT IN OUR GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTION BECAUSE IN FIVE YEARS THERE WILL BE A TRUE UP. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM. THAT'S CORRECT.

SO IF THE FUNDS ARE OVERPERFORMING OR ON A POLICE AND FIRE PENSION FUND, IF IT'S PERFORMING OVER THAT, WHAT 6% IS THERE 6.5? YES. OKAY. 6.5. THEY MAY BE DOING BETTER THAN THAT.

I HOPE THEY ARE. BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE EASIEST, MOST PAINLESS THINGS THAT THIS BODY CAN DO.

BECAUSE WHEN THEY OVER PERFORM THAT OBLIGATION, THOSE DOLLARS CAN EITHER BE REINVESTED BACK INTO FULFILLING THAT OBLIGATION OR IT CAN COME TO US. THAT'S MONEY. WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE NEXT YEAR.

[02:55:02]

AND THAT'S JUST GOOD FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I AGREE THAT I THINK WHEN THE MAYOR CREATED THE PENSION AD HOC, THERE WERE STILL SOME OUTSTANDING ISSUES TO DEAL WITH.

BUT NOW I THINK A LOT OF IT RESIDES WITH FINANCE.

SO I WOULD I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD ALWAYS DO JOINT MEETINGS IF THERE'S A FINANCIAL ISSUE TO DISCUSS ON THE PENSIONS.

THANKS. MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I AGREE, WE NEED TO TRY TO SHIFT SOME OF THE THE BURDEN AND RESPONSIBILITY FROM OUR RESIDENTS TO OUR COMMERCIAL AND TO OUR VISITORS.

AND SO MADAM CITY MANAGER, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ATTRACT NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT INTO OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS? AS WE KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME VACANCY IN, IN A YEAR OR TWO.

THAT IS NOT GOING TO HELP OUR BUDGET. WE KNOW THAT AN EMPTY BUILDING ISN'T NECESSARILY A SET JUST BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY, BUT THERE ARE ALL APPEAL PROCESSES THAT THOSE OWNERS CAN TAKE.

IF A BUILDING IS EMPTY, THAT WILL SUBSTANTIALLY DROP THE PROPERTY TAX AND THE VALUE OF THAT BUILDING.

EVERYTHING ELSE. WE KNOW THAT NOT HAVING ACTIVATION ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO LOW SALES TAX DOLLARS.

AND SO WHAT ARE WE DOING IN ORDER TO TRY TO BRING IN AND ACTIVATE OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS SO THAT WE'RE NOT PUTTING THAT BURDEN SOLELY ON HOMEOWNERS AND PROPERTY IN THE RESIDENTS NEIGHBORHOODS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND I THINK FIRST OF ALL, AS BEING BUSINESS FRIENDLY, I THINK THAT IS THE GENERAL THEME THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD AND ENSURING THAT BUSINESSES, NUMBER ONE, THAT WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, THAT THERE'S A VERY CLEAR PATH AND WE'RE NOT CREATING ROADBLOCKS FOR HOW THEY DO IT.

I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT OVERALL, SOME OF THE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS SCALING INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACES AND IN PARTS OF THE CITY THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE NOT HAD THE INVESTMENT.

AND I THINK THE FOCUS THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FOR HOW WE GROW THE SOUTHERN SECTOR, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN AND AROUND THE FAIR PARK AREA.

THOSE AREAS ARE PRIMED FOR DEVELOPMENT AND WILL ACTUALLY CREATE EXACTLY WHAT MR. IRELAND HAS MENTIONED ABOUT GROWING THE TAX BASE.

WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES THAT WE KNOW.

SOMETIMES WE'VE HEARD FROM OUR OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES.

I KNOW PRIMARILY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS IN THE URBAN CORE AROUND JUST OVERALL APPEARANCE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE CONTINUING TO ADDRESS ALL OF OUR UNSHELTERED, ALL OF THOSE THINGS REALLY DO MATTER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AREAS THAT WE WANT TO ATTRACT ALSO VISITORS.

AND OVERALL, JUST IN THE LAST 30 DAYS, WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPOINT A DEDICATED RESOURCE IN THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO REALLY FOCUS ON CATALYTIC GROWTH. AND SO WE HAVE A EXECUTIVE LEVEL POSITION NOW THAT THE PRIMARY ROLE OF THAT PERSON IS TO CONTINUE TO WORK AT REDEVELOPMENT REVITALIZATION. WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH D I AND HOW THEY'RE RE THEY'RE UPDATING THE DOWNTOWN THREE 60 PLAN.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US SOME REAL TRUE WAYS TO START LOOKING AT THE WAY WE REDEVELOP SOME OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN AND HOW WE REPURPOSE THOSE.

AND SO OVERALL, I THINK IT'S THE BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CREATE.

AND IT'S NOT ABOUT JUST ATTRACTING, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE RETENTION.

AND I THINK BOTH OF THOSE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT BALANCING ACT.

BUT IT'S BACK TO THE WHOLE CONVERSATION AROUND THE TAX BASE.

IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO REDUCE THE BURDEN THAT WE HAVE ON OUR RESIDENTS.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AND AND AT ANY POINT, WE CAN DEFINITELY BRING SOME OF THOSE STRATEGIES TO YOUR COMMITTEE.

MAYOR PRO TEM, AND TALK MORE DIRECTLY ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPMENT AND ONGOING BRINGING NEW DEVELOPMENT INTO THE CITY.

AND I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT THE TOOLS THAT WE DO HAVE PRESENTLY, LIKE THE TIPS.

THOSE ARE GREAT TOOLS THAT HELP WITH REDEVELOPMENT OR NEW DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO THOSE ARE SOMETHING THAT WE THAT HAVE WORKED, PROVEN TO WORK.

AND THEN ALSO CONTINUING TO IMPROVE THROUGH OUR PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS, I KNOW WILL ENCOURAGE THAT GROWTH TO CONTINUE.

THANK YOU. MAYOR. CHAIRWOMAN STEWART, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR JOHNSON. JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP TO SOME OF DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM COMMENTS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE WILL, I BELIEVE, HAVE A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN FINANCE AND THE PENSION COMMITTEE.

AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WHEN YOU WHEN THE COMMITTEES ARE JOINT, IT ADDS ONLY TWO MORE PEOPLE.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF OVERLAP BETWEEN THOSE TWO COMMITTEES.

SO BUT WE WILL ADD THOSE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND I THINK IT'LL IT'LL BE A GREAT GROUP.

AND THEN, JACK, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED CLARIFICATION OVER THIS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PENSION FUNDS.

[03:00:03]

I CAN INCLUDE THAT WHEN WE MEET ON THE 21ST, BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS ALL OF THAT IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS THE ANNUAL ACTUARIALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION RATE IS DETERMINED. AND SO WE WANT THEM TO PERFORM AS WELL AS THEY CAN ABSOLUTELY EARN AS MUCH INTEREST AS THEY CAN.

THAT WILL KEEP OUR COSTS LOWER. SO THAT JUST REDUCES OUR PAYMENT.

CORRECT. ONCE WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE ACTUARIALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION.

SO THAT'S AFTER THE FIRST FIVE YEARS. BUT. YES, MA'AM.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MISS KENNEDY, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

CITY MANAGER TOLBERT, JUST ABOUT US CONTINUING TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY AND GROW COMMERCIAL.

DISTRICT SIX HAS, I BELIEVE, THE LARGEST OR SECOND LARGEST COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL IN THE ENTIRE CITY.

AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF INDUSTRIAL THAT IS NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL.

AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO STRETCH THE DOLLARS TO COVER OUR INDUSTRIAL STREETS AND SOMETIMES THOSE BUSINESS AREAS DON'T, THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS OF STREETS, LIGHTING THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO AND I'VE HEARD MANY OF THEM TALK ABOUT BEING WILLING TO HELP AND INVEST MORE IN OUR CITY SO THAT THEY CAN GET THAT.

SO IF, IF WE LOOK AT THAT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED IN THEIR AREA AS WELL.

THANK YOU. I AGREE. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON ITEM B? BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, IF THERE AREN'T ANY AND I DON'T SEE ANY, IS WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND HAVE LUNCH AND COME BACK FOR BRIEFING ITEM C, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. MADAM CITY MANAGER. YES, SIR.

THAT IS PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. PERFECT. THEN I'LL READ YOU THE STATUTORY LANGUAGE. AND WITH THAT WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 12:38 P.M. ON MAY 6TH, 2026. CITY COUNCIL MEETING WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION OR SECTION FIVE.

51.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS DESCRIBED ON TODAY'S AGENDA ITEM NUMBERS THREE AND FOUR.

WITH THAT, WE'LL STAY AT RECESS UNTIL 130. YES.

YES. OKAY. I'M TOLD WE HAVE A QUORUM. SO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HAS COMPLETED ITS CLOSED SESSION UNDER SECTION FIVE, 51.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS OPEN. NO, NO, NO, WE DIDN'T LOSE IT.

DID WE JUST LOSE IT? WE ALMOST HAD IT. WE ALMOST.

WE CAN ALMOST START. JUST. ALL RIGHT. RUN THE COUNT AGAIN.

OKAY. BEFORE. SHE JUST CAN'T LEAVE. OKAY. HOLD TIGHT.

THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING HAS COMPLETED ITS CLOSED SESSION UNDER SECTION 551.07, ONE OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, AND THAT 2:16 P.M. ON MAY 6TH, 2026, WE'VE RETURNED TO OPEN SESSION.

MADAM CITY MANAGER, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MAYOR. YOUR LAST BRIEFING FOR TODAY PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 GENERAL FUND BUDGET, COMPARED TO OUR MOST RECENT REVENUE AND EXPENSE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

WHICH START WHICH WHICH WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER THE 30TH.

TODAY'S PRESENTATION ALSO LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND FISCAL YEAR 2028 BIENNIAL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

STAFF WILL REVIEW THE FY 27 BALANCED PLANNED BUDGET PROVIDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL LAST SUMMER, AND THEN WE WILL HIGHLIGHT REVENUE AND EXPENSE PRESSURES THAT ARE ON THE UPCOMING BUDGET AS A RESULT OF REVENUE LIMITS AND CONTINUED EXPENSE PRESSURES.

WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND SERVICE PRIORITIES TO ENSURE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIBLE OPERATIONS. THIS BRIEFING PRESENTS THE RESULTS ALSO OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

BUDGET PRIORITIES. POLLING. EXERCISE. THE EXERCISE WAS DESIGNED TO GATHER CLEAR, CONSENSUS DRIVEN DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ON KEY POLICY AREAS, AS STAFF CONTINUES WITH THE WORK TO DEVELOP THE FY 27 BUDGET.

THE RESULTS WILL ACTUALLY HELP US ALIGN OUR BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS MORE CLOSELY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT CITY COUNCIL'S GUIDANCE.

AS A REMINDER, WE HAVE TAKEN KEY ACTIONS AS WE DEVELOPED AND BALANCED THE FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET AND THE BUDGET FOR 2026.

THOSE ACTIONS INCLUDED REIMAGINING THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS.

WE'VE CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENTS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED EFFICIENCIES, CONTRACT UTILIZATION, STAFFING MODELS, TECHNOLOGY, AND MANY OTHER EFFORTS THAT ARE ONGOING, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO APPROACH THIS BUDGET IN THIS MANNER AS WE DEVELOP IT FOR NEXT

[03:05:03]

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, JACK IRELAND, TO BEGIN OUR LAST PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS TOLBERT, AGAIN. JACK IRELAND, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE CITY, JOINED WITH JEANETTE WEEDEN, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET MANAGEMENT SERVICES, AND WE WILL GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

AN OUTLINE OF THE PRESENTATION IS LISTED ON PAGE TWO.

WE'LL GO OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET. AS MISS TOLBERT MENTIONED, WE WILL GO THROUGH 27 PLAN BUDGET, AS WELL AS PRESSURES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH FROM BOTH THE REVENUE AND EXPENSE PERSPECTIVE, WE WILL TALK ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO DEVELOPING THE BUDGET, AND THEN WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THE POLLING EXERCISE THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN. SO MOVING ON TO SLIDE FOUR. JUST AS A REMINDER OF OUR CURRENT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 26 ADOPTED BUDGET, IT'S LAID OUT $5.2 BILLION. IT'S SPLIT BETWEEN THE OPERATING BUDGET ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE CHART AND THE CAPITAL BUDGET ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE CHART. THE OPERATING BUDGET IS MADE UP OF THE GENERAL FUND, AS WELL AS SEPARATE ENTERPRISE FUNDS SUCH AS DALLAS WATER UTILITY, AVIATION CONVENTION CENTER AND OTHER ENTERPRISE.

AND THEN THERE'S A SEPARATE BUDGET AND ALLOCATION FOR THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT SERVICE, WHICH IS WHAT WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT IN THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING THAT YOU CAN SEE AS A SEPARATE BUCKET THERE ON PAGE FOUR.

AND THEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HELP MAKE UP OUR OPERATING BUDGET.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ARE OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS WHERE WE WOULD SPEND OUR BOND FUNDS, WHERE WE WOULD SPEND WATER UTILITY, AVIATION AND OTHER CAPITAL FUNDS THAT WE HAVE.

THIS NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE FIVE IS THE SAME INFORMATION JUST LAID OUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

THE PIE CHART SHOWING THE MAKEUP OF THAT SAME BUDGET THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, AS WELL AS THE TABLE THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF PAGE FIVE THAT SHOWS THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BEING 38% OF OUR TOTAL $5.2 BILLION BUDGET.

THE GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT BUDGET THAT WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT PREVIOUSLY IS ABOUT 9% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE BUDGET MAKE UP THE $5.2 BILLION THAT WAS ADOPTED LAST SEPTEMBER FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.

ON SLIDE SIX, JUST A FEW BULLETS ABOUT HOW WE PAY FOR THE BUDGET.

FUNDING FOR THE CITY'S BUDGET COMES FROM MANY DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCES.

THE GENERAL FUND PRIMARILY COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, FRANCHISE FEES, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, FINES AND OTHER SOURCES. THE GENERAL FUND IS TYPICALLY CONSIDERED UNRESTRICTED REVENUE.

WE'RE ABLE TO USE THOSE REVENUES FOR ALL GENERAL GOVERNMENT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION CHARGES FOR SERVICES.

IN SOME INSTANCES, WE CHARGE A SPECIFIC FEE FOR A SPECIFIC SERVICE, AND THOSE FEES WOULD THEN GENERATE REVENUE THAT IS RESTRICTED TO THAT USE.

THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGES FOR THE OPERATIONS SUCH AS WATER AND SANITATION.

THOSE ENTERPRISE REVENUES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE USE OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND.

THE DEBT SERVICE REVENUES COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX TO PAY OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.

AND WHEN YOU SET THE TAX RATE FOR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THOSE REVENUES MUST BE USED TO PAY DEBT AND CANNOT BE USED TO TRANSFER BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OUR STATE AND OUR FEDERAL GRANTS AND TRUST AND OTHER RESTRICTED REVENUES HAVE TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE IN WHICH WE RECEIVE THEM. ON SLIDE SEVEN, AGAIN, JUST FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT RESTRICTED REVENUES THAT SUPPORT THE CITY'S TOTAL $5.2 BILLION BUDGET.

AGAIN, THOSE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGES FOR WATER, WASTEWATER, SANITATION, STORMWATER, THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS ARE DEFINED BY STATE LAW.

HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX. AGAIN, THOSE ROOM RATE CHARGES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

THERE'S VARIOUS USES THAT ARE DEFINED BY STATE LAW REVENUES THAT ARE COLLECTED THROUGH THE AVIATION DEPARTMENT FROM THE AIRLINES OR PARKING CONCESSIONS ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY ARE RESTRICTED THROUGH FAA REVENUE FOR PLAN REVIEW SERVICES, FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION AND TRADE PERMITS AND CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. I'M SORRY, CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.

THOSE REVENUES ARE RESTRICTED TO THE USE IN WHICH THEY ARE PAID.

RESTRICTED REVENUES MUST BE USED FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE AND CAN'T BE CANNOT BE USED TO BALANCE THE GENERAL FUND.

AS MISS TOLBERT MENTIONED ON PAGE EIGHT, WE HAVE TAKEN KEY ACTIONS TO BALANCE THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET AS WELL AS THE PRIOR YEAR BUDGET.

[03:10:04]

CONSOLIDATION OF DEPARTMENTS. WE'VE LISTED WHAT SAVINGS WE REALIZED FROM THOSE CONSOLIDATION THE LAST TWO YEARS.

WE'VE ALSO IDENTIFIED DEPARTMENT OF EFFICIENCIES THROUGH CONTRACT UTILIZATION, REVIEWING OUR STAFFING MODEL, OPTIMIZING OUR SERVICE DELIVERY METHODS, ADVANCING THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, AND USING METRICS AS WE EVALUATE OUR OPERATIONS AND SEEK IMPROVEMENTS. THESE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

SO I WANT TO SPEND THE NEXT FEW SLIDES TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND SPECIFICALLY.

SO THE GENERAL FUND HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY AS A RESULT, I GUESS, OF MISS TALBOT ISSUING A MEMORANDUM TO DEPARTMENTS REQUESTING THAT DEPARTMENTS IMPLEMENT COST REDUCTION STRATEGIES.

SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DO PREPARE A MONTHLY FORECAST.

IT'S WE REFER TO IT AS THE BUDGET ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT OR THE BAR.

THE BAR IS COMPLETED EACH MONTH AND IT'S SUBMITTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

AND WE ALSO DISTRIBUTED IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL THROUGH FRIDAY MEMORANDUM WHEN WE SEND IT TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

WHAT THE BAR CONSISTS OF IS WE REQUEST EACH DEPARTMENT ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO PROJECT FORWARD TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO END THE CURRENT YEAR, WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE AT SEPTEMBER 30TH.

AND SO WE USE THAT INFORMATION FROM THE DEPARTMENTS TO PUT TOGETHER THE TOTAL FORECAST THAT WE PREPARE THE REPORT AND SEND TO COUNCIL.

SO ON SLIDE TEN, YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL LAST SEPTEMBER IS $1.96 BILLION, AND IT'S BALANCED WITH OUR EXPENSES OF $1.96 BILLION.

YOU SEE WHAT OUR ACTUAL YEAR TO DATE YTD IS YEAR TO DATE ACTUALS ARE.

SO WHAT REVENUE HAVE WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THROUGH FIVE MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR? BECAUSE THIS REPORT IS AS OF FEBRUARY THE 28TH.

SO AS OF FEBRUARY 28TH, WE HAD ACTUALLY RECEIVED $1.38 BILLION IN REVENUE OF OUR 1.96 BUDGET.

OUR FORECAST, HOWEVER, IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY UNDER OUR BUDGET ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, AND WE WILL BE SHORT ON REVENUE BY $3.8 MILLION DOLLARS AND ON THE EXPENSE SIDE THUS FAR.

AFTER FIVE MONTHS, WE'VE ACTUALLY SPENT $754 MILLION OF OUR EXPENSE BUDGET.

SO WE'VE NOT GONE OVER BUDGET YET, BUT WE ARE FORECAST THAT WE WOULD BE OVER BUDGET ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.

WHEN WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, THEY ARE FORECASTING THAT WE WILL SPEND $16 MILLION MORE THAN WE ARE BUDGETED.

WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT YET, BUT IT IS A FORECAST OF SEPTEMBER 30TH.

IN ADDITION TO THAT EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT EXPENSES, THE TREND THAT WE ARE ON LEADS US TO FORECAST THAT WE WILL EXCEED THAT BUDGET BY $13.8 MILLION. NOW, THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT FUND BENEFITS NOT JUST THE GENERAL FUND, BUT ALSO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND.

ABOUT 72% OF THAT COST SHOULD BE ALLOCATED BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.

SO WITH REVENUES PROJECTED TO BE DOWN 3.8 MILLION EXPENSES OVER BUDGET BY 16 MILLION.

AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT EXPENSE OF 9.9.

THE GENERAL FUND IS PROJECTED TO END THE FISCAL YEAR $30 MILLION OUT OF BALANCE.

SO AGAIN, THE REASON WE DO THE REPORT MONTHLY IS WE STAY ON TOP OF THIS, AND WE MAKE DECISIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS NECESSARY.

AND WE FELT IT NECESSARY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND DISTRIBUTE THE MEMORANDUM A FEW WEEKS AGO.

WANT TO GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE NEXT FEW SLIDES? ON SLIDE 11 YOU'LL SEE MORE DETAIL BEHIND THE REVENUES.

AGAIN, THE YEAR END FORECAST, WE WILL BE $3.8 MILLION UNDER BUDGET.

YOU CAN SEE THAT'S PRIMARILY IN THE SALES TAX ROW 6.1 BELOW BUDGET.

BUT THAT'S OFFSET BY CHARGES FOR SERVICE, WHICH ARE FORECAST TO BE $2.1 MILLION OVER BUDGET.

SO ON SLIDE 12, JUST EXPLANATIONS OF THOSE VARIANCES AGAIN SALES TAX 6.1 MILLION PROJECTED TO BE UNDER BUDGET.

AND THIS IS BASED ON FIVE MONTHS OF ACTUAL COLLECTIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THIS FISCAL YEAR.

AND CHARGES FOR SERVICES ARE PROJECTED TO BE 2.1 BETTER THAN BUDGET DUE TO SOME INCREASED EMERGENCY SERVICES REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS AND DALLAS FIRE RESCUE. SO MOVING TO THE EXPENSE SIDE, ON SLIDE 13, WE SHOW EXPENSES TWO DIFFERENT WAYS ON SLIDE 13 IS BY CATEGORY.

[03:15:06]

IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE, IT'S BY DEPARTMENT.

AND SO THE SAME INFORMATION POLICE DEPARTMENT IS GOT A FORECAST TO SPEND $763 MILLION THIS YEAR.

THAT WOULD END THE YEAR. THEY'VE NOT GONE OVER BUDGET YET, BUT AT THE END OF THE YEAR ON THE TRACK THEY'RE ON, THEY WOULD BE $5.1 MILLION OVER BUDGET. FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE $9 MILLION OVER BUDGET.

PARKS AND RECREATION $1.8 MILLION OVER BUDGET.

ANIMAL SERVICES 1.1 OFFSET BY SOME OTHERS. AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE VARIANCE EXPLANATIONS FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT OVERAGES PROJECTED. SO IN TOTAL, 16.4 MILLION OVER DALLAS FIRE RESCUE PROJECTED TO BE 9 MILLION OVER BUDGET.

AND IT'S DUE PRIMARILY TO THEIR MANDATORY OVERTIME THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEIR MINIMUM STAFFING LEVELS WHEN THERE'S UNSCHEDULED LEAVE.

SIMILAR. THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT'S PROJECTED TO BE OVER BUDGET AT THE END OF THE YEAR BY $5 MILLION DUE TO INCREASED OFFICER RECRUITMENT AND OVERTIME IMPACTED BY HIGHER WAGES. SO WITH THEIR ANTICIPATED HIRING, THEY WOULD EXPECT TO EXCEED THE 350 OFFICER GOAL FOR THIS YEAR. AND SO BY HIRING MORE OFFICERS THAN WAS ANTICIPATED, THAT DRIVES THE COST UP AND GOING OVER BUDGET ON THE OVERTIME FOR BOTH POLICE AND FIRE. WE'RE SEEING THAT IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF AN INCREASE IN THE USES USE OF HOURS, BUT IT'S THE COST PER HOUR THAT TENDS TO BE DRIVING OVER BUDGET THIS YEAR. PARKS AND RECREATION NEARLY $2 MILLION PROJECTED TO BE OVER BUDGET DUE TO INCREASES IN THEIR TEMPORARY AND CONTRACT STAFFING AND UNPLANNED MAINTENANCE. DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES PROJECTED TO BE $1.1 MILLION OVER BUDGET, PRIMARILY DUE TO SUSPECTED ANIMAL CRUELTY RESPONSE AND JUST THEIR OVERALL OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.

AND THEN A COMBINATION OF DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE OVER BUDGET AS A RESULT OF OUR VACANCY RATE ASSUMPTION BEING OFF TARGET OFF OF WHAT THE WE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.

WE DO NOT BUDGET FOR ALL POSITIONS AT 100%. WE ACTUALLY, IN THE GENERAL FUND ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE VACANCIES, THERE WILL BE TURNOVER, THERE WILL BE DELAYS IN HIRING.

AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE REDUCED SALARY BUDGETS BY $27 MILLION THIS YEAR.

AND THAT WAS OUR OUR PROJECTION IN THE BUDGET.

AND SOME DEPARTMENTS ARE NOT HAVING THE OVERTURN THE ATTRITION THAT WE HAD EXPECTED.

AND THERE'S NOT MEETING THAT BUDGET. AND THEREFORE, THERE'S $2.1 MILLION OF OVERAGE THERE ON SLIDE 16.

I MENTIONED EARLIER EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS FORECAST TO BE $13.8 MILLION OVER BUDGET, WITH THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THAT BEING JUST UNDER $10 MILLION. WE WILL BE DOING A CHARGE TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS GENERAL FUND AND NON-GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT WE COLLECT THAT ADDITIONAL $13.8 MILLION FOR THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS FUND BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE TOP COST DRIVERS RELATED TO THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT IS AN INCREASED HIGH COST CLAIMANT ACTIVITY, INCLUDING MEMBERS, WITH INDIVIDUAL CLAIMS EXCEEDING $100,000.

WE HAVE 116 INDIVIDUALS WITH CLAIMS EXCEEDING $100,000 SO FAR THIS FISCAL YEAR.

WE ALSO HAVE INCREASED PHARMACY COSTS AND UTILIZATION, PARTICULARLY THE GLP ONE.

MEDICATIONS AND SPECIALTY MEDICATIONS ARE DRIVING OUR EXPENSES UP IN THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT FUND.

SO IN SLIDE 17, I WANTED TO MENTION KIND OF IN SUMMARY, THE MEMO THAT MISS TOLBERT DISTRIBUTED ON APRIL THE 24TH REGARDING THE OVERAGES. IMPLEMENTING A SELECTIVE HIRING FREEZE FOR ALL NON-UNIFORMED POSITIONS.

LIMITING THE USE OF OVERTIME UNLESS IT'S FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY OR MISSION CRITICAL PURPOSES.

HALTING DISCRETIONARY AND NON-CRITICAL SPENDING.

AND AS ALWAYS, BUDGET MANAGEMENT SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S MONITORING.

AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE YEAR AND RECEIVE REVISED FORECASTS FROM DEPARTMENTS, WE WILL MONITOR AND REPORT TO COUNCIL THE STATUS OF THE CURRENT YEAR.

BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED FOR THESE FEW SLIDES TO GO OVER THE CURRENT YEAR SITUATION.

[03:20:02]

THANK YOU, JACK, AND I'LL START WITH THE BIENNIAL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE ON SLIDE 19.

SO OUR ANNUAL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS ABOUT AN 8 TO 9 MONTH PROCESS.

ON SLIDE 19 WE HIGHLIGHT RESIDENT INPUT. WE START WITH OUR SPRING TOWN HALL MEETINGS.

IN THE MONTH OF MARCH. WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE SEND OUT BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND MAY.

AND THIS YEAR, WE RELAUNCHED OUR ANNUAL BUDGET PRIORITY SURVEY.

AND THAT SURVEY IS AVAILABLE MARCH THROUGH JUNE.

THE CITY MANAGER REVIEWS THE DEPARTMENT'S NEEDS WITHIN THE MONTHS OF MAY THROUGH JULY, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL RECEIVES THE BUDGET IN AUGUST.

YOU ALL REVIEW THE BUDGET, PROVIDE FEEDBACK, AND THEN THE FINAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER AND AVAILABLE ON OCTOBER 1ST FOR IMPLEMENTATION. SLIDE 20 PROVIDES THE DETAILED SCHEDULE WITH THE DATES.

YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE PROCESS STARTING IN FEBRUARY WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT NOTED WITH AN ASTERISKS ON SLIDE 22.

JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT IN AUGUST OF EACH YEAR, THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSES A BALANCED BIENNIAL BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BIENNIAL BUDGET.

THE SECOND YEAR IS A BALANCED PLAN THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW THE BUDGET CAN BE SUSTAINED IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR.

WE USE THE SECOND YEAR OF THE BIANNUAL BUDGET AS OUR STARTING POINT FOR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND SO THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, ALL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURE ASSUMPTIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED, ANALYZED AND UPDATED TO REFLECT OUR MOST RECENT INFORMATION.

THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PROPOSED BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 11TH.

ON SLIDE 23, YOU SEE A VERY SIMILAR CHART TO THE CHART THAT WE SHOWED FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.

THIS IS THE PLANNED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.

THE PLANNED BUDGET TOTALS 5.39 BILLION ACROSS ALL FUNDS.

AGAIN, THIS BUDGET IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

YOU'LL SEE THAT THE OPERATING BUDGET TOTALS 4.32 BILLION.

THAT SUPPORTS THE DAY TO DAY CITY SERVICES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL FUND AT 2.05 BILLION AND ENTERPRISE FUNDS AT 1.55 BILLION.

THE CAPITAL BUDGET TOTALS 1.07 BILLION, AND THAT PRIMARILY FUNDS OUR LONG TERM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

AND THAT SPLIT BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND, OUR GENERAL PURPOSE CAPITAL AND ENTERPRISE CAPITAL.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES MAKE UP 197.7 MILLION.

AND THAT CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF GRANT TRUSTS AND OTHER FUNDS THAT SUPPORT OPERATIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD AGAIN.

I'LL PROBABLY SAY THIS MULTIPLE TIMES TODAY. ALL REVENUE AND EXPENSE ASSUMPTIONS WILL BE UPDATED TO REFLECT OUR CURRENT CONDITIONS BEFORE WE PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 11TH. ON SLIDE 24, YOU SEE A PIE CHART OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, AND NEXT TO THE PIE CHART PROVIDES THE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR EACH CATEGORY TYPE.

AGAIN, THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH SUPPORTS THE MOST VISIBLE SERVICES SUCH AS POLICE, FIRE, PARKS AND LIBRARIES, MAKES UP 38% OF THE TOTAL PLAN BUDGET. ENTERPRISE AND OTHER FUNDS MAKE UP 29% OF THE BUDGET.

THE CAPITAL BUDGET REFLECTS 20% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ACCOUNT FOR 4%.

SO THE CHART VISUALLY REINFORCES KIND OF THE BALANCE AMONG THE FUND TYPES AND ILLUSTRATES HOW RESTRICTED FUNDS, DEBT SERVICE, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE ALL INCLUDED IN THAT TOTAL BUDGET NUMBER OF 5.39 BILLION.

HOWEVER, THOSE FUNDS CANNOT BE USED TO SUPPORT GENERAL FUND OPERATIONS.

ON SLIDE 25, YOU SEE THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET, ALL FUNDS ALLOCATED ACROSS THE CITY'S FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS TOTAL BUDGET. OUR LARGEST INVESTMENT FOR ALL OPERATING AND CAPITAL FUNDS IS IN THE SUSTAINABLE PILLAR AT 41%, WITH SAFE AT 27% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET. SLIDE 26 OUTLINES HOW DEPARTMENTS ARE ORGANIZED WITHIN THE SEVEN PILLARS, AND YOU CAN SEE WHICH DEPARTMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN EACH PILLAR.

SLIDE 27 AGAIN COMPARES THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET BY FUND BY TYPE TO FISCAL YEAR 26.

AND SO OVERALL, THE 27 PLAN BUDGET INCREASED BY 3.7%.

WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ADOPTED BUDGET, THE GENERAL FUND INCREASES 4.6%.

AND IN A FUTURE DISCUSSION, WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT MAKES UP THAT INCREASE.

ENTERPRISE FUNDS INCREASED SLIGHTLY BY 1.3%. THE CAPITAL BUDGET INCREASED BY 12.3% AND OTHER FUNDS DECREASED BY

[03:25:08]

SERVICES SUCH AS POLICE, FIRE PARKS. THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS THE PORTION OF THE BUDGET THAT GETS THE MOST ATTENTION.

AND SO I'LL WALK THROUGH THIS NEXT SECTION AND TALK ABOUT THE DRIVERS THAT MAKE UP THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET ON BOTH THE REVENUE AND THE EXPENDITURE SIDE. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE ARE STARTING FISCAL YEAR 27, BUDGET DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHALLENGES AHEAD. SO ON SLIDE 29, VERY SIMILAR OR ON SLIDE 29, WE START WITH A PIE CHART OF THE GENERAL FUND.

AGAIN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET TOTALS 2.05 BILLION.

AND THIS CHART SHOWS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.

THE INNER CIRCLE SHOWS GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT PROPERTY TAX IS OUR LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE AND ACCOUNTS FOR 58% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE.

SALES TAX MAKES UP 24% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, AND THE REMAINING OTHER REVENUE AT 18% COMES FROM FRANCHISE FEES, FINES, PERMITS AND TRANSFERS. THE OUTER CHART OF THE PIE CHART SHOWS GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY FOUNDATIONAL PILLAR.

ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PILLAR.

THE SAFE PILLAR, WHICH INCLUDES POLICE, FIRE AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES, ACCOUNTS FOR 66% OF ALL GENERAL FUND SPENDING.

THE REMAINING PILLARS COMPRISE THE REMAINING THIRD OF EXPENDITURES.

AND AGAIN, THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE STRUCTURAL REALITY THAT PUBLIC SAFETY REFLECTS THE MAJORITY OF GENERAL FUND SPENDING.

ON SLIDE 30, YOU SEE THE SAME PIE CHART AS SLIDE 29.

HOWEVER, THIS CHART SHOWS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES BY DEPARTMENT.

SO AGAIN ON THIS SLIDE YOU HAVE THE INNER CIRCLE OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES.

AND THEN THE OUTER CIRCLE YOU CAN SEE DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND DALLAS FIRE RESCUE MAKE UP NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF ALL GENERAL FUND SPENDING.

THE REMAINING ONE THIRD IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS OTHER DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, NON-DEPARTMENTAL AND PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS CODE, COMPLIANCE, MUNICIPAL COURT, LIBRARY AND FACILITIES EACH REPRESENT 2% OR LESS OF GENERAL FUND EXPENSES.

SO LIKE THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS HOW PUBLIC SAFETY, IN PARTICULAR POLICE AND FIRE, REFLECTS THE MAJORITY OF GENERAL FUND SPENDING.

SLIDE 31 PROVIDES MORE DETAIL ON GENERAL FUND REVENUE ACROSS FOUR POINTS, LOOKING AT FISCAL YEAR 25 ACTUALS ALL THE WAY TO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET. THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET COLUMN REFLECTS OUR ASSUMPTIONS FROM LAST SUMMER.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES AND THEN WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF CHANGES.

SO I'LL START WITH PROPERTY TAX ON SLIDE 50 OUR SLIDE 32.

SO PROPERTY TAXES I MENTIONED MAKES UP 58% OF TOTAL GENERAL FUND REVENUE.

THREE FACTORS THAT I'VE MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING THAT DETERMINES PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

THERE'S THE VALUE THAT'S SET BY THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT'S EXEMPTIONS ALLOWED BY STATE LAW AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE TAX RATE THAT'S APPROVED BY THE CITY CITY COUNCIL. ALL FOUR APPRAISAL DISTRICTS HAVE PROVIDED THEIR ESTIMATED VALUES TO PROPERTY OWNERS.

THE CITY WILL RECEIVE PRELIMINARY VALUES MID-MAY, AND THEN STAFF WILL MONITOR THOSE VALUES AS PROTESTS OCCUR OVER THE SUMMER.

TYPICALLY, VALUES WILL DECLINE AS PROTESTS ARE RESOLVED.

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, OUR TAX BASE HAS ERODED AN AVERAGE OF 7.1% FROM OUR PRELIMINARY VALUES IN MAY TO OUR CERTIFIED VALUES ON JULY 25TH. WE HAVE TALKED IN PREVIOUS SESSIONS AND IN PRIOR YEARS WITH YOU ABOUT VALUES THAT CONTINUE TO ERODE AFTER CERTIFICATION DUE TO SETTLEMENTS OF LAWSUITS FOR TAX YEARS 2020 223 AND 2024.

WE'VE LOST AN AVERAGE OF 4.8 BILLION IN VALUE, OR 9.65% ANNUALLY POST CERTIFICATION.

ON SLIDE 33, WE SHOW THE CITY'S PROPERTY VALUE CONTINUES TO GROW.

[03:30:02]

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE THIRD COLUMN REFLECTS THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN VALUE.

THE FOURTH COLUMN REFLECTS THE TOTAL APPRAISED VALUE THAT'S MADE THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT ASSESSED VALUE.

AND THE SIXTH COLUMN REFLECTS NEW CONSTRUCTION.

AND THEN THE LAST COLUMN REFLECTS OUR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.

SO THIS IS GIVING YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR VALUES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

THE THE RED BOX AT THE TOP OUTLINES THE YEARS THAT ARE SUBJECT TO SB TWO.

AND WE ALWAYS LIKE TO MENTION THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION IS NOT SUBJECT TO SB TWO.

ON SLIDE 34, YOU SEE OUR LONG TERM TREND OF PROPERTY VALUES SINCE THE EARLY 1980S.

THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU IN THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING.

THE CITY HAS SEEN SUSTAINED GROWTH OVER TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST DECADE.

BUT REMEMBER ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE WE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU ALL THAT AFTER THE 2019 TEXAS TRANSPARENCY AND REFORM ACT, SB TWO, OUR VALUES ARE NOW CAPPED. AND SO EVEN THOUGH OUR OUR WE CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH AND VALUE, WE DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN ONLY CAPTURE 3.5% OF THAT GROWTH.

EXCUSE ME. ON SLIDE 35, THE CURRENT PROPERTY TAX RATE IS 69.8 $0.08 PER 100.

ASSESSED VALUATION OF THAT 50.77 $0.05 SUPPORTS THE GENERAL FUND AND 19.1 $0.03 SUPPORTS DEBT SERVICE.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAS LOWERED THE TAX RATE FOR TEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS FOR A TOTAL REDUCTION OF 9.8 $0.02.

AND UNDER SB TWO, AGAIN, THE CITY IS LIMITED TO 3.5% REVENUE GROWTH FROM RE APPRAISED VALUE.

AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS. IF VALUES GROW FASTER THAN 3.5%, THE.

THE CITY MAY BE REQUIRED TO LOWER THE TAX RATE TO STAY WITHIN THE CAP.

ON SLIDE 36 DETAILS THAT TAX RATE REDUCTION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS OR OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS.

THIS IS SHOWING YOU THE REDUCTION REVENUE FORGONE, AS WELL AS THE HISTORICAL ALLOCATION BETWEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BASED ON THE FISCAL YEAR 26 TAX TAX BASE OF 226.5 BILLION, THAT TAX RATE REDUCTION OF 9.8 $0.02 EQUALS 222.4 MILLION IN REVENUE FOREGONE.

AND IN THE PREVIOUS BRIEFING, WE SHARED WITH YOU THAT $0.01 OF A TAX RATE EQUALS APPROXIMATELY 22.6 MILLION IN REVENUE GAINED OR LOST, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE THE RATE GOES UP OR DOWN.

SLIDE 37. WE TALK ABOUT EXEMPTIONS. THE CITY COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED A 20% HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED BY STATE LAW.

CITY COUNCIL HAS ALSO AUTHORIZED 175,000 EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENTS WHO ARE 65 OR OLDER OR DISABLED, AND THEN 100 100% EXEMPTION FOR QUALIFYING CHILD CARE FACILITIES.

WE DO REVIEW OUR OVER 65 EXEMPTION ANNUALLY. IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW, AND WE ARE SCHEDULED TO PRESENT AN UPDATE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ON MAY 26TH, WITH COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ON JUNE 10TH.

SLIDE 38 REFLECTS THE VALUE THAT IS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION EACH YEAR, AND HOW YOU CAN SEE ON THIS CHART HOW EXEMPTIONS HAVE GROWN OVER TIME.

FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, A TOTAL OF 62.6 BILLION IN VALUE IS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION.

THESE EXEMPTIONS TRANSLATE INTO ABOUT $437.4 MILLION IN REVENUE THAT THE CITY DOES NOT COLLECT.

SO MOVING ON TO SLIDE 39. SALES TAX SALES TAX MAKES UP 24% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, MAKING IT THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE BEHIND PROPERTY TAX. SALES TAX.

IN OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION WE TALKED ABOUT IS INFLUENCED BY LOCAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AS WELL AS NATIONAL OR GLOBAL CONDITIONS.

WE ARE FORECASTING THAT THE FISCAL YEAR 26 SALES TAX BUDGET IS CURRENTLY PROJECTED TO BE 6.1 MILLION BELOW BUDGET, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY BASED ON THE FIVE MONTHS OF COLLECTIONS.

WE ASSUMED GROWTH OF 4.6%. AND RIGHT NOW OUR CURRENT TREND IS ABOUT 3.3% IN GROWTH.

SLIDE 40 SHOWS THE HISTORICAL SALES TAX REVENUE FROM THE EARLY 1980S THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 26 FORECAST,

[03:35:06]

THERE HAVE BEEN PERIODS OF CONTRACTION DURING ECONOMIC SLOWDOWNS.

AND THEN WE'VE ALSO HAD YEARS OF STRONG GROWTH WITH RECORD GROWTH IN FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23.

OUR AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE IS 5.8% OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, 5.2% OVER TEN YEARS, AND THEN 3.7% OVER 30 YEARS. SLIDE 41 SHOWS THE YEAR OVER YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN SALES TAX REVENUE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE VOLATILITY OVER THE YEARS.

AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT RECORD GROWTH THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23, WHERE WE HAD OUR HIGHEST PERIODS OF GROWTH IN AND SALES TAX.

SINCE THAT TIME, GROWTH HAS MODERATED. IT'S RETURNING CLOSER TO OUR LONG, LONG TERM HISTORICAL AVERAGES.

SLIDE 42 PROVIDES A RECAP OF OUR SALES TAX. SO WE'RE SHOWING OUR FISCAL YEAR 25 ACTUALS.

THAT CAME IN ABOUT 5.8 MILLION UNDER BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.

THE ORIGINAL PLAN BUDGET WAS 497.9 MILLION. WE HAVE SINCE REVISED THE ESTIMATE, DOWN FROM OUR BASELINE FORECAST FROM LAST SUMMER TO OUR CONSERVATIVE FORECAST FROM LAST SUMMER, AND SO THAT REVISED ESTIMATE IS ABOUT 492.8 MILLION, A 5.1 MILLION DECREASE. AND SO WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATED FORECAST FOR YOU ALL WHEN WE COME BACK IN JUNE FROM OUR CONTRACT ECONOMIST. SLIDE 43. OTHER REVENUE.

WE CALL OUT CHARGES FOR SERVICES, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THAT OTHER REVENUE, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO JUST REMIND YOU ALL THAT WE HAVE.

WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE REVIEW ALL GENERAL FUND FEES AND CHARGES FOR SERVICES AT LEAST EVERY FOUR YEARS.

AND THAT'S REALLY TO ENSURE THAT WE CAPTURE THE FULL COST OF THAT ASSOCIATED SERVICE.

AND SO EXAMPLES OF FEES THAT WE HAVE REVIEWED IN THE PAST INCLUDE LIBRARY, PARKS AND RECREATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND PUBLIC WORKS. OTHER REVENUE ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE ALSO INCLUDES OUR OPERATING TRANSFERS.

AND SO THOSE WILL BE ADJUSTED TO NOT INCLUDE OR TO ONLY INCLUDE REOCCURRING TRANSFERS IN FISCAL YEAR 27.

SO SLIDE 44 REFLECTS THE REVENUE SHORTFALL. SO MR. IRELAND TALKED ABOUT THE 3.8 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 26.

WE'VE CARRIED THAT SALES TAX FORECAST, AN UPDATED FORECAST FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.

SO WE ARE SHOWING THAT OUR SALES TAX FORECAST IS 5.1 MILLION UNDER BUDGET.

IN OTHER REVENUE, WE HAVE REMOVED ONE TIME TRANSFERS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET.

AND SO THE CURRENT ESTIMATE SHOWS THAT WE HAVE A REVENUE SHORTFALL IN FISCAL YEAR 27 OF 19.8 MILLION.

AND SO AGAIN STRATEGIES ARE ALREADY IN PLACE TO ELIMINATE THE SHORTFALL IN FISCAL YEAR 26.

BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE FISCAL YEAR 27 REVENUE VARIANCE WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND AGAIN, A BALANCED BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 11TH.

ON SLIDE 45, WE TRANSITION TO EXPENDITURES. THIS TABLE SHOWS HOW GENERAL FUND EXPENSES HAVE BEEN TRENDING FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH 27.

PLAN NUMBER YOU CAN SEE THAT PERSONAL SERVICES REMAINS OUR LARGEST COST DRIVER.

YOU SEE AN INCREASE FROM 1.4 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 26 TO 1.5 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 27, OR 6% INCREASE.

ON SLIDE 46, WE START THE DISCUSSION OF OUR EXPENSE DRIVERS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET.

AS I MENTIONED, THE PLANNED BUDGET IS 2.05 BILLION.

THAT'S 88 MILLION OR 4.6 HIGHER THAN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ADOPTED BUDGET.

MOST OF THIS INCREASE COMES FROM POLICE AND FIRE, WHICH TOGETHER ACCOUNT FOR 78 MILLION OR NEARLY 89% OF THE TOTAL INCREASE.

EXPENSE DRIVERS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET INCLUDE OUR REQUIRED CONTRIBUTIONS TO UNIFORM PENSION AND INCLUDES THE FULL YEAR FUNDING OF THE CURRENT MEET AND MEET AND CONFER AGREEMENT.

WE HAVE INCLUDED SOME ASSUMPTIONS FOR A NEW AGREEMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 27.

MR. EILAND TALKED ABOUT OUR HIRING GOALS, AND SO WE CONTINUE THOSE HIRING GOALS INTO FISCAL YEAR 27.

[03:40:04]

THERE'S AN ADJUSTMENT THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR LIVING WAGE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR DEFERRED FACILITY NEEDS.

AND SO AND ALSO JUST THE BROADER ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.

SO ALL OF THESE ITEMS ON SLIDE 46 WILL CONTINUE TO BE REVIEWED AND ADJUSTED BEFORE WE PRESENT A RECOMMENDED BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL IN AUGUST. SO ON SLIDE 47, WE TRY TO PROVIDE LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE COST DRIVERS AND THE ASSOCIATED COSTS.

AND SO THIS TABLE INCLUDES A TWO COLUMNS. THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE.

INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 PLAN BUDGET. SO THIS MEANS THE COST IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR PLAN BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED OR SUBMITTED OR SUBMITTED LAST SUMMER. SO THAT 2.05 BILLION.

SO THAT COLUMN COLUMN REFLECTS ITEMS INCLUDED.

THE SECOND COLUMN NOT INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR PLAN BUDGET, REFLECTS COST DRIVERS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT ORIGINAL PLANNED AMOUNT.

AND THEN WE ALSO INCLUDE TO BE DETERMINED BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE AMOUNTS IN THE FIRST COLUMN INCLUDED IN THE PLAN BUDGET WILL CHANGE AS WE WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET ASSUMES HIRING 400 OFFICERS WITH ATTRITION OF 180 OFFICERS.

ANY CHANGES TO THOSE ASSUMPTIONS IMPACT OUR SALARIES, BUT THEY ALSO IMPACT THE PENSION NUMBER.

AND SO THOSE NUMBERS MAY CHANGE. WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT OUR HEALTH INSURANCE COST.

AND SO WE'VE BUILT IN A 4.2% INCREASE. BUT BASED ON OUR CURRENT TRENDS WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT INCREASE INCREASE WILL NEED TO BE HIGHER. AND SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO MORE IN TERMS OF HEALTH INSURANCE.

ON SLIDE 48, WE SHARE ADDITIONAL ASSUMPTIONS THAT WERE BUILT INTO THE PLAN BUDGET.

AND SO WE BUILT IN AN AVERAGE 3% MERIT FOR NON-UNIFORM EMPLOYEES.

IN FISCAL YEAR 26, WE BUDGETED THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR CITY EMPLOYEES AT 21.50 PER HOUR.

AND WITH THAT DISCUSSION LAST SUMMER, WE TALKED ABOUT FURTHER INCREASES TO BE DISCUSSED DURING BUDGET DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO THERE'S A TO BE DETERMINED AMOUNT IN THAT COLUMN.

FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE. WE'VE INCREASED OUR ALLOCATION FROM THE 2 MILLION IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET TO 3 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 27.

TO ADDRESS SOME OF OUR LONG STANDING FACILITY NEEDS AND ALIGN WITH MAINTENANCE BEST PRACTICES.

BUT AGAIN, WE CONTINUE TO REVIEW ALL OF THE EXPENSE DRIVERS ON THIS PAGE.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT TO BE DETERMINED IN THE NOT INCLUDED COLUMN.

AND THEN OUR LAST SLIDE OF EXPENSE DRIVERS INCLUDES A COMBINATION OF WE KNOW WE HAVE KNOWN TECHNOLOGY INCREASES AND CONTRACT INCREASES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED SO FAR DURING THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND SO THOSE KNOWN INCREASES ARE INCLUDED IN THE NOT INCLUDED IN FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN COLUMN.

SO WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY INCREASES OF ABOUT 2.6 MILLION.

WE HAVE KNOWN CONTRACT INCREASES OF 6.3 MILLION.

THAT INCLUDES A CUSTODIAL INCREASE IN CONTRACT INCREASE OF 3.6 MILLION AND THEN OTHER INCREASES OF ABOUT 2.2 MILLION. THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM THE CROSSING GUARD CONTRACT TO BRIDGE MAINTENANCE, STREET LIGHT MAINTENANCE.

AND SO ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE CURRENTLY INCLUDED, ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 PLAN BUDGET FOR 911 OPERATIONS. THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN BUDGET INCLUDED A ONE TIME REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE 911 FUND BALANCE IN THE AMOUNT OF $9 MILLION. WE HAVE REMOVED THAT REIMBURSEMENT TO ENSURE THAT OUR ONGOING EXPENSES ARE COVERED BY ONGOING REVENUES.

AND SO THE LAST BULLET ON THE SLIDE, JUST THE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AS WE MAKE OUR WAY THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE, WE HAVE SUMMARIZED THE FISCAL YEAR 2017 EXPENSE PRESSURES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO NEED THAT. WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS AS PART OF OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

AND THEY TOTAL 17.9 MILLION. AND SO ON. SLIDE 50, WE PROVIDE THAT TOTAL OF KNOWN EXPENSE DRIVERS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET.

[03:45:02]

AND I'VE SAID THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, WE WILL PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET TO CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 11TH ON SLIDES 52 THROUGH 55, WE TRANSITION TO KIND OF THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE WILL BE NEEDED TO DEVELOP A A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET AND STRUCTURALLY BALANCED, MEANING ONGOING REVENUES EQUAL ONGOING EXPENDITURES.

SO AFTER AFTER UPDATING REVENUES AT THIS POINT IN THE PROCESS AND ARE KNOWN COST DRIVERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27. WE KNOW THAT FISCAL YEAR 27 IS NOW OUT OF BALANCE WITH EXPENSES EXCEEDING REVENUE BY 37.7 MILLION. REVENUES ARE STILL GROWING, BUT THEY'RE GROWING AT A SLOWER PACE THAN HISTORICAL TRENDS.

EXPENSES CONTINUE TO RISE AND OUTPACE REVENUE GROWTH.

AND SO DURING, THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, STAFF WILL REBALANCE FISCAL YEAR 27 ASSUMPTIONS.

AND THEN WE WILL PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET ON AUGUST 11TH.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, I THINK I'VE SAID THIS A FEW TIMES ENTERPRISE FUNDS, CAPITAL FUNDS AND OTHER RESTRICTED FUNDS THAT ARE PART OF THE 5.39 BILLION CANNOT BE USED TO BALANCE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

ON SLIDE 53, WE REITERATE THE ONGOING CHALLENGES TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT. OUR REVENUE GROWTH IS LIMITED BY OR OUR REVENUE GROWTH IS LIMITED BY THE 3.5% PROPERTY TAX CAP.

SO REMEMBER 5,058% OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS PROPERTY TAX.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S BEEN SIGNALS OR CONVERSATIONS THAT THE STATE MAY FURTHER RESTRICT LOCAL REVENUE CAPACITY.

ADDITIONALLY, SALES TAX CONTRACTION MAY CONTINUE PLACING ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON OUR GENERAL FUND.

AND SO AS OUR COST DRIVERS CONTINUE TO GROW WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE UNIFORM SALARIES.

WE'VE INCREASED POLICE HIRING, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE HIGHER EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS.

AND SO ALL OF THIS ADDS TO OUR EXPENDITURE GROWTH IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR REVENUES ARE LIMITED.

AND SO WHAT ARE OUR RESPONSES TO THE CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES.

SO AS MR. IRELAND MENTIONED, WE WILL USE A CONSENSUS POLICY DIRECTION FROM CITY COUNCIL TO KIND OF GUIDE THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

OUR CORE CITY SERVICES REMAIN THE TOP PRIORITY FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION.

WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH RESIDENTS. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY WIDE INPUT OVER SPECIAL INTEREST REQUESTS TO ENSURE EQUITY AND BROAD REPRESENTATION. WE ARE FOCUSED ON INNOVATION, EFFICIENCY, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, MOVING BEYOND THE STATUS QUO.

SO TRYING TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY, NOT THE SAME WAY THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THEM.

STATUS WILL CONTINUE TO STREAMLINE AND OPERATE, OPTIMIZE SERVICE DELIVERY WHERE POSSIBLE.

AND REALLY, THAT'S WORKING TO DEVELOP THE APPROPRIATE STAFFING MODELS TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT STRUCTURE AND SKILLS, SKILL SETS ARE IN PLACE. AND THEN ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES ON SLIDE 55 INCLUDE CONSOLIDATING TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE DUPLICATION. WE'LL LEVERAGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT STAFF CAPACITY.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE FEES TO ENSURE FULL COST RECOVERY.

WE ARE LOOKING AT CONTRACTS FOR POTENTIAL SAVINGS, SAVINGS AND IN SERVICE EFFICIENCIES.

AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT LOW IMPACT OR LOW VALUE PROGRAMS FOR REDUCTIONS.

AND THEN FINALLY WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT HOW TO BETTER UTILIZE EXISTING ASSETS TO STRENGTHEN OUR FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.

AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. IRELAND TO WALK YOU THROUGH OUR CITY COUNCIL BUDGET PRIORITIES.

THANK YOU. SO CONTINUING ON SLIDE 57, THIS NEXT SECTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS A SUMMARY OF RESPONSES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL THROUGH THE PRIORITIES POLLING EXERCISE.

SO I WANTED TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE POLLING EXERCISE.

[03:50:01]

SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE ASKED THE FIRST OF 20 QUESTIONS WAS FOR YOU TO FOR EACH OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS TO IDENTIFY IF THE PILLAR WAS VERY IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT, YOUR FEELING WAS NEUTRAL OR NOT IMPORTANT.

AND SO THE RESULTS ARE LISTED HERE WHERE 100% OF YOU BELIEVE THAT SAFE IS EITHER IMPORTANT OR VERY IMPORTANT.

SAME WITH FISCALLY SOUND. 93% OF YOU FELT THAT VIBRANT WAS EITHER IMPORTANT OR VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU CAN SEE THE RESULTS THERE FOR EACH OF THE THE PILLARS.

THE SECOND QUESTION WAS ASKING WHICH FOUNDATIONAL PILLAR SHOULD RECEIVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE BUDGET.

AND YOU WERE ASKED TO SELECT UP TO THREE. WHEN DOING SO, SAFE ROSE TO THE TOP VIBRANT SECOND, GROWING AND SUSTAINABLE, TIED FOR THIRD AND SO ON.

ON THAT PAGE ON SLIDE 59, A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO QUESTIONS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.

WE ASK YOU TO SELECT CITY SERVICES THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE OF HIGHER PRIORITY IN THE BUDGET.

AND WHAT ROSE TO THE TOP IN THAT WAS REPAIRING AND MAINTAINING STREET SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS AND PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS. AND SO IN THE CITY CITYWIDE SURVEY, YOU WILL RECALL THAT BOTH OF THESE ARE IN THE HIGHER PRIORITY OF RESIDENTS.

IN ADDITION TO RESIDENTS IDENTIFIED POLICE SERVICE AS ONE THAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED BY COUNCIL.

BUT IT WASN'T ONE OF THE TOP TWO. A NUMBER FOR WE ASK YOU TO SELECT UP TO THREE THAT YOU THOUGHT WERE OF LOWER PRIORITY.

THIS WAS A HARDER ASK. WE HAD A HIGH COUNT OF NO RESPONSES ON THAT QUESTION.

AND REALLY, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT WAS OVERWHELMING ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT SHOULD BE OF LOWER SOCIAL SERVICES WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE THAT RECEIVED THE MOST.

BUT REALLY IT WAS SPREAD VERY THIN ACROSS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ON SLIDE 60 MOVING THROUGH NUMBERS FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN. WE ASK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT PROGRAMS THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH HIGHER PRIORITIES, WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE ELIMINATED OR NOT. AND WE RECEIVED 71% RESPONSE THAT YOU STRONGLY DISAGREED OR DISAGREED WITH THE STATEMENT.

SO THE TAKEAWAY WOULD BE TO NOT ELIMINATE LOW PRIORITY PROGRAMS. NUMBER SIX REALLY SPLIT ON THE RESPONSE PRETTY EVENLY.

43%, 35% VERSUS AGREEING AND VERSUS DISAGREEING.

NUMBER SEVEN, A QUESTION ABOUT DO YOU SUPPORT REDUCED BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR AREAS OF LESSER IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE? AND SO THE KEY IN THIS QUESTION WAS ABOUT THINGS THAT WERE THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, MEANING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY.

AND THERE WAS A HIGHER LEVEL OF YES RESPONSES ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION ON PAGE 61.

QUESTION NUMBER EIGHT WAS ABOUT PROPERTY TAX.

AND WE LAID OUT FIVE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND ASKED WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING APPROACHES TO PROPERTY TAX RATE WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SUPPORT? TWO OF YOU ARE 14% SAID REDUCE THE TAX RATE TO AT LEAST THE.

NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. TWO OF YOU ARE 14% SAID TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE.

EIGHT OF YOU ARE. 57% SAID TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE.

TWO OF YOU ARE 14% SAID TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE.

AND NO ONE SAID INCREASE THE TAX RATE TO THE POINT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A VOTER APPROVAL ELECTION.

ON SLIDE 62, WE ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO STREET AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE ASK YOU TO IDENTIFY IN NUMBER NINE A PROGRAMS THAT WERE OF HIGHER PRIORITY TO YOU, AND NINE B THAT WOULD BE OF LOWER PRIORITY. AGAIN, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THOROUGHFARES AND MAJOR STREETS RECEIVED THE MAJORITY OF THE SUPPORT.

AND THEN THE SECOND WAS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF STREETS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

NINE. BE ASKING YOU TO IDENTIFY LOWER PRIORITY STREET AND INFRASTRUCTURES.

STREET CLEANING RECEIVED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF RESPONSES.

BUT THAT STILL DID NOT REPRESENT A MAJORITY OF THE COUNCIL.

ON SLIDE 63, TEN A AND TEN B ARE ABOUT PARK SERVICES.

AGAIN, HIGHER PRIORITY AND LOWER PRIORITY FOR HIGHER PRIORITY NINE OF YOU, OR IN THIS CASE, 32% BECAUSE YOU WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY UP TO TWO.

SO THERE WERE 28 POSSIBLE RESPONSES. NINE OF YOU ARE 32%, SAID PARK APPEARANCE PARK QUALITY PARK AMENITIES WERE OF HIGHER PRIORITY.

SEVEN OF YOU ARE 25% SAID RECREATION CENTERS AND THEN FOLLOWED BY WALKING TRAILS.

[03:55:05]

THERE WAS A HIGHER DID NOT RESPOND ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.

AND THEN PARTNER FACILITIES SUCH AS THE ARBORETUM OR AUDUBON.

AND GOLF COURSES SEEM TO BE THINGS THAT WERE OF LOWER PRIORITY.

AGAIN, IT WAS REALLY SPREAD ACROSS A WIDE ARRAY.

AND THERE'S MORE DETAIL IN THE APPENDIX. LIBRARIES ON PAGE 64.

WE ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING BEST DESCRIBES YOUR PREFERENCE REGARDING LIBRARY SERVICES.

AND 50% OF YOU ARE SEVEN IDENTIFIED. MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO WITH NO REDUCTIONS IN LIBRARY SERVICES AND TO OFFSET ANY REDUCTIONS IN OTHER AREAS.

SLIDE 12, 13, AND 14. ASK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND STIPENDS.

THIS FIRST QUESTION ASKS SHOULD THE CITY MAINTAIN FUNDING TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS EVEN IF WE ARE REDUCING IN OTHER CITY SERVICES? THE MAJORITY DISAGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT. ON QUESTION 13 WAS REALLY SPLIT.

36% OF YOU, IT WAS A NEUTRAL RESPONSE, 36% STRONGLY DISAGREED OR DISAGREED IN 28 WERE IN THE AGREE AREA.

SO IT WAS REALLY SPLIT FAIRLY EVENLY. NUMBER 14 TO WHAT LEVEL DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENT THAT WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT PHASE DOWN REDUCTION OF FUNDING TO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND A MAJORITY OF YOU AGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT? NUMBER 15 OUT OF 20 ON NUMBER PAGE 66, WE ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIVING WAGE POLICY.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE RESPONSES ARE PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT ON NUMBER 15.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY PRETTY EVENLY SPLIT ON NUMBER 16.

ON NUMBER 17 WE GOT A LITTLE MORE DIRECTION IN THAT WHEN WE ASK HOW DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE? THE CITY SHOULD PAUSE THE CURRENT LIVING WAGE POLICY DURING VOLATILE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

AND STAFF SHOULD BRING A NEW POLICY FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE DATE.

AND 7 OR 50% OF YOU AGREED OR STRONGLY AGREED WITH THAT PARTICULAR STATEMENT.

NUMBER 18 TO WHAT LEVEL DO YOU AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT ABOUT USING DATA ANALYSIS AND ANALYTICS IN OUR DECISION MAKING? 64% AGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT. THE LAST TWO QUESTIONS ARE ON PAGE 68.

WHICH APPROACH DO YOU SUPPORT REGARDING EMPLOYEE FOCUSED SUPPORT SERVICES? THERE WASN'T A MAJORITY, BUT 6 OR 43% SAID TO CONTINUE FUNDING PROGRAMS, BUT TO LIMIT OR REDUCE STAFFING.

AND THEN ON NUMBER 20 HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO MAINTAIN STAFFING LEVELS THAT ENSURE TIMELY AND RELIABLE ACCESS TO EMPLOYEE SUPPORT PROGRAMS? AND 64% OF YOU WERE IN THE IMPORTANT OR SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT ON THAT.

THE, THERE'S MORE DETAIL ON THE QUESTIONS IN THE APPENDIX, THE 20 QUESTIONS.

PLUS, WE ALSO ASK EACH OF YOU TO IDENTIFY THREE AREAS SPECIFIC TO YOUR DISTRICT.

AND THOSE ARE WRITTEN OUT IN THE APPENDIX AS WELL.

SO MOVING TO OUR LAST SLIDE OF THE BRIEFING PAGE NUMBER 70.

JUST THE NEXT STEPS. WE HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET UPDATE FOR YOU ON JUNE THE 17TH.

SO WE'LL BE BACK FOR THAT CONVERSATION. AND THEN ON AUGUST THE 11TH, YOU'LL RECEIVE A PRESENTATION IN THIS FORUM FOR THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 AND 28. THAT'S THE END OF OUR PREPARED REMARKS.

AND MAYOR WE'LL TURN IT BACK TO YOU, SIR. CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. WELL, I JUST WANT TO START, ACTUALLY, BY SAYING TO THE TEAM THAT YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

AND I JUST THINK YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB, ESPECIALLY EXPLAINING IT AT THE MOST BASIC LEVEL.

AND IF IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR, I'D PROBABLY WATCH THIS MEETING ALL OVER AGAIN.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY START WITH A SURVEY, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE WORST ONE I'VE EVER TAKEN.

IT WAS TRULY TERRIBLE. IT HAD MEANINGLESS QUESTIONS AND FORCED ANSWERS THAT DON'T REFLECT THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION.

IT FORCED US TO GIVE BLACK AND WHITE ANSWERS FOR THINGS THAT ARE GRAY.

YOU CAN'T SAY THERE'S ONLY THREE IMPORTANT THINGS IN A CITY WITH A $5.2 BILLION BUDGET.

I'M SORRY THAT ALL OF THESE ANSWERS, BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT MEANT FOR ME TO GIVE MY ANSWER.

I PUT NO STOCK IN THIS. I MEAN, MAYBE IT GIVES YOU A GENERAL IDEA OF WHERE THINGS ARE HEADED, BUT IT TRULY, TRULY WAS TERRIBLE. JACK, YOU SAID ON QUESTION NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS ON SLIDE 60, THAT YOUR TAKEAWAY BECAUSE 71% STRONGLY DISAGREED OR DISAGREED, THAT PROGRAMS THAT DO NOT ALIGN WITH HIGHER PRIORITIES SHOULD BE ELIMINATED.

YOUR TAKEAWAY WAS THAT WE SHOULDN'T REDUCE LOWER PRIORITY ITEMS. BUT I WOULD SAY THE TAKEAWAY SHOULD BE THAT THE QUESTION IS FORCING AN ANSWER THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AND THAT WE KNOW BECAUSE WE COULD ONLY DO THREE HIGHER

[04:00:07]

YOU JUST FORCE ME TO ANSWER IN A WAY THAT WASN'T APPROPRIATE.

THE QUESTION NUMBER 18 ON SLIDE 67 IS TO WHAT LEVEL DO YOU AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT DECISIONS.

DECISION MAKING AT THE CITY SHOULD BE BASED ON DATA ANALYTICS.

AND YOU GOT 64 AGREE AND 29% NEUTRAL BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S PHRASED.

BUT THE REALITY IS IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DATA ANALYTICS ARE.

AND WHAT WE SAW IS BASED ON THE WEIGHT AND WHAT THE CHARACTERISTICS WERE THAT MAKE UP THAT ALGORITHM GREATLY DEPEND ON THAT.

THAT FORCES AN OUTCOME. AND WHAT WE SAW WITH THE LIBRARY DISCUSSION IS THAT REALLY IMPORTANT METRICS LIKE, WELL, WHAT'S THE CIRCULATION AT THE LIBRARY WEREN'T EVEN CONSIDERED.

WE DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER HOW MANY PEOPLE WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR, BUT YET WE WERE GIVEN RECOMMENDATIONS.

THERE WAS NO CONSIDERATION ABOUT. IS IT A VOTING PLACE? IF IT IS THE LIBRARY FOR A SCHOOL, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

SO WHEN WE USE DATA ANALYTICS AS A WAY TO FORCE COUNCIL TO MAKE POLICY DECISIONS BECAUSE, HEY, IT'S DATA, WELL, LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT GOOD DATA.

AND THAT'S WHY I HAD A HARD TIME. AND I, I PUT NEUTRAL NUMBER 19 IS WHICH APPROACH DO YOU SUPPORT REGARDING EMPLOYEE FOCUSED SUPPORT SERVICES? THERE WASN'T REALLY A DEFINITION OF WHAT SUPPORT SERVICES MEANT AND THE SCOPE OF THAT.

SO I THINK WE ALL SUPPORT EMPLOYEES. BUT I ALSO WILL OBJECT TO THE INCREDIBLY ROBUST NUMBER OF DAYS OFF THAT WE PROVIDE AND WHAT THAT HAS MEANT TO US IN TERMS OF OVERTIME AND STAFFING LEVELS, BECAUSE LATER ON, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY ENUMERATE IT, BUT IT'S VERY, VERY ROBUST.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL TODAY FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS.

SO THE GRAND TOTAL OF POSITIONS IS 15,589. THE STAFFING TODAY, I DO NOT KNOW.

IT'S A DAILY HEADCOUNT OF WHO CAME AND WENT, BUT THE POSITIONS.

NO MA'AM. NO, NO, I CAN'T GUESS ON THAT. WELL THEN I'M GOING TO SAY THIS, THAT WHEN I STARTED IN 2019, THAT 15000 PLUS NUMBER WAS 13,000 AND EVERY PROBLEM WITH OUR BUDGET COULD BE FIXED IF WE GET OUR STAFFING BACK IN LEVEL. THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM. AND WHEN WE ARE GIVING SUCH INCREDIBLY GENEROUS TIME OFF AND IT COMES ON OUR AGENDA AND IT SAYS NO COST CONSIDERATION TO THE CITY. AND I ALWAYS SAY, ARE YOU TELLING ME THERE'S NO COST CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE PROVIDING SIX WEEKS OFF FOR MATERNITY, WHEN WE'RE PROVIDING 11 PAID HOLIDAYS, WHEN WE GIVE AN INCENTIVE TO JUST SHOW UP TO DO YOUR JOB, I THINK ANOTHER FIVE DAYS. I MEAN, WE HAVE MASSIVE NUMBERS OF DAYS OFF FOR THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH.

ON SLIDE TEN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THE RESERVES THAT USED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ACCOUNT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? TEN. YES. SO RELATED TO THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS.

YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THE RESERVE FOR THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT, WE HAD A NEW FMPC OR AN FMPC. ADDED TO THAT, WE HAVE A RESERVE AS PART OF OUR OVERALL RESERVES.

AND SO WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE, THERE IS A RESERVE LEVEL.

JEANETTE. DO YOU MIND SHARING? DO YOU HAVE. I THINK IT'S APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 1 SECOND.

I HAVE IT SO TO. I KNOW IT WAS A CONCERN. GO AHEAD.

I'M SORRY. THE FISCAL YEAR 26 RESERVE LEVEL IS 16.2 MILLION FOR THE EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS FUND.

IT'S PART OF OUR OVERALL 300 MILLION PLUS FUND BALANCE.

THAT INCLUDES EMERGENCY RESERVE, CONTINGENCY RESERVE, EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFIT RESERVE RISK RESERVE AS PART OF THAT BALANCE.

SO I DIDN'T LOOK IT UP. AND I WILL ASK AT THE NEXT TIME WE DO A BUDGET PRESENTATION.

BUT IN 2019, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS CLOSE TO 60 MILLION.

AND THAT ACCOUNT GOT EMPTIED OUT BY THE CITY MANAGER.

SO LET'S LOOK AT THAT FOR NEXT TIME AND HAVE THAT HISTORY ON SLIDE 12 WITH SALES TAX AND THE REDUCTION, I WOULD SAY THIS. WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES.

IT'S NOT JUST A SHOP LOCAL, IT'S THAT WE HAVE BUSINESSES LEAVING AND THEY'RE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY REPEATEDLY TELL US WE NEED MORE PUBLIC SAFETY,

[04:05:04]

AND IF WE DON'T GET THAT RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO BE OPEN TO BUSINESS.

THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES STAY HERE.

AND THERE'S NO PLACE TO SHOP WHEN BUSINESSES CLOSE UP.

AND FRANKLY, OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.

PLUS, ADD IN STREETS AND PARKS. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN JOHNSON.

RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU, MISTER MAYOR.

EARLIER IN YOUR PRESENTATION. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

YOU GUYS HAVE DONE WELL AND WE APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

KIM CITY MANAGER THEY'VE DONE VERY WELL TODAY AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR PRESENTATION.

I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. OF COURSE, I CAME FROM DALLAS.

ISD. AND SO I'M LOOKING AT AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT LENS.

I THINK EARLIER YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THE CROSSING GUARDS. I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT SLIDE IT WAS ON.

BUT WHY ARE WE AT THE CITY PAYING FOR CROSSING GUARDS FOR DALLAS ISD? I KNOW DALLAS ISD TOOK OVER THE BUSSES FROM DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS.

SO TELL ME, WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR THE CROSSING GUARDS AND HOW MUCH MONEY ACTUALLY ARE WE PAYING? SO THE CITY OF DALLAS DOES HAVE A LINE ITEM IN ITS BUDGET FOR CROSSING GUARDS, AND I CAN PULL UP THE CURRENT BUDGET ALLOCATION ONE MOMENT IF I JEANETTE IS PULLING THAT INFORMATION. COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON.

IT'S ACTUALLY CURRENTLY A STATE LAW THAT REQUIRES ANY CITY WITH A POPULATION OF OVER A HALF A MILLION.

THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM BECOMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MUNICIPALITY.

SO IT'S ACTUALLY IN STATE LAW. AND THE AMOUNT IS 8.5 MILLION 8.5.

THAT IS CORRECT. THAT'S A CONCERN.

WELL, AS THE COACH, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT OTHER LINE ITEM EXPENSES LIKE THIS EXIST WHERE THE STATE IS REQUIRING THE CITY TO PAY FOR ITEMS LIKE THIS FOR WHATEVER NUMBER THAT EXISTS.

DO WE HAVE ANOTHER NUMBER OR ANOTHER ITEM LIKE THIS CITY MANAGER OR JACK? I'M AWARE OF THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM.

WE ACTUALLY TOOK BACK OVER THAT PROGRAM AFTER THE DALLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS WAS DISSOLVED.

I WANT TO SAY IT WAS IN 2018, 2019. AND SO THE BUSSING PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS WERE UNDER THAT ORGANIZATION.

THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOOK BACK THE BUS PORTION.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE TOOK BACK THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PORTION.

AND SO RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A THIRD PARTY THAT MANAGES THE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD PROGRAM ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.

AND THEN WE PAY THAT ORGANIZATION. THEY WORK WITH US.

ANYTIME THERE IS A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS.

IF THERE ARE NEW SCHOOLS THAT ARE BUILT, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT THEY GO THROUGH. THEY WORK WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO DO ALL OF THE EVALUATION OF THE INTERSECTIONS AND ALL THAT. SO IT'S A PROCESS, BUT WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED THAT BACK THAT CAME BACK TO THE CITY, I BELIEVE IT WAS 2019. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT IS A MANDATE THAT DIRECTLY INVOLVES US PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO THE DIRECT BENEFIT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND IF I MAY ADD, ALSO, I'M NOT REMEMBERING THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WHEN WE SPOKE AT YOUR LAST COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT REVENUE THAT HELPED OFFSET THE 8.5 MILLION IN EXPENSE. I WANT TO THINK IT WAS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF OVER $6 MILLION OF REVENUE THAT WAS COLLECTED EITHER THROUGH THE COUNTY'S CHARGE ON YOUR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AS WELL AS CHARGES THAT ARE ADDED TO ADDITIONAL FINES THAT THE CITY HAS.

THAT THERE'S ABOUT $6 MILLION, I THINK IS THE NUMBER THAT HELPS OFFSET THAT EXPENSE.

SO IT'S 8.5 MILLION. AND WHAT OFFSETS THAT? I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 6 MILLION.

SO I BELIEVE THERE'S ABOUT $2.5 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL COST THAT'S NOT COVERED THROUGH THE DEDICATED REVENUES.

SO I'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP TO GET YOU THE EXACT NUMBER.

SO THE CITY IS STILL PAYING AT LEAST ABOUT TWO POINT MILLION.

$2.7 MILLION. YES, SIR. OKAY. I KNOW YOU AND I HAD A MEETING WITH DALLAS ISD CFO, ED RAMOS.

AND WE DISCUSSED THAT THERE ARE SOME THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING THEM TO PRETTY MUCH CARRY THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN LOAD IN A NICE WAY. AND SO I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO DOCTOR ELIZALDE BECAUSE SHE JUST PASSED A $6.2 BILLION BOND.

AND SO I WILL BE SPEAKING DIRECTLY WITH HER. I'M PRETTY SURE SHE'S GOING TO BE REVIEWING THIS VIDEO.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO HER AND THE BOARD CONCERNING THIS BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF A,

[04:10:08]

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.

AND THEN ALSO, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T MENTION IT, BUT I'M GOING TO THROW IT OUT HERE AND YOU CAN KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT.

SOME OF THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE DEALING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.

ALSO ANOTHER ISD THAT WE'RE CARRYING THE I, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL OF THOSE.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH IS THAT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY CARRYING.

IF YOU GOT THAT NUMBER, GIVE THAT NUMBER. NOW WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THE EXACT DETAILS ON THAT.

BUT YES, SIR. THE THE CITY DOES PARTNER WITH DALLAS ISD ON AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THERE IS A PORTION OF THAT THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, BUT THERE IS SOME GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE ON THAT AS WELL.

AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THE DETAILS AS PART OF A FRIDAY MEMO RESPONDING TO ANYTHING WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO TODAY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST KNOW THAT MAYOR JOHNSON HAS APPOINTED ME TO BE THE CHAIR OF A COACH, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE TOUGH, TOUGH DECISIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO MAKE AND HAVING TO DISCUSS. SO ANY OTHER EXPENSES LIKE THIS, IF YOU CAN FIND A JACK, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

I KNOW WE HAVE A MEETING COMING UP. I JUST SENT THE EMAIL PROBABLY ABOUT 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AGO DISCUSSING THIS.

YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE IT AFTER YOU FINISH PRESENTING. BUT THIS IS A CONCERN.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE MUST TACKLE ON OUR COACHING DEPARTMENT. AND I'M ASKING MAYOR PRO TEM MORENO IF HE CAN HELP ME WITH THIS. I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE POSSIBLY HAVE TO DISCUSS ON OUR AD HOC COMMITTEE WITH ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATIVE AFFAIRS. IF YOU CAN HELP ME COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO TO FIND OUT WHAT'S THE, THE STATE REQUIREMENT IS SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT. I KNOW, AND ALSO WITH OUR AD HOC ON LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, NOT YOU. I'M SORRY, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS WITH CHAIR MENDELSOHN TO HELP SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A HEAVY LIFT AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS. AND WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS AS WELL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CITY MANAGER DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY TO ADD TO THIS? NO, SIR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION. I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A REQUEST OF PROGRAMS THAT WE CURRENTLY PROVIDE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE. MANY OF THOSE ARE WITHIN THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT'S PURVIEW.

BUT WE'LL BRING YOU THAT. AND I THINK WE HAVE A PLANNED ITEM ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR YOUR COMMITTEE.

I THINK THAT'S COMING UP. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. JAY. MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU.

CHAIRMAN WEST, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. GREAT JOB GUYS.

I'LL START OFF WITH WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE THE MY TWO COLLEAGUES BEFORE ME.

THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS. YOU KICKED IT OFF IN A GOOD WAY. I'LL JUST ALSO SAY I DIDN'T LOVE THE SURVEY EITHER.

AND I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS. I I GET WHAT STAFF IS TRYING TO DO.

I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO GAUGE US IN SOME WAY. WE'VE TRIED THE DOT EXERCISE WHEN TC WAS HERE.

WE'VE TRIED SOME RETREATS THAT WERE FRANKLY DISASTERS.

AND AND THERE'S REALLY NO GOOD WAY TO DO IT. I WOULD JUST, I THINK WE KEEP HONING IT, MAYBE WORK ON A BETTER SURVEY, YOU KNOW, USING THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH I'M GLAD WAS IN HERE, I THINK IS THE SAFEST THING TO NOT GET SHOT AT ON IT.

BUT IT'S, IT'S IT IS WHAT IT IS. AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT GIVES YOU ANY CLEAR GUIDANCE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL OVER THE BOARD WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PILLARS.

SO I THINK YOU'LL, YOU'LL START HEARING MORE OF OUR PRIORITIES CLEARLY TODAY IN, IN THE WEEKS TO COME.

SO WITH SOME SLIDES I WANT TO GO THROUGH JUST SO I UNDERSTAND THEM.

SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH THEM IN ORDER.

CAN YOU TALK TO ME HIGH LEVEL ABOUT WHAT EACH OF THESE BULLETS MEAN UNDER DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES, CONTRACT UTILIZATION, STAFFING, OPTIMIZED SERVICE DELIVERY, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY, OPERATIONAL METRICS.

SO YOU FOUND 15 MILLION IN SAVINGS, WHICH IS GREAT FOR 26.

WHAT ARE THOSE CATEGORIES AND WHAT GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE.

GOOD. SO JUST IN GENERAL WE DO LOOK AT OUR CONTRACTS ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WE GO THROUGH BUDGET DEVELOPMENT TO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITIES CONTRACTS THAT WE DON'T NEED. DO WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAVINGS IN ANY OF THOSE? OUR STAFFING MODELS, WE'VE TRIED TO THE LAST TWO YEARS NOT ADD ANY CIVILIAN POSITIONS TO THE BUDGET, BUT WHERE THERE WERE NEW NEEDS, WE TRIED TO REPURPOSE VACANT POSITIONS AND MOVE FUNDING RATHER THAN ADDING NEW POSITIONS.

SO LOOKING AT THE STAFFING MODEL, AND AS JEANETTE MENTIONED, IT'S NOT THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS.

[04:15:03]

SO OUR STAFFING MODEL IS AN IMPORTANT POINT. 72% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS SPENT ON PERSONNEL.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE EXPENSE IS.

AND THEREFORE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT CONSTANTLY OPTIMIZING OUR SERVICE DELIVERY.

I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CURRENT YEAR WITH THE CONSOLIDATION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT JUST LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS DID, HOUSING, HOMELESSNESS AND THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY CARE.

AND WAS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE DELIVERY BY BRINGING THOSE TOGETHER? AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS OUR SERVICE DELIVERY.

ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY. WE UPGRADED OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM AS AN EXAMPLE.

AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE'VE ELIMINATED SOME POSITIONS IN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE BECAUSE THERE'S WAYS THAT WE ARE USING THE TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS THOSE INVOICES DIFFERENTLY. AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OPERATIONAL METRICS.

IT'S JUST LOOKING AT METRICS AND LOOKING AT DATA AND MAKING DECISIONS BASED UPON DATA IS IMPORTANT, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DATA TO MAKE THE DECISIONS.

AND SO IN THE EXAMPLE THAT WAS GIVEN EARLIER, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE COUNT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME TO EVERY SINGLE LIBRARY. AND THAT'S WHY IT COULDN'T BE USED AS A VARIABLE.

IF YOU HAVE INCOMPLETE DATA, YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO USE IT.

SO JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE DECISIONS.

AND FOR EXAMPLE, DATA BEING AVAILABLE THROUGH AI, THE CAMERAS THAT WE INSTALLED ON THE SANITATION EQUIPMENT TO USE FOR CODE AND SANITATION WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OF USING THAT TO MOVE EFFICIENCIES FORWARD.

OKAY. THANK YOU. I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC EXPENSES.

I'M GOING TO SAVE THOSE FOR A MINUTE. SLIDE 29 TALKS ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, I BELIEVE. AND CAN WE JUST, I KNOW YOU'VE SAID IT PREVIOUSLY, BUT GET A BREAKDOWN OF COMMERCIAL VERSUS RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BECAUSE THIS INCLUDES BOTH.

RIGHT? CORRECT. SO, PROPERTY TAX COMMERCIAL MAKES UP ABOUT 53% OF TOTAL VALUE.

COMMERCIAL MAKES UP 53% OF TOTAL VALUE. OKAY.

AND DOES COMMERCIAL INCLUDE APARTMENT COMPLEXES? YES. SO ANYTHING THAT'S ABOVE A FOURPLEX. RIGHT.

CORRECT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 53%. THANK YOU. SLIDE 38.

I HAD A NOTE HERE ON WHAT IS THE ORANGE FREE PORT THAT APPLIES TO BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY.

OKAY. AND THAT'S SO THAT'S PART OF OUR REVENUE.

SO IT'S AN EXEMPTION FOR INVENTORY THAT'S IN TRANSIT BASICALLY.

SO YOU'RE ABLE TO EXEMPT IF IT'S IN THE WAREHOUSE FOR X PERIOD OF TIME.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT X IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

GOT IT. WHAT IS. WHAT KINDS OF PROPERTIES OTHER THAN CHURCHES WOULD FALL UNDER TOTALLY EXEMPT.

AND WHY DOES THAT CATEGORY SEEM TO BE GROWING? SO IT INCLUDES GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES. THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DRIVER IN THAT.

SCHOOLS. OKAY. LIKE WHAT KINDS OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES BEYOND SCHOOLS WOULD BE IN THERE? LIKE FOR YOUR ISD'S, YOUR SCHOOLS, ALL YOUR SCHOOL PROPERTIES, GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES, CITY, COUNTY, FEDERAL. SO JUST ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.

SO I THINK THIS IS ONE. I MEAN, WE HAVE 5000 ACRES IN THE CITY, RIGHT? AND HOW MANY BUILDINGS DO WE HAVE? ABOUT 542 FACILITIES.

HOW MANY OVER. OVER 540. AND SO THE TOTAL EXEMPT, LIKE JEANETTE SAID, WOULD INCLUDE FEDERAL COURTHOUSES, COUNTY COURTHOUSE, THE JAIL ANY FEDERAL STATE PROPERTIES, HOSPITALS TO HOSPITALS.

YEAH. SO WHEN WHEN A CHURCH OR WHEN A GOVERNMENT BUILDING, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT BUYS SOMETHING AND TAKES IT OFF THE MARKET, IT IT THEN GOES OFF THE TAX EXEMPT ROLLS.

RIGHT? SAME WITH WHAT ABOUT WHEN A HOSPITAL BUYS SOMETHING THAT IS CORRECT? HOSPITAL EXPANSIONS END UP COMING OFF THE TAX ROLLS TOO.

SAME WITH RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, CORRECT? YES.

JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD CLARITY ON THAT, I THINK.

[04:20:03]

IF THEY COULD BE MAKING US TAX REVENUE. I FEEL LIKE YOUR CORE SLIDES FOR ANY FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING THROUGH AND LISTENING TO THIS ONLINE, REALLY, FOR ME, AT LEAST OUR SLIDES 47 TO 50.

I MEAN, YOU TALK ABOUT OUR EXPENSE DRIVERS AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT ON THE GENERAL FUND.

I THINK THAT'S GOING TO I'M GOING TO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IN OUR TOWN HALLS COMING FORWARD.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT REALLY CLEAR BREAKDOWN THERE.

AND I WILL BE WATCHING TO SEE HOW WE MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE IN THE $17.9 MILLION GAP.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS WE GET TOWARDS THE BUDGET.

I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHO AT THE CITY IS COMBING THROUGH OUR SOFTWARE PROGRAMS TO SEE IF THERE'S THESE ONGOING SUBSCRIPTIONS, IF WE'VE CLEARED THEM OUT. ONCE PEOPLE GET OUT OF HERE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY LEAVE THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ADOBE ACROBAT AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. LET'S DO WE HAVE I DON'T WANT TO GET IN THE WEEDS ON THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT DO WE WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S MONITORING THAT.

THAT WOULD BE. YES. WE WE'VE ESTABLISHED NOT ONLY THE MONITORING OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE LEAVES THE CITY, BUT WE HAVE A FULLY STRUCTURED IT GOVERNANCE PROCESS THAT IS MANAGED UNDER THE IT DEPARTMENT.

SO OUR DIRECTOR OF THAT DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS THE ROLE THAT HE'S GOING TO PLAY, AND EVEN HELPING LOOK AT THE WAYS THAT VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS HAVE EITHER BROUGHT DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOFTWARES AND APPLICATIONS ONLINE. WE KNOW THAT IN SOME DEPARTMENTS, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GROWN WITH THE TYPES OF APPLICATIONS, AND THE UTILIZATION MAY NOT BE YOU KNOW, COMMENSURATE TO WHAT WE SHOULD BE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR.

SO THAT WILL BE A PART OF OUR PROCESS. WE ACTUALLY STARTED THAT IN 2024.

I THINK WE MADE SOME GOOD MOVEMENT IN DELETING, TURNING OFF, REDUCING SOME OF THE LICENSES, BUT THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE ONGOING WAY THAT WE LOOK AT EFFICIENCIES ACROSS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT WE USE.

SO THAT WILL BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS. OKAY, GOOD TO HEAR.

AND THEN TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF VACANT LAND, HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED A TAX OR FEE FOR HOLDING ON TO VACANT LAND AND NOT ACTIVATING IT? AND THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR LAST QUESTION FOR THIS ROUND. THANK YOU. SO, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I'D HAVE TO VISIT WITH THE ATTORNEYS ABOUT TO UNDERSTAND. THAT PARTICULAR FEE. IS IT OKAY? IT'S NOT CURRENTLY IN WHAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED THUS FAR, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I KNOW. I GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER ADDITIONAL IDEAS FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, INCLUDING ONE COUPLE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BAZALDUA THIS MORNING.

SO WE DEFINITELY CAN BUILD THAT INTO THE WAY WE LOOK AT ADDITIONAL WAYS TO INCREASE OUR REVENUES.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. CHAIRMAN RIDLEY, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MAYOR. WITH REFERENCE TO SLIDE 37, THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION.

WHAT FACTORS ARE UTILIZED BY STAFF IN RECOMMENDING MODIFICATIONS TO THAT EXEMPTION? SO WE LOOK AT THE YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE AND INFLATION PRIMARILY.

ONE MOMENT I'M GOING TO PULL UP THE POLICY. IS IT GEARED TO INFLATION OF OF RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE PRICES OR THE CPI A CPI.

SO WE WILL COMPARE THE CURRENT DISABLED AND OVER 65 EXEMPTION TO THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR THE ELDERLY.

AND THE YEAR OVER YEAR CHANGE IN THE MEDIAN RESIDENTIAL MARKET VALUE, WHICHEVER IS GREATER, AND PROVIDE AN ANALYSIS TO CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.

WELL SUBJECT TO THE 3.5% CAP, I THINK WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS TAX EXEMPTION ALREADY AT 175,000, AND I CAN'T SUPPORT ANY INCREASE IN THAT IN THIS TOUGH BUDGET YEAR, WHEN WE'RE SEARCHING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO COVER OUR CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED SHORTFALL IN REVENUE AND EXCESS EXPENDITURES.

SO I THINK IT'S TIME WE'VE RAISED IT EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I THINK.

I THINK IT'S TIME TO REST ON OUR LAURELS THERE.

WITH REFERENCE TO SLIDE 42, I NOTE THAT THE PROJECTIONS OF SALES TAX HAVE BEEN.

[04:25:04]

AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A PATTERN. IS THAT BECAUSE OF AN ANOMALY IN THE WAY THAT IS PROJECTED? ARE WE USING THE SAME CONSULTANT WHO PROJECT THAT EACH YEAR, AND WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS COMING OVER THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE? SO WE DO USE A CONTRACT ECONOMIST. WE'VE HAD THE SAME CONTRACT ECONOMIST SINCE PROBABLY FISCAL YEAR 20.

WE JUST ACTUALLY RENEWED THE CONTRACT MAYBE A YEAR AGO.

IN TERMS OF THE VARIANCES I MEAN THE CONTRACT ECONOMIST USES A MODEL THAT INCLUDES FACTORS LIKE CPI JOB GROWTH POPULATION TRENDS. THEY DO MODEL AGAINST FED DATA.

AND SO IT'S AN ACTUAL MODEL IN TERMS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE OPTION.

THEY PRESENT THREE SCENARIOS FOR US BASELINE SCENARIO CONSERVATIVE AND A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE.

WHICH BASELINE DO WE TYPICALLY ACCEPT. TYPICALLY WE ACCEPT THE BASELINE FORECAST.

IF YOU LOOK AT FISCAL YEAR 26 WE'RE CLOSER TO THE CONSERVATIVE FORECAST.

WE ARE PROJECTING TO BE 6 MILLION UNDER BUDGET.

AND SO THAT'S CLOSER TO THE CONSERVATIVE FORECAST.

WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD BE USING THE CONSERVATIVE FORECAST FOR THIS FAR APART THREE YEARS IN A ROW.

THAT TELLS ME THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MODEL OR PERHAPS THE BASE THAT WE'RE USING OUT OF THE MODEL.

WELL, AND I MAY ADD, SIR, THE TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THIS, IT WAS MISSED.

THE OTHER DIRECTION. IT WAS IT'S NOT BEEN SPOT ON.

IT IS THE DURING THE RECESSION IN 21 AND 22 WE WERE GENERATING MORE REVENUE THAN THEY HAD FORECAST.

AND SO THE LAST THREE YEARS OR THE LAST TWO YEARS PLUS THIS YEAR WERE COMING IN UNDER.

SO IT'S A, IT'S A VERY VOLATILE REVENUE SOURCE.

AND WE'VE, WE'VE RELIED UPON THEM FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS IN THIS PROCESS, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT.

SO HAVE YOU DEVELOPED ANY SENSE OF WHETHER OUR REVENUES THIS YEAR WILL BE OVER THE 3.5% CAP, SUCH THAT WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO EITHER REDUCE OUR TAX RATE OR INCREASE OUR EXEMPTIONS.

SO I DALLAS CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT CAME TO FINANCE COMMITTEE LAST MONTH WITH THEIR BUDGET, AND THEY MADE A COMMENT THAT THEY'RE EXPECTING GROWTH TO BE IN THE MID SINGLE DIGITS.

SO TO ME THAT'S LIKE 5%. HOWEVER, IT'S REALLY GOING TO DEPEND HOW MUCH OF THAT GROWTH IS NEW CONSTRUCTION VERSUS REAPPRAISAL.

IF 3% OF THAT GROWTH IS NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT DOESN'T APPLY TO THE CAP.

RIGHT. AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE PRETTY CLOSE.

I DO NOT REALLY ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO EXCEED THE 3.5 AS MY GUESS RIGHT NOW TODAY.

OKAY. WE DO GET MORE DATA MID-MAY THAT WE START MONITORING WEEKLY THROUGH JULY 25TH.

SO AFTER WHEN WE BRIEF Y'ALL IN JUNE, WE SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THAT DATA A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY, AND THEY CAN GIVE A LITTLE BETTER ANSWER THAN WHAT I JUST SAID.

OKAY. WILL THAT BE REPORTED. THE MID MAY FIGURE PROJECTION, WILL THAT BE REPORTED TO THE COUNCIL PERHAPS IN A FRIDAY MEMO.

YES, WE CAN DO THAT. WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.

IT'S THE THE THING THAT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER AND WE'LL SAY THIS IN THE MEMO IS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED ABOUT 7.1% EROSION FROM MAY TO JULY. SO WHEN YOU GET A NUMBER AND YOU THINK, OH, WOW, THAT'S A WHOLE LOT OF PROPERTY VALUE, YOU KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO ERODE. PROPERTY OWNERS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING THEIR PROTEST NOW.

AND WILL THE COUNTY IN THAT MID MAY FORECAST BREAK OUT NEW CONSTRUCTION VERSUS REAPPRAISALS? YES, WE THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT AS WELL. AND WE'LL SHARE WHAT WE GET AND JUST BE CAUTION THAT IT WILL ERODE.

AND THEN ON THE QUINTESSENTIAL PART OF THIS 60 PAGE PRESENTATION THE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING A BALANCED BUDGET.

I DON'T SEE MUCH DISCUSSION OF PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, WHICH THE COUNCIL ASKED STAFF TO PURSUE A YEAR AGO.

IS THAT GOING TO BE UTILIZED FOR THIS COMING BUDGET? YES, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS WITH DEPARTMENTS OF REFINING THEIR PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS AND ALLOCATING THE COST TO PROGRAMS. IN THE APRIL 1ST BRIEFING, WE SHARED WITH YOU ALL KIND OF OUR PRELIMINARY RANKING OF THOSE PROGRAMS. WE WERE WAITING ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE PRIORITY POLLING TO USE THAT AS ANOTHER TOOL TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS. BUT THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET WILL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON PROGRAMS.

[04:30:04]

SO HOW WILL YOU EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OR THE PRIORITY ASSIGNED TO PROGRAMS? SO WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF FACTORS. SO WE LOOKED AT MANDATE COST RECOVERY.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHETHER OR NOT THE PROGRAMS PERFORMANCE METRICS HOW THEY WERE FORECASTING TO PROVIDE DELIVERY OF SERVICES. WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE COMMUNITY SURVEY IN TERMS OF RESIDENTS FEEDBACK ON THOSE PARTICULAR PROGRAMS. SO ALL OF THESE FACTORS WERE PART ARE PART OF KIND OF HOW WE EVALUATE THE PROGRAM AND HOW WE DETERMINE KIND OF THE RANKING OF THE PROGRAM.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE FACTORING THIS INTO WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED, BUT I THINK PROGRAMS, FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS THAT GENERATE REVENUE IN TERMS OF TAX REVENUE, INDIRECTLY OR DIRECTLY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ARTS PROGRAMS GENERATE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ARTS TOURISM, WHICH PUTS MONEY INTO HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS GENERATING SALES TAX REVENUE. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THIS FORMULA IN SOME MANNER.

APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A POINT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. COUNCIL MEMBER. REALLY, I WANTED TO JUST TO REMIND THE COUNCIL THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING WAS NOT A DIRECTIVE OF THE BODY. PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING WAS SOMETHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT WHEN I BECAME THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER THAT WE NEEDED TO BEGIN TO MOVE TOWARD.

WE STARTED THE PHASE ONE. WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE BUDGET FOR 2526, AND NOW WOULD BE TIME FOR US TO GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN THE PROGRAMS. BUT IT WAS NOT A DIRECTIVE OF THE COUNCIL. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE IMPLEMENTED PROACTIVELY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO SHARE THAT. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.

YOU DISCUSSED IT INITIALLY WITH US, AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS BROAD CONSENSUS THAT WE WANTED TO PURSUE THAT.

AND THEN YOU CAME BACK TO US LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME AND SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME ON THE STAFF TO REALLY IMPLEMENT THIS FULLY, BUT WE WILL THE NEXT YEAR, MEANING THIS 27 BUDGET.

AND THAT'S TRUE. AND SO IT IS A PART OF THE WAY WE'VE BEGUN ALREADY.

I MENTIONED TO COUNCIL THAT WE STARTED WORKING ON THE 27 BUDGET IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, RIGHT AFTER THE APPROVAL OF THE CURRENT BUDGET.

SO IT IS PART OF THE WAY WE'VE ALREADY STARTED APPROACHING OUR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, AND WE ARE GOING INTO THAT SECOND PHASE SO WE CAN DRILL DOWN INTO MORE OF THE PROGRAMMATIC LEVELS THAT I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH COUNCIL IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT. AND JUST AS A GENERAL NOTE, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER IN THAT PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, OUR CORE GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES AS BEING A HIGH PRIORITY.

AND THEN FINALLY ON SLIDE 70, YOU TALK ABOUT AN UPDATE ON JUNE 17TH.

HOW WILL THAT UPDATE DIFFER FROM WHAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY? WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN WE DO TODAY.

FOR EXAMPLE, AS WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT PROPERTY TAX, WE WILL HAVE THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM THE COUNTY THAT WE WILL HAVE MONITORED.

WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS OF DATA POINTS ON OUR SALES TAX.

ADDITIONAL WORK WITH OUR ECONOMIST. WE WILL ALSO HAVE NUMBERS RELATED TO MEET AND CONVERT, MEET AND CONFER SURVEY THAT WE DO ON POLICE AND FIRE SALARIES.

WE'LL HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE ON OUR EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS.

SO WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF MONTHS WORTH OF DATA POINTS THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO UPDATE NUMBERS ON.

AND ARE YOU FACTORING INTO THE NEW BUDGET YEAR, HAVING A CONTINUATION OF THE COST SAVING MEASURES THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2026 BUDGET YEARS, SUCH AS HIRING FREEZE.

SO THERE WILL HAVE TO BE A DECISION MADE AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS ABOUT WHETHER THOSE POSITIONS CONTINUE TO BE FROZEN, OR DO WE OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST AS AN EXAMPLE OR ANY OTHER THING THAT WAS LIMITED, RESTRICTED, STOPPED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'RE REDUCING OUR EXPENSES.

MISS TOLBERT WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WHETHER WE PUT, PUT THOSE FORWARD IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR OR NOT.

OKAY. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE AT THE JUNE 17TH BRIEFING TO PROVIDE US TWO SCENARIOS? ONE IS YOUR TRADITIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE BUDGET FIGURES FOR 27 AND THE SECOND BEING WITH THE CONTINUATION OF THE COST SAVING MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED AS OF LAST FRIDAY SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE DELTA.

[04:35:02]

AND THE JUNE BRIEFING WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER UPDATE ON THE CURRENT YEAR AND ANY PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING TO CLOSE THE GAP BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30TH.

THANK YOU MAYOR. IF I COULD ADD, MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.

COUNCIL MEMBER ACTUALLY, JULY, WE MIGHT HAVE ADDITIONAL MEASURES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE.

HOPEFULLY NOT. BUT DEFINITELY WE'LL LOOK AT, ESPECIALLY IF DEPARTMENTS ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MEET ALL OF THEIR CURRENT METRICS AND THEIR SERVICE LEVELS WITH THAT FREEZE, THEN WE DEFINITELY WOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW WE NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH HIRING FOR SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS.

SO I THINK IT'LL BE A PART OF OUR OVERALL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER WITH THE DEPARTMENTS. AND WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO COME BACK JUST TRYING TO FILL POSITIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE THAT WE DON'T NEED.

SO THAT'LL BE A PART OF OUR EVALUATION. BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT SO MUCH.

MISS BLACKMON, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO MY, MY QUESTION ON, ON SOME OF THIS IS LOOKING AT SALES TAX.

YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE SALES TAX STATEWIDE IS, IS GOING UP OR HAS GONE UP IS OUR NEW, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION AT THE CONVENTION CENTER. AND I MEAN, HAS THAT PLAYED A PART IN THE DOWNTURN OR THE LOWERING OF THAT OF OUR OF OUR ESTIMATE? I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET HERE IS, IS, IS THIS GOING TO BE THE NORM OR IS THIS AN ANOMALY? SO ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT, OUR NEW SALES TAX TREND AFTER OUR CURRENT TREND AFTER FIVE MONTHS IS 3.3% GROWTH. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR 30 YEAR GROWTH TREND, IT'S 3.7%.

THE FIVE YEAR GROWTH TREND IS 5.8. BUT IT INCLUDES THOSE YEARS WHERE WE HAVE WE CAME OUT OF THE RECESSION, THERE WAS FEDERAL STIMULUS, STIMULUS DOLLARS.

WE HAD 14% GROWTH IN FISCAL YEAR 22, 15% GROWTH IN FISCAL YEAR 23.

SO I THINK IF YOU TAKE THOSE OUT OF THE EQUATION, OUR HISTORICAL NORM IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND A HALF AND 4%.

SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR NEW NORMAL.

ABSENT OTHER ECONOMIC CONDITIONS SUCH AS WAR OR OTHER FACTORS THAT COME UP UNEXPECTEDLY.

AND SO GOING INTO THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND BUDGET PLANNING WILL BE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT.

CORRECT. AND WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST TO THE NEW NORM.

CORRECT. I THINK MR. IRELAND MENTIONED THAT WE'LL BRING AN UPDATED FORECAST TO YOU IN IN JUNE.

OKAY. AND THEN I NOTICED WHERE YOU KNOW, ON SLIDE EIGHT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STAFFING AND WE'VE CONSOLIDATED A DEPARTMENTS EVERY YEAR. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OPTIMIZATION AND UTILIZATION AND ALL THOSE GREAT BUZZWORDS.

BUT WHAT IS OUR STAFF COUNT RIGHT NOW? SO THE, THE ADOPTED BUDGET IS 14,994. POSITION, I'M SORRY, 15,589 POSITIONS.

SO IT'S IT'S ROUGHLY 15,000. YES. AND IS I GO AHEAD.

THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FILLED.

CORRECT. BUT REMEMBER FTES DO COUNT TO THE BUDGET.

THAT'S CORRECT. AND SO AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

AND SO AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE SHOWED US I DON'T THINK IT'S IN HERE.

MAYBE THE END. THIS IS A LOT OF DATA. HOW IS THE TREND HAPPENED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS? BECAUSE I MEAN, JACK AND I, I THINK WE'VE BEEN HERE WHEN IT WAS MAYBE FOUR DEPARTMENTS.

SO IN FISCAL YEAR 18, THE TOTAL POSITION COUNT WAS 14,664.

OKAY. IN FISCAL YEAR 26, THE POSITION COUNT IS 15,589.

THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 925 POSITIONS IN EIGHT YEARS.

OKAY. CAN YOU GO? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT? YES. OKAY. SO AS AN EXAMPLE, THAT'S 152 POSITION INCREASE IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.

THAT IS 380 POSITION INCREASE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S 103 POSITION INCREASE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND SO WE CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

YES. THE POSITION COUNT HAS GONE UP. SERVICE DELIVERY HAS GONE UP.

AND SO WE CAN PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL BREAKDOWNS ON THE POSITION, AND PERHAPS WE INCLUDE THIS IN THE GENE PRESENTATION TO SHOW SOME HISTORY WITH ALL OF THE MOVEMENTS OF DEPARTMENTS.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TRACK THAT, BUT WE CAN PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO HELP TRACK THOSE CHANGES FOR YOU BECAUSE THE REALITY IS,

[04:40:05]

IT'S DRIVEN BY DEMAND AS NEW REGULATORY, DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS OF WHAT DEPARTMENTS WHETHER THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE WAYS THAT THEY'RE DELIVERING SERVICES, THOSE CHANGES HAPPEN. JUST PART OF THE MARKET.

I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD EXAMPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION AS WE'VE LOOKED TO INCREASE SERVICE OVERALL.

THEN THERE MIGHT BE A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAVE LIMITED ANY ENHANCEMENTS ACROSS ANY GENERAL FUND DEPARTMENTS FOR ANY NEW POSITIONS. WE WE ACTUALLY REPURPOSED POSITIONS JUST SO WE COULD PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL HEADCOUNT FOR POLICE AND FIRE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.

SO WE DID NOT DO AN AD FOR DEPARTMENTS, JUST ADDITIONAL HEADCOUNT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS TO CONSOLIDATE AND THEN LOOK AT THE ACTUAL POSITIONS THAT WE ARE BUDGETING FOR.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION WHEN JACK WAS TALKING ABOUT STAFFING MODELS, WE'VE ALSO LOOKED TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT DO WE NEED ALL FULL TIME POSITIONS DOING CERTAIN THINGS. THERE IS A WHOLE NEW FUTURE OF WORK WHERE THERE'S JOB SHARING, THERE'S MORE PART TIME POSITIONS.

AND SO THAT IS PART OF THE EVALUATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO JUST SO WE CAN DETERMINE WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED.

SO I GUESS IF YOU DO GIVE US THOSE STAFFING NUMBERS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO ENTERPRISE VERSUS NON ENTERPRISE, AND THEN EVEN SEGMENT IT IN WITH EACH CATEGORY.

BECAUSE I MEAN, I THINK WE, WE CAN ONLY, MEAN $2.2 BILLION IS REALLY.

WHAT IS THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE CAN CAN DISCUSS HERE? AND SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT OUR SURVEYS AND I KIND OF ENJOYED IT, I THINK WE TALKED THROUGH IT, JACK, AND IT WAS A GOOD EXERCISE. AND JUST TO TALK ABOUT STUFF.

CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT WAS YOUR TAKEAWAY WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE DATA? BECAUSE YOU GAVE US LINE ITEM DATA, BUT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT IT IN AN AGGREGATE SENSE? WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT? THAT IT IS HARD TO GET INPUT ON THE BUDGET.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS THIS. I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND GOTTEN BEAT UP ON MANY DIFFERENT OCCASIONS FOR TRYING TO GET INPUT.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT. WE TRY, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TRYING, BUT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY A BETTER WAY TO SEEK YOUR INPUT.

AND I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT. I THINK ONCE WE SAW THE DATA, WE LEARNED THAT EVERYTHING IS A PRIORITY.

AND I THINK THAT'S A PRIORITY. EXACTLY. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS THAT IF WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE COUNCIL MIGHT BE GENERALLY, AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THE BUDGET, THEN WE'RE NOT DOING IT THINKING THAT WE'RE KIND OF HITTING THE MARK.

AND THEN WHEN WE COME BACK IN AUGUST, IT'S BETTER IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT YOU KIND OF ASKED US TO GO AND DO.

SO THAT WAS REALLY THE PURPOSE OF THE EXERCISE.

WE KNOW IT WAS NOT A PERFECT POLL AND WITH PERFECT QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S IT WAS TO GIVE US SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY WE DO NOT GET GOING INTO THE BUDGET OTHER THAN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND WELL, I THINK I TOLD YOU, JACK, THAT, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR HOUSEHOLDS, YOU KIND OF ROTATE YOUR PRIORITIES, RIGHT? ONE TIME IT'S A KID GOING OFF TO COLLEGE OR BRACES OR, YOU KNOW, FIXING YOUR BATHROOM.

AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE APPROACH WE HAVE TO TAKE.

YOU KNOW, PARKS AND REC, YOU'VE YOU'VE BEEN THE TOP PRIORITY FOR A COUPLE OF TIMES.

WE MAY NEED TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ARTS AND LIBRARIES, RIGHT.

AND SO IN EACH KIND OF RISE TO THE PRIORITY SECTION, AND THE OTHERS JUST KIND OF MAINTAIN WHAT THEY HAVE AND, AND, AND GET THEIR JOB, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR STUFF DONE.

AND INSTEAD OF JUST KEEP PILING ON TO, TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY BECAUSE THEN THERE'S THINGS THAT KIND OF GET MISSED.

AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS TO IN, IN LIKE STREETS EAST DALLAS MY FOLKS, PAUL AND JUSTIN, DEPUTY MAYOR, MR. RIDLEY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT SOME STREETS THAT ARE REALLY NEEDING SOME, SOME WORK. I GUESS MR. BAZALDUA AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOWN IN THE GUTTER.

AND SO THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR US. AND SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING IS YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING KIND OF ROTATES BECAUSE THEN THAT MEANS THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT LOOKS LIKE WE DO NEED MORE FUNDING STREAMS. AND I THINK DOWN IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THE HEMP BILL IS COMING BACK RIGHT NOW.

THERE'S A QUARTER. THERE'S 25% IN THERE I HAVE IN THERE FOR MENTAL HEALTH TO HELP WITH OUR MOBILE MAT UNITS BECAUSE WE CANNOT KEEP AFFORDING.

COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THAT HAS GOT TO.

I MEAN, IT IS MENTAL HEALTH AND THE STATE NEEDS TO BE A PARTNER IN THAT.

AND SO I THINK ANY KIND OF. AND I'M HOPING THAT THE LEGISLATURE GROUP IS LISTENING, THAT ANY TIME THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A

[04:45:02]

AND SO I'LL JUST WAIT FOR ROUND TWO, BUT THANK YOU.

DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

SO SINCE WE'RE COMMENTING ON THE SURVEY, I SHARED THESE COMMENTS WITH OUR CFO AND OUR CITY MANAGER THAT I JUST THOUGHT WE NEEDED AN OPEN ENDED COMMENT BOX, AT LEAST BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE DECISIONS.

I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF LAYERS TO THIS. BUT I, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO PRIORITIZE AND I FOUND IT KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE WHERE WE CAME TOGETHER AND KIND OF THAT AGGREGATE FORM.

BUT I THINK IT MAY HELP US, AND I'M NOT A FAN OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED SACRIFICE BUDGET WHERE YOU DO THE ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO DO THE WORK. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WITH THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE'VE ALREADY STARTED GOING. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO SUSTAIN AND GROW AND THAT MAY BE POSSIBLE, BUT ALSO WHAT WE NEED TO REDUCE OR CUT OR YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE, IF WE REDUCE THE FUNDING, THEN WE MAY NEED TO PARTNER OR I LIKE THE CITY MANAGER'S PHILOSOPHY.

SHE'S DONE SOME GOOD REHOMING OF SOME PROGRAMS. SO THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE COME IN THE STAFF PROCESS AS IT COMES TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

LET'S SEE. I IN LOOKING AT WHERE OUR REVENUE COMES IN AND HOW MUCH WE SPEND, IT'S APPARENT THIS COUNCIL FUNDS POLICE AND FIRE. IT TAKES A LOT OF OUR BUDGET. IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR RESIDENTS.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE MINDFUL, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED, IS THAT AND WE JUST GOT A FEDERAL GRANT FOR WEED AND SEED.

SO, YOU KNOW, OUR FUNDING IS A LOT AROUND WEEDING AND CATCHING THE BAD GUYS AND KEEPING US SAFE.

BUT A COMMUNITY THAT ISN'T SEEDING IS NOT GOING TO BE A GREAT COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE IT IF SOMEDAY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD LOOK AT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT BUDGET AND SAY, GOSH, WE JUST CRIME'S DOWN.

CRIME'S DOWN SO MUCH. WE WE HAVE AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE AND EMPLOYED WORKFORCE HEALTHY, HAPPY AND INDEPENDENT THAT YOU KNOW, WE CAN BALANCE OUR SPENDING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE, BUT IT'S THE SEEDS OF TODAY THAT WE NEED TO, TO THINK ABOUT.

AND SO THIS GOES TO THE POINT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON WAS MAKING ABOUT THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.

SO SOMETIMES THOSE LOOK EASY TO CUT. NOW THEY MAY BE HIGHLY SPONSORED.

DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S SEATING BECAUSE THAT'S ECONOMIC MOBILITY.

THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY. IF YOU'RE OCCUPYING THESE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL, THAT HELPS A NEIGHBORHOOD AND A CITY.

SO I'M A BELIEVER IN THAT AND HOW WE STRIKE THAT BALANCE.

THOSE SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD SAFETY VESTS, I THINK WOULD BE HIGHLY SPONSORED.

I BROUGHT THIS UP BEFORE. LET'S JUST MAKE THESE OUR OFFICERS WALKING BILLBOARDS FOR MONEY.

BUT LET'S MOVE ON TO SLIDE EIGHT. AND THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IS ON THE DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES, BECAUSE INITIALLY THE FIRST STAB WAS A $6 MILLION SAVINGS AND IT WENT TO $15 MILLION SAVINGS.

AND SO I'M SURE THE LAST THING YOU WOULD WANT TO DO IS TRY TO QUANTIFY WHERE WE MAY BE NOW AND WITH TECHNOLOGY, ETC., THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THERE. BUT ARE WE RUNNING UP AGAINST THAT CITY MANAGER, OR DO WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME HEADROOM THAT COULD HELP US KEEP SOME THINGS ALIVE BECAUSE WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT IN OTHER AREAS? I THINK IT'S IT'S PART OF WHY I THINK THE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING PIECE IS SO CRITICAL.

WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE GREATEST OUTPUT.

AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN PART OF, OF WHAT WE WERE EVEN CHALLENGED WITH GOING INTO THIS FIRST YEAR OF PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING, WAS THE DRILL DOWN TO WHERE WE COULD TRULY UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER OF THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE ALLOCATED.

WHAT IS REALLY THE, THE, THE, THE UNDERLYING WHAT THE INVESTMENT AND IS IT GIVING US THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT? SO THAT TYPE OF DETAIL IS WHAT WE BELIEVE IS GOING TO HELP US.

SO WHEN WE COME BACK AND START LOOKING AT WAYS TO CONTINUE WITH THE EFFICIENCY REVIEWS THAT WE'RE DOING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT, THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT DELIVERING A THE OUTCOME.

AND SO THEREFORE, LET'S PULL THAT BACK AND LET'S FIND OUT THE ONES THAT ARE.

AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO INVEST MORE IN.

SO FOR US, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SPENDING PLAN. IT'S ABOUT THE INVESTMENT PLAN.

AND SO I THINK THAT AS WE'VE LOOKED AT CONSOLIDATIONS, I THINK WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHERE WE FELT LIKE THAT THERE WAS DUPLICATION WHERE WE COULD BRING CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER TO WHERE THERE WOULD BE BETTER EFFICIENCIES AND HOW WE WOULD SYNERGIZE DEPARTMENTS.

I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT. DO I HAVE ONES IN MIND RIGHT NOW? MAYBE TWO. BUT IT'S A PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEN GOES ALONG WITH SOME OF

[04:50:02]

WE CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE FOR DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE ISOLATED DECISIONS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY NEEDS.

IT'S GOT TO BE A PART OF THE BIGGER PIECE SO WE KNOW WHAT IT CONNECTS WITH.

IS IT GOING TO TALK TO THIS SYSTEM? I MEAN, SO THOSE THINGS I THINK I'M EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW DIRECTION WITH A NEW DIRECTOR OF ITS WE'VE ALREADY STARTED KIND OF LAYING THE ROADMAP FOR A LOT OF THE, IT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED.

ONE THING THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I'LL BRING IT UP, IS HOW WE'RE LOOKING TO COMPLETELY REVAMP THE USE OF AI IN OUR 311 SYSTEM. WE TALKED ABOUT A WHOLE MODERNIZATION EFFORT THAT'S GOING TO BE NEEDED SO WE CAN TRULY FIGURE OUT, OKAY, WELL, HOW MANY LIVE AGENTS DO WE NEED AND HOW MUCH OF THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE HANDLED WITH AI.

I LOVE THAT, THAT'S SO SO THAT'S WHAT I'D LOVE TO SEE ANOTHER DOUBLE DIGIT NUMBER ON THAT DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES.

HOWEVER, IF IT IS THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE BUT IT IS GREATER LEVEL OF SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS, THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD TRADE OFF AS WELL. YES.

AND SO WE'LL KEEP WORKING THROUGH THAT AND HOPEFULLY BRING YOU BACK SOMETHING THAT SHOWS HOW WE'RE DOING IT. BUT WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT IT TO BE TO THE COMPROMISE OF THE SERVICE. BUT HOW DOES IT ACTUALLY MAKE THAT SERVICE BETTER? SO THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD. ON SLIDE 15 YOU KNOW, I SEE THAT PART OF OUR OVERAGE ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS AROUND RETENTION.

AND I KNOW IT'S HARD TO QUANTIFY WHAT SAVINGS CAN BE FOR THAT.

SO I SEE THIS NUMBER, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S AN OFFSET TO A DEGREE.

IT DOESN'T HELP US WITH THIS SO MUCH, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING REAL THERE. AND NOT HAVING TO GO RECRUIT, TRAIN, ETC. OR AND THE RETENTION OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

THE, THE SECOND TO LAST BULLET IS ABOUT DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES BEING OVER $1.1 MILLION.

AND IF YOU'LL RECALL, DURING AMENDMENT PROCESS LAST YEAR, I WAS TRYING TO FIGHT FOR SPAY AND NEUTER DOLLARS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $400,000.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HELPING THINGS.

YOU'RE SMILING AND I KNOW WHY IS ON THE FRONT END AND HOW WE CAN LOOK AT THE FRONT END OF THESE ISSUES.

AND IT WASN'T VERY POPULAR WHEN WE WERE IN THE AMENDMENT A THON.

BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN OFFSET THE NEGATIVE SECONDARY EFFECTS OF NOT HAVING NOT LOOKING AT THIS POPULATION. DOES THIS AFFECT DISTRICT 13? NOT SO MUCH. BUT THERE ARE PARTS OF TOWN WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE AROUND THIS ISSUE.

AND SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND WOULD LOVE FOR US TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THAT.

ON OUR REVENUE, I HAD SEEN A REPORT ON WFAA ABOUT DALLAS HAVING 609,000 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, BUT ONLY 155,000 OF THEM SAW AN INCREASE IN VALUE.

SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT A COOLING AND POTENTIALLY IN THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD ALSO PLAY INTO THIS.

BUT I THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT OKAY. YOUR TIME.

OKAY. MISS BLAIR, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, CHAIR JOHNSON, FOR TAKING OVER MY FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE CROSSING GUARD.

I THAT THAT HIT ME REAL GOOD. ON PAGE EIGHT, WE TALKED ABOUT DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES AND, AND I HAVE A QUESTION AND I THINK IT MAY BE MORE FOR THE CITY MANAGER THEN FOR OUR FINANCIAL GUYS, HOW MUCH EFFICIENCY ARE WE GETTING WITH, WITH CUTTING HEADCOUNT BEFORE WE CAN SAY WE'VE CUT TOO MUCH AND WE HAVE NOW, NOW NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN STARTING IN 2024, IT WASN'T NECESSARILY KIND OF AN ACROSS THE BOARD CUT.

WE WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT STAFFING, THE CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS, AND THE CURRENT OPERATIONAL METRICS.

AND IF A DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR COULD SHOW HOW THEY WERE MEETING THEIR METRICS AND THEY STILL HAD VACANT POSITIONS OR POSITIONS THAT HAD NOT BEEN FILLED, THEN THAT WAS A GOOD INDICATOR FOR US THAT SOMETHING IS WORKING, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO CONTINUE TO CARRY THOSE POSITIONS ON OUR BOOKS.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE EXERCISE. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE SO MUCH OF THAT, WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT IF ANY FURTHER REDUCTIONS IN THE STAFFING MODEL.

IS THAT NOW GOING TO GIVE US MORE OF AN IMPACT ON ACTUAL SERVICE DELIVERY? WHAT I BELIEVE IS THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY BASED ON SOMETHING WE'VE SAID EARLIER.

MAYBE IT'S THE TYPE OF POSITION AND MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TEN OFFICE ASSISTANTS, BUT WE NEED FIVE GOOD COORDINATORS.

I MEAN, IT'S THAT TYPE OF APPROACH THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT ADDING HEADCOUNT JUST TO BE ADDING HEADCOUNT.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE WAYS OF THE PAST IS THAT WE WOULD THROW A POSITION AT SOLVING A PROBLEM,

[04:55:01]

AND SO AS WE GO AND CONTINUE WITH THE THE DEPARTMENTAL DELIBERATIONS, THAT'LL BE A PART OF IT.

WE'VE ALREADY STARTED IT, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CUTS THEN DO NOT TRANSLATE TO WHERE A SERVICE.

THAT IS ONE OF OUR CORE MISSIONS. IT'S CRITICAL FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT THEN THAT BECOMES THE IMPACT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF THAT CAN ACTUALLY PERFORM THE SERVICE.

MR. IRELAND HAS ALREADY MENTIONED THAT OVER 72% OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE, SO IT DEFINITELY IS ADDED TO THE EQUATION, AND WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE THAT SERVICES ARE NOT IMPACTED JUST BECAUSE OF THE CUTS.

WHEN YOU YOU MADE A VERY BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THERE WILL NOT BE CUTS.

I CAN'T SAY THAT. OH, I GET THAT, I GET THAT.

BUT YOU MADE A POINT THAT 72% OF THE BUDGET IS HEADCOUNT.

AND IF WE HAVE THAT MUCH HEADCOUNT, HOW DO WE KNOW? HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING IN OUTSOURCING? AND HOW MANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT NEED TO HAVE THE, THE, THE KNOWLEDGE, THE SMAE, THE SUBJECT MATTER, MATTER, EXPERT KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN BRING BACK IN THOSE OUTSOURCED DOLLARS BACK INTO MAYBE LESS EXPENSIVE INSIDE IN, IN HOUSE. AND THANK YOU THAT THAT HAS BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION IN THAT BECAUSE OF THE, THE COST THAT WE PAY, THE PRICE THAT WE PAY FOR CONTRACT SERVICE, IS IT COST EFFICIENT TO OUTSOURCE IT VERSUS KEEP IT IN? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS HAVING TO BE EVALUATED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE RIGHT MODEL.

WE HAVE GONE THROUGH SOME DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE'VE HAD STAFF AND, AND OTHER YEARS WE'VE OUTSOURCED.

SO I THINK IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS TO LOOK AT THAT.

BUT AS MISS TOLBERT MENTIONED, 72% THAT THAT INCLUDES THE SALARIES, THE OVERTIME, THE HEALTH INSURANCE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE PENSION ARE ALL PART OF THAT.

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S A TOTAL OF 72% IS THE TOTAL COST OF AN INDIVIDUAL NOT OPPOSED TO AN OUTSOURCE IS JUST A LINE ITEM THAT'S LIKE A FULLY LOADED. WHEN YOU BRING SOMEONE IN THAT COMES WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE FOR THEM.

BUT I DO WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING BECAUSE AGAIN, THE, THE, THE, THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IS NOT WORK THAT WE'RE STARTING.

IT'S WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN. AND I'LL TAKE DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES AS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

WE KNOW THAT THE ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, ARE CONTINUING TO INCREASE.

AND THAT IS A HUGE BURDEN AND IT'S A HUGE EXPENSE.

SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THAT PORTION OF THE DEPARTMENT BEING ADMINISTRATED OR DONE OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION. AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

AND SO FAR, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANY TAKERS.

WE'VE EVEN LOOKED AT THE CURRENT OVERCROWDING THAT WE HAVE AT THE SHELTERS WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 3 OR 4 UNFORTUNATELY YOU KNOW, ANIMALS SHARING ONE KENNEL.

THAT IS NOT A BEST PRACTICE. AND SO WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OTHER CITIES TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT BE SOME POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS WHERE WE COULD UTILIZE THEIR SHELTER TO HELP US, AND THEN WE HELP THEM AND THEY'RE OVERCROWDED.

SO SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH ARE NOT JUST UNIQUE FOR US.

THE CITY OF DALLAS. AND AS WE LOOK AT WAYS TO DO PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH IS A BIG PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME OTHER CITIES ARE IN THE SAME THE SAME PRESSURE POINTS THAT WE'RE HAVING.

WE NEVER WANT TO LOOK AT OUTSOURCING JUST TO SAY WE'RE OUTSOURCING, BUT FROM A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE.

BUT THAT'S JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ONE AREA THAT WE TRULY HOPE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP.

IT'LL TAKE A LOT OF THE STRAIN AND A LOT OF THE PRESSURE OFF OF THE STAFF IN THAT DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, BUT SO FAR, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TO GET ANY TAKERS THAT COULD COME IN AND HELP SUPPORT THAT BODY OF WORK.

WE'VE DONE SOME WITH LOOKING AT PART TIME, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THE VETERINARIANS NOT NECESSARILY HAVING THE FULL TIME.

WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AS A MODEL IN THAT DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE.

AS WE COME BACK TO YOU WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET.

WELL, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT DAS, AND I KNOW THERE ARE ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF OUR BUDGET, BUT THERE ARE ALSO $1.1 MILLION OVER BUDGET. AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ANIMAL CRUELTY DUMPING OF DOGS AND, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GO OUT WHEN A RESIDENTS CALLS AND SAYS THAT THEY HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE DOG AND THEY CAN'T GET OUT OF THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THE DOG WON'T LET THEM.

AND IT, AND IT TAKES DAYS FOR DAYS TO GET THERE.

WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT. AND, AND WE'LL GO ON THAT ONE LATER.

[05:00:02]

I LIKE THAT PAGE. IT SHOWS ME THAT IN THIS YEAR WE HAVE.

WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF ABATED OR NOT OR PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT PAYING PROPERTY TAX AT ALL.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THIS IS GROWING YEAR OVER YEAR.

AND THIS AND WE LOOK AND THIS YEAR IT'S REALLY A HIGH NUMBER, WHETHER IT BE CHURCHES, GOVERNMENT PROPERTY OR WHATEVER.

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ALSO BECAUSE OF ABATED PROPERTIES OR ABATED DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE THAT WE HAVE ON OUR BOOKS? IT'S INCLUDED IN THE OTHER COLUMN, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH A FRIDAY MEMO ON THE EXACT NUMBER THAT'S INCLUDED.

WELL, CAN YOU DO THAT FOR US, PLEASE, SO THAT WE KNOW HOW MUCH OF THIS NUMBER IS BECAUSE OF ABATED TAXES AND HOW MUCH OF IT'S GOING TO DROP OFF AND WHEN, WHEN SOME OF THAT ABATEMENT WILL DROP OFF SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THAT WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE HAVING PROPERTY OWNERSHIP BECAUSE WE SEE THAT WE, THE HOMESTEAD IS GROWING.

TO ME, THAT TELLS ME WE HAVE A PEOPLE PURCHASING PROPERTY, BUT I GUESS WE NEED WE STILL NEED SOME MORE IF WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR TAX BASE.

BUT IT ALSO TELLS ME THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GROWING OVER THE AGE OF 65.

SO IT TELLS ME AS A WHOLE, WE NEED PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN 65, WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OUR TAX BASE.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S FAIR? SO THIS PARTICULAR CHART IS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE VALUE OF PROPERTY EXEMPT FROM TAXATION, WE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS BECAUSE THIS ISN'T TRACKING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS.

AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO INCLUDE NUMBER OF ACCOUNTS IN ADDITION TO THE VALUE.

OKAY. I KNOW I GOT JUST A MINUTE. I KNOW SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IN, IN PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. WELL, NOT PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WHEN WE PROBABLY SHOULD.

THEN AND I DO LET ME SAY SOMETHING ON, ON, ON OUR POLICING.

I KNOW OUR POLICING NUMBERS ARE OVER BUDGET, BUT I TOTALLY GET WHY WE HAVE, WE HAD PROPOSITION YOU THAT SAID WE HAD TO IN, WE HAD TO INCREASE OUR HEADCOUNT, BUT WE ALSO INCREASED OUR, OUR LINE ITEM AND OUR BUDGET.

AND I NEED PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT THAT POLICING IS EXPENSIVE.

IT'S JUST THAT THE RESIDENT, THE VOTERS ASKED FOR US TO DO THAT.

CORRECT? YES. THAT'S A REAL GOOD, REAL SUCCINCT ANSWER.

NOW, MY LAST QUESTION. I KNOW OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE IS 58% OF OUR GENERAL BUDGET.

AND I KNOW WE HAVE A 3.5% CAP ON OUR PROPERTY TAX.

I KNOW I'M GETTING THERE. SO YOU GOT TO BE THERE.

SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE STATE REDUCED OUR PROPERTY TAX.

AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO OUR BUDGET IF THEY DO REDUCE OUR OUR COUNT.

THERE YOU GO. YOU GOT IT IN SORT OF. I THINK WE'LL START WITH THAT.

WE WE NEED PRAYER. WE, WE DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND.

YOU KNOW, THAT CONVERSATION STARTED ALREADY AND IT CAME UP AGAIN DURING THE SPECIAL SESSION.

WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT AS WE GO INTO THE, THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT I KNOW IS ALREADY KIND OF STARTING, THAT WE TRULY ARE DEMONSTRATING THE WAY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT PROPERTY TAX, THE REDUCTIONS, THE WAY THAT OUR PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS CURRENTLY SUPPORT POLICE AND FIRE ALL OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK. COUNCILWOMAN BLAIR AND HOPEFULLY, AS WE GO INTO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CHAIR, AS WELL AS WITH ALL OF YOU, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU SET FOR THE SESSION, THAT WE CAN HELP SUPPORT THAT. BUT WE DO KNOW THAT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO AVOID, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE'RE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS A CITY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT NEW REVENUE SOURCES, HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR COMPETITIVENESS, AND HOW WE ALSO CONTINUE TO BE INNOVATIVE AND BE A MORE, MUCH MORE EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION. SO WE UNDERSTAND THE DEBATE THAT'S HAPPENING.

AND IF I COULD JUST ADD JUST A LITTLE MORE, IF I'M JUST A RULE OF THUMB, 1% CHANGE IN THE TAX VALUE CHANGES REVENUE

[05:05:04]

LET'S SEE. MISS CADENA, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. JACK, I KNOW I'VE BEEN ASKED THIS SINCE THE ARTICLE CAME UP.

DO WE KNOW IF THE TAX PROJECTION INCLUDES WHAT'S PROJECTED FOR FIFA IN TERMS OF SALES TAX? NO. OUR SALES TAX FORECAST AND THE GENERAL FUND ONLY REFLECTS THE AMOUNT THAT WE ANTICIPATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GENERAL FUND.

THE ADDITIONAL FIFA SALES TAX REVENUE THAT WE PROJECTED, I THINK IT WAS ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3 AND 4 MILLION.

WE'RE PLANNING, WE'RE BUDGETING THAT IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP FUND, AND WE'RE USING THAT TO PAY THE ONE TIME COST ASSOCIATED WITH OUR COST ASSOCIATED WITH FIFA. OKAY. AND THEN MY OTHER COMMENT WOULD BE I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET, IF WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OTHER PARTNERSHIPS, I KNOW AT THE WEST DALLAS MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, WE HAVE A SENIOR PROGRAM THAT'S ACTUALLY A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AND THEY EVEN PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO RESIDENTS THAT ATTEND THE CENTER.

AND I KNOW SOME OF MY OTHER PARKS AND REC FACILITIES ARE LIKE, WHY DON'T WE GET TRANSPORTATION? OR WHY DON'T WE GET WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY GET AT THE, FOR THE COUNTY PROGRAM? SO I THINK INSTEAD OF DUPLICATING EFFORTS, IF THERE'S MAYBE A WAY TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS, AND I THINK IF I RECALL, WE JUST PROVIDE THE SPACE FOR THAT.

AND THEN I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE STAFFING ANALYSIS.

I KNOW WE DID THIS IN MCPS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WE MOVED SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT WERE SALARY, I MEAN, THAT WERE HOURLY ACTUALLY TO SALARY BECAUSE IT WAS MORE COST EFFICIENT AND THEN DID MORE CROSS TRAINING.

AND IT ACTUALLY, I THINK, PROVIDED FOR GREATER OUTPUT, IN MY OPINION, FROM WHAT STAFF WAS ORIGINALLY DOING.

AND SO THERE WERE ACTUALLY SOME, A LOT OF BENEFITS.

AND MISS TOLBERT MANAGED ALL OF THAT WHEN SHE WAS WORKING FOR T.C AND DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN DOING THAT, STAFFING A STUDY. SO I DEFINITELY AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT CAN, IT CAN HELP QUITE A BIT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

CHAIRMAN GRACEY YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. AND I WON'T BELABOR THIS. I THINK A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES MADE A LOT OF THE POINTS I WAS GOING TO MAKE, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THEM, AND I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE POINT WAS, BUT IT MIND IS JUST CENTERED AROUND. I MADE THIS THOUGHT DEVELOPMENTS IN TERMS OF.

IN MY DISTRICT, I CAN THINK OF TWO RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY STARTED DEVELOPMENT AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING, NO ACTIVITY. ONE OF THEM ACTUALLY HAS STREETS AND IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR LIKE THE LAST FIVE, AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. AND, AND IS THERE A WAY TO MOVE THOSE PROJECTS ALONG? I KNOW SOMETIMES THEY RUN OUT, BUT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND COMMUNITY PROSECUTIONS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN GET REVENUE ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAVE, YOU KNOW, STALLED FOR WHATEVER REASON.

THEY'VE BEEN THAT WAY FOR A WHILE. THE OTHER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, WE GO THROUGH THIS EVERY YEAR AND I KNOW YOU ALL DO A GREAT JOB.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I ENJOYED ABOUT WORKING THROUGH THE CITY IS EVEN WHEN THE BUDGET GOT TIGHT, YOU KNOW, THINGS WE WERE ABLE PEOPLE THAT WERE MEANT TO STAY WERE, WERE YOU LANDED? WELL, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE GOING OVER THEIR BUDGET FOR WHATEVER REASON.

AND I JUST, I WANT US TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT.

I KNOW IT'S OVER TIME, IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME ONES, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO IN ADVANCE TO, TO ANTICIPATE SOME OF THIS? BECAUSE EITHER WE'RE PROJECTING, YOU GUYS ARE SPOT ON IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING IN TERMS OF OVERTIME AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO PUSH US JUST A LITTLE BIT BEYOND WHAT WE PROJECTED.

AND IT'S HAPPENING CONSISTENTLY. AND THERE'S REALLY ONLY ABOUT 4 OR 5 DEPARTMENTS THAT DO IT.

AND AGAIN, JUSTIFIABLY, BUT I JUST WANT US TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT ANTICIPATING THAT.

SO WE'RE NOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD ON THAT. SO I'M GONNA STOP AND SEE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT AS A STATEMENT AND NOT A QUESTION THERE TO, TO REALLY LOOK INTO SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS.

AND I'M THINKING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT THEY'VE CONSISTENTLY GONE OVER BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS TO, TO REALLY BE EITHER MORE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT THAT PROJECTED OVERAGE IS GOING TO BE, OR COMING UP WITH MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T KEEP HAPPENING.

[05:10:02]

I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE DO JUST FILL IT WITH A POSITION AND THAT FIXES IT FOR A WHILE.

BUT NOT UNDERSTANDING WHEN THINGS ARE GOOD IS GREAT.

BUT THEN WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, IT'S NOT. SO THANK YOU FOR EVALUATING ALL OF THESE STAFF POSITIONS TO REALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE BEING UTILIZED SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU DID WITH THE DEPARTMENT. SO GOING IN THAT SAME VEIN THERE, AND I THINK. THAT WAS IT. AND AGAIN, I THINK COLLEAGUE DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM WILLIS SAID IT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE GO THROUGH AND WE DO THIS FLAT CUT ACROSS THE BOARD.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DO THAT. AND A LOT OF TIMES THERE ARE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING REALLY GOOD WITH THEIR BUDGETS, AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE BRUNT OF THESE DECISIONS AS WELL. FROM THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST AS WE LOOK AT THIS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY OVER BUDGET, I DON'T THINK THAT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE TO TO BEAR THAT BURDEN.

SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MR. ROTH.

RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU. JACK, IN CALCULATING THE GENERAL INCREASE IN COST HAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT INTO THOSE SALARY NUMBERS AND AUTOMATIC SORT OF WHAT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT A MERIT RAISE OR HAVE THEY HAVE YOU AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDED A 3% OR 5%? YES, SIR. INCREASE IN ALL THOSE IN IN OUR PLANNED BUDGET THAT WE BALANCED LAST SUMMER FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.

SO IT'S NOT ADOPTED YET, BUT THERE IS A A PLAN TO INCLUDE A 3% AVERAGE MERIT INCREASE FOR NON-UNIFORM EMPLOYEES. THAT 3% INCREASE IS ABOUT $9 MILLION TO THE GENERAL FUND FOR A YEAR.

OKAY. AND CERTAINLY, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED.

AND PERHAPS I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE DO LOOK AT MAYBE SOME KIND OF A FURLOUGH OR MAYBE LOOKING AT THE, THE BASE SALARY AMOUNTS, ITS CERTAIN LEVELS OF, OF OF EMPLOYMENT HERE TO SEE IF THERE COULD BE SOME REDUCTIONS IN SOME OF THOSE SALARIES. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO MAYBE LOOK AT POTENTIALLY PRIVATIZING SOME OF OUR, OUR ACTIVITIES THAT, AND THAT'S MORE OF A LONG TERM STRATEGY THAN A CURRENT STRATEGY.

THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, IN A CRAZY WAY, SELL OUR BUSINESSES AND END UP WITH, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THEN ALLOW SOMEBODY ELSE TO TAKE THE BURDEN AND THE AND THE DO IT MORE EFFICIENTLY THAN POSSIBLY WE MIGHT BE IF THERE'S IF THAT ANALYSIS IS INVESTIGATED.

I'M ALSO VERY MUCH CONCERNED ABOUT OUR MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT RESERVES AND BUILDING RESERVES IN WHATEVER AREAS THAT WE CAN HAVE BECAUSE, AND I'M, I'M RELATED TO OUR, OUR ABILITY TO GIVE INCENTIVES ON CERTAIN PROJECTS, WHETHER IT BE HOUSING AND TIF GRANTS AND PERSONAL AND LOANS FROM THE NOT LOANS, BUT ABSOLUTE GRANTS FROM THE, FROM OUR OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGETS OR OTHER SORT OF BUDGETS THAT ARE REALLY SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.

I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY EVALUATE THOSE, THOSE FUTURE PAYMENTS AND PERHAPS MAKE A LIMIT ON WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO NEXT YEAR. THAT MAY ALSO GIVE US IN A LITTLE BIT ON ON THE ABILITY TO GIVE MONEY.

I'M NOT OPPOSED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I THINK WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE IT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GIVE AWAY STUFF.

I THINK WE NEED TO BE PARTNERS. WE NEED TO BE INVESTORS.

WE IN WE NEED TO BE RECEIVING BACK A TANGIBLE BENEFIT IN EITHER IN KIND OR IN, IN ACTUAL PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT INTEREST. AND I'M, I'M REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE DETAIL.

THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION. I THINK THE PENSION OBLIGATION AMOUNTS ARE VERY CRITICAL FOR US TO, TO REVIEW. AND I THINK THE REFINANCING OF POTENTIALLY THAT, THAT BODY OF, OF COSTS MIGHT BE A COST SAVINGS.

I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY EVALUATE WHAT THE THE PROJECTIONS WERE ON THOSE PENSION POTENTIAL OBLIGATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT UNDERFUNDING THOSE AMOUNTS AND IN FACT, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAYBE FILL UP THOSE BUCKETS FOR OUR INVESTMENT PENSION INVESTMENT FUNDS IN A IN A MORE DRAMATIC WAY.

AND THERE MAY BE SOME IDEAS TO DO THAT. I DO WANT TO, TO APPLAUD ANY DEPARTMENT THAT'S ABLE TO SAVE MONEY AND IS ABLE TO

[05:15:06]

AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE TRY TO INVESTIGATE, JUST AS A POLICY, SOME KIND OF AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ABLE TO SAVE US MONEY, ARE ABLE TO, TO GET TO, TO BENEFIT BY, BY TIGHTENING THE BELT AND BY DOING BETTER WORK AND BY REALLY BEING MORE EFFICIENT. AND THAT'S NOT TO, THAT'S TO ACTUALLY GIVE THEM EXTRA AND GIVE THEM AN INCENTIVE TO DO IT.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DO THAT, BUT THAT WOULD BE A SORT OF A CHALLENGE.

I WOULD I WOULD ASK THE CITY MANAGEMENT TO, TO SEE IF WE COULD REALLY INCENTIVIZE OUR DEPARTMENTS TO REALIZE THAT BY DOING GOOD WORK, BY SAVING MONEY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE TARGETED OR LOSE THEIR, THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE RESOURCES AND FUNDS.

AND AGAIN, I'M SURE THERE'S, I'M SURE THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT SOME MORE DETAIL.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR WORK ON THIS. THANK YOU.

CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU SIR. STARTING ON PAGE EIGHT.

I LOVE THAT YOU PUT DOWN THE DEPARTMENTAL EFFICIENCIES AND A COUPLE OF BULLETS OF WHERE THAT CAME FROM, BUT I'LL SAY THAT WHEN WE'RE TOUTING $6 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 25 AND 15 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 26, EVEN IN FISCAL YEAR 26, YOU'RE TALKING OF ONE FOURTH OF 1% OF OUR BUDGET.

AND THIS IS WHERE I HOPE WE'LL SEE STAFF REALLY LOOK HARDER.

AND INSTEAD OF JUST TALKING TO THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGERS, WE HAVE TO GET DOWN TO THE SUPERVISOR LEVEL AND FIGURE OUT WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE BECAUSE SOMETHING DESPERATELY NEEDS TO CHANGE. THE NEXT ITEM I'D SAY IS FOR PAGE 23.

YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PLAN BUDGET SERVES AS A STARTING POINT.

I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT CHAIRMAN RIDLEY SAID, WHICH IS WE WERE TOLD WE WOULD GET A PRIORITY BUDGET AND THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD NOT BE STARTING WITH WHERE YOU STOPPED LAST YEAR.

AND SO I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT SOME VERY DIFFERENT NUMBERS.

THE NEXT THING I'M GOING TO SAY IS FOR PAGE 26, WHICH IS AN ORG CHART.

I CAN IDENTIFY TEN DEPARTMENTS. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR OUTSOURCING, AND I WILL SEND THAT TO YOU IN A MEMO.

CITY MANAGER FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ON PAGE 27.

YOU ARE SHOWING THE GENERAL FUND FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 26 ADOPTED TO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 PLAN.

IS IT CORRECT THAT THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 90 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND? YES. WE SHOWED IT'S 88, I BELIEVE WE SHOWED ON A A NOTHER PAGE.

OKAY. AND SO DOES THAT INCLUDE BOTH THE INCREASE FOR REVENUE IN EXISTING PROPERTY AS WELL AS NEW PROPERTY.

YES. IT'S BOTH. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN FOR PAGE 29, THIS REALLY TO ME SHOWS THE VERY HEAVY RELIANCE WE HAVE ON PROPERTY TAXES.

AND DESPITE THE MODEST RATE DECREASES WE'VE HAD PROPERTY TAX REVENUE HAS GROWN SUBSTANTIALLY BECAUSE OF OUR INCREASING TAXABLE VALUES. AND WE MAY SEE THIS LIMITED BY THE STATE.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK OVER TIME, FISCAL YEAR 2020, 2017, 50% OF OUR GENERAL FUND CAME FROM PROPERTY TAXES, AND NOW WE'RE UP TO 58%. SO OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE HAD THIS INCREASING DEPENDANCE ON IT, AND I THINK THAT'S AT OUR PERIL.

SLIDE 47. SORRY, 45 WHERE YOU HAVE UNIFORM OVERTIME, YOU'RE SHOWING FISCAL YEAR 25 ACTUAL WITH AN $87 MILLION EXPENSE FOR UNIFORM OVERTIME, 26 BUDGET WAS DOWN TO 67, $20 MILLION LESS.

YOUR FORECAST IS 76 MILLION. SO IT'S OVER BUDGET, BUT IT'S STILL LESS THAN WHAT WE ACTUALLY SPENT IN THE PRIOR YEAR.

AND THEN YOU'RE FORECASTING A SPEND OF 61 MILLION.

SO ACTUALLY THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER. SO WE JUST HAVE A BUDGETING PROBLEM NOT A SPENDING FOR POLICE OVERTIME AND FIRE OVERTIME, IN MY OPINION. THANK YOU, MISS CADENA. YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES? YES. I JUST HAD ONE MORE COMMENT ABOUT AS WE LOOK AT THE NEW BUDGET, BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE SEVERAL PEOPLE MENTIONING SELLING OUR VACANT PROPERTY AS A POTENTIAL REVENUE SOURCE. SO BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAYBE COME UP WITH A METRICS OR SOMETHING FOR THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE LIKE WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT ARE HAVING TO GET CLEANED UP TO MAYBE LOOK AT TRIAGE OR IF SELLING IS THE BEST THING.

[05:20:05]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT, THAT COMMENT AND QUESTION.

COUNCILWOMAN CADENA. SO ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE DECISIONS THAT I MADE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, INSTEAD OF US DOING A REPLACEMENT OF THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION THAT BECAME VACANT DUE TO THE RETIREMENT OF MR. GIBSON, WE NOW HAVE A DEDICATED PERSON TO FOCUS ON DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED.

IT'S GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE WHOLE REAL ESTATE MASTER PLAN THAT WE SPOKE TO COUNCIL ABOUT.

IT'S GOING TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TO KIND OF DO THE WHOLE MONETIZATION PIECE AND THEN BE ABLE TO DO IT IN A WAY THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO MOVE THOSE THINGS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT FOR A MINUTE, BUT I THINK THAT'LL GIVE US A ROADMAP, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NOT HAD, AND IT WILL ALLOW FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PLAN OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.

WE'VE GOT SOME IDEAS NOW, BUT WE WANTED TO COME BACK WITH THE PLAN, AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW FOR US TO DO IT.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE JUST DEDICATED A POSITION TO DO NOTHING BUT THIS.

AND I KNOW THAT MR. JOHNSON IS EXCITED AND WILL PROBABLY SPEND SOME TIME WITH EACH OF YOU, KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THAT HE'S GOING TO BE PUTTING IN PLACE.

BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S RIGHT ON POINT WITH WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. YEAH. AND THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A REORGANIZATION, REORGANIZE THAT. SO THANK YOU. DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU. SO PICKING BACK UP ON PAGE 55, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO DEVELOP A BALANCED BUDGET.

I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON THE CODE, THE WORK OF COUNCILMEMBER JOHNSON'S CODE COMMITTEE AND THE FLEET, LOOKING AT USAGE OF FLEET AND HOW WE UNSILO AND HAVE VEHICLE SHARING.

AND THEN COUNCILMEMBER WEST TALKED ABOUT SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS.

MR. IRELAND, YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT SALES TAX ALLOCATIONS AND THAT THAT'S AN ONGOING MONITORING TO BE SURE THAT IF AS RETAILERS MOVE ACROSS BORDERS THAT WE ARE COLLECTING, WHEN IS THE NEXT AGGREGATE REPORT DUE TO US ON THAT JUST KIND OF DO WE.

IS IT AN END OF YEAR KIND OF REPORT? SO WE REPORT MONTHLY ON SALES TAX.

BUT IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE ONGOING SALES AUDIT THAT'S DONE BY THE CITY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, I WILL WORK WITH MAMATHA TO GET SOME TYPE OF MEMO OR REPORT OUT TO THE COUNCIL.

AND MAYBE THAT COINCIDES WITH OUR BUDGETING PROCESS.

I MEAN, JUST SO WE HAVE A SENSE OF ARE WE GETTING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING AND HAVING ACCURATE REPORTING? I'M NOT SURE THERE'S BEEN AN ONGOING REPORTING MECHANISM FOR THAT, BUT I'LL WORK WITH HER AND WE'LL WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.

OKAY. ON VACANT LAND. YES. I ECHO WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID, AND I ECHO DEV GROUP PROBABLY IS ALREADY DOING THIS, I WOULD HOPE, BUT TARGETING SOME OF THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY TO SEE, I MEAN, MAYBE WE NEED OUTREACH THERE TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP SOMEONE SELL THEIR PROPERTY AND DEVELOP IT INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD GENERATE TAX REVENUE.

FINALLY, ON PAGE 62, ARE WE WHAT KIND OF GRANTS ARE WE GETTING FOR OUR BIKE LANE PROGRAM? I KNOW WE HAD BUDGETED FROM GENERAL FUND, BUT ARE WE THERE ARE FEDERAL GRANTS LIKE THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL PEOPLE FOR BIKES.

TEXDOT. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF SOMEONE FROM TRANSPORTATION WILL COME FORWARD AND HELP US WITH WHAT GRANTS THAT THEY ARE GETTING.

GREAT. WE GOT A FRIEND COMING FORWARD. SO MY QUESTION IS WELCOME.

MR.. CARLEY IS ABOUT OUR BIKE LANE PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE BEEN FUNDING THROUGH GENERAL FUND.

AND I WAS WONDERING, ARE WE AUGMENTING WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS LIKE THE SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL OR THE PEOPLE FOR BIKES, NONPROFIT OR TEXDOT? ARE WE? WHAT OTHER MONEY IS COMING INTO THAT PROGRAM? SO GUS CAN. CARLEY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS. YES, ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO REMEMBER SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE BOND ALSO FROM 2017 OR 2024 INCLUDE BIKE LANES.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT COVERED. WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GETTING, LIKE THE FEDERAL FUNDS.

WE'RE WE'VE GOT THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LATEST ONE THAT WE JUST FINISHED, THE LAKE JUNE PROJECT, THAT WAS ALL FEDERAL FUNDS TO PUT IN THE BIKE LANES TO THE ACCESS TO THE LAKE, JUNE STATION AND SO ON.

SO YEAH, WE'VE GOT A, A ALL OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BIKE LANE.

WELL, I MEAN, MY CONCERN IS THAT, AND I'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT I CAN'T REALLY GET AN ANSWER ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE THESE.

AND THE NUMBERS WE TEND TO GET ARE, OH, PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSE TO A BIKE LANE OR WHATEVER, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY OWN A BIKE OR MIGHT BE

[05:25:07]

AND SO I'M ASKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO BE SURE OUR FUNDING IS PROPORTIONATE.

TO THE USAGE ON THIS. I KNOW WE WANT TO GROW IT.

I KNOW IT'S A MULTI MODAL, YOU KNOW, GOAL THAT WE HAVE.

BUT I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I'M LUCKY THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS RESENDEZ AND WEST ARE GONE SO I CAN WALK OUT OF HERE ALIVE.

BUT ANYWAY, I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS I GO AHEAD, NO, I WAS, I WAS GOING TO SAY IT'S A FAIR POINT AND THIS IS SOMETHING IN THE PLANS THAT I WANT TO LOOK AT. BUT TO BE FAIR AND GET GOOD DATA, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM HAS GOOD CONNECTIVITY SO THAT THE SYSTEM IS CONNECTED. WE DON'T HAVE BIKE LANES TO NOWHERE, AND I'VE GOT SOME LOCATIONS WHERE I'VE GOT BIKE LANES TO NOWHERE THAT I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN ORDER TO HAVE THE FULL CONNECTIVITY.

THEN WE HAVE THE REAL TRUE REFLECTION, IF YOU WILL, OF WHO'S USING THE BIKE LANES AND HOW IT IS BEING USED.

BUT DEFINITELY POINT WELL TAKEN. IT IS IN THE PLANS THAT WE NEED TO START COLLECTING SOME DATA ON THE UTILIZATION, AND I DEFINITELY BELIEVE IN THAT. MY QUESTION IS DO WE PHASE IT OUT LONGER? DO WE FIND OTHER DOLLARS THAT CAN HELP FILL THAT IN? SO IT'S NOT ON THE CITY OF DALLAS SO THAT WE CAN I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD THE CONVERSATION TODAY.

I'M ALSO LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER, MISS MCGOVERN, WHOSE HOPE I'M HOPING.

I THINK WE'RE ALL HOPING THAT YOU CAN RAISE FUNDS FOR OUR LIBRARIES NOT JUST FOR THE PROGRAMS, BUT I WOULD I HOPE THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU COULD HELP US WITH SOME OF THE OTHER LIBRARY EXPENSES AS WELL.

AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS AROUND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR I WAS FIGHTING FOR THE SPAY AND NEUTER DOLLARS AND HAD LOOKED AT BIKE LANES JUST ABOUT THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING IT.

SO I'M, I LOVE THE CONCEPT OF ALL OF WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT.

I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY USING THIS.

THANK YOU. YOUR TIME. OKAY. MAYOR PRO TEM, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR FIVE MINUTES.

THANK YOU MAYOR. SO I WANT TO START WITH PERSONNEL.

STAFFING PEOPLE ARE ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ASSETS OR WHAT DRIVES OUR CITY, BUT ALSO HAVE SEEN DEPARTMENTS GROW OVER TIME.

AND SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHEN WE OPEN A NEW RECREATION CENTER AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING AT THOSE.

AT THOSE REC CENTERS OR COMMUNITY CENTERS. RIGHT. BUT WHEN WE SEE OTHER DEPARTMENTS GROWING AND AREN'T SEEING THE RESULTS, THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT I WANT TO BE LOOKING AT.

AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR CUTTING US FROM THE LAST BUDGET WHEN WE HAD VACANCIES.

AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD START. I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER THERE.

I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT INCENTIVIZING VERSUS PENALIZING FOR EMPTY LOTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CBD AND HOW TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT.

AS WE TALKED EARLIER, BRINGING ON ADDITIONAL NEW DEVELOPMENT IS KEY TO TAKE SOME OF THAT BURDEN OFF FROM OUR RESIDENTS.

AND THEN MY OTHER ONE IS GOING TO BE AGAIN, REAL ESTATE UNDER ONE OF MY TOP THREE PRIORITIES AGAIN, CONTINUES TO BE DOING A PARTNERSHIP OR DEVELOPMENT AT THE CITY SERVICE CENTER.

THAT IS AN AREA THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OVER 20 ACRES THAT IS COMPLETELY UNDERUTILIZED TODAY.

IT'S NOT ON OUR TAX ROLLS. IT'S IN A DESIRABLE AREA THAT COULD SEE PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATE IMPACT IF WE WERE TO EITHER OFFLOAD IT COMPLETELY OR DO SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT ON A GROUND LEASE THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX TO COME BACK ON OUR ROLLS.

AND SO THOSE ARE MY MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU MAYOR.

CHAIRMAN JOHNSON, YOUR RECORD. I'M SORRY, CHAIRWOMAN STEWART, YOU'RE IN FOR FIVE MINUTES. THANK YOU.

JUST ONE QUICK NOTE. CHRIS WAS HERE RECENTLY OR JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO LEFT.

AND I REMEMBER SOMETHING CHRIS SAID RECENTLY ABOUT PARTNERS AND HE SAID TO REMEMBER THAT IF WE WANT NEW PARTNERS, IF WE WANT TO FIND NEW PARTNERS TO HELP LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS AND EXPAND OUR PROGRAMING, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER OUR CURRENT PARTNERS.

AND SO YOU CAN'T WE CAN'T GO OUT AND AND LOBBY FOR NEW PARTNERS.

IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR CURRENT PARTNERS AND CUT THEM OUT OR CUT THEM OFF.

SO IT'S JUST A, A THREAD THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE KEPT IN THE CONVERSATION.

WE NEED OUR PARTNERS ARE VALUABLE. THEY BRING A LOT OF VALUE TO THE TABLE.

THEY MAKE OUR AMENITIES EXPAND AND GROW AND, AND FLOURISH AND THEY, THEY DO WHAT WE

[05:30:06]

AND I WILL JUST SAY ALSO ON THE SURVEY. MRS. MENDELSOHN.

I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU. I WAS IN A BAD MOOD WHEN I FINISHED IT.

IT WAS AND NO OFFENSE TO ANYBODY WHO WROTE IT.

I, I, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT Y'ALL WERE GOING FOR.

BUT IT WAS CUMBERSOME A BIT AND, AND REALLY WHAT IT DID, IT MADE US MAKE A CHOICE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO, MAKE THAT CHOICE. AND THAT'S THE HONEST TRUTH.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S JUST HUMAN NOT TO WANT TO HAVE TO MAKE THOSE HARD CHOICES.

BUT ANYWAY I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH SAID JUST BACK ON THE PARTNERS.

DON'T FORGET, WE CAN'T GET NEW ONES IF WE, YOU KNOW, CUT TIES WITH OUR CURRENT ONES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, CHAIRMAN JOHNSON, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT CHAIR STEWART IS SAYING.

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PARTNERS BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE.

AND THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.

AND SO I WILL BE SPEAKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WITH, WITH, WITH THE SMILE, BUT WITH REALITY.

AND MOST OF US HAVE HAD TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS IN OUR OWN LIVES.

YOU KNOW I SAY ALL THE TIME, NOTHING EXCEPT CHANGE.

WELL, BUT A BABY. I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. HOWEVER CHANGE IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT, BUT CHANGE IS NECESSARY.

AND WHEN WE SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT WHERE OUR BUDGETS ARE, THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AGAIN, AS WE HAVE DONE IN OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL LIVES. AND THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T VALUE OUR PARTNERS.

THAT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE MAY HAVE TO DO A LITTLE SOME THINGS DIFFERENT WHILE STILL WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND SO OF COURSE, ON, ON THE COACH MEETING COMING UP, WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED TODAY WITH IT AND SOME MORE OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS THAT CHAIR MENDELSOHN AND I HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING ABOUT MY MIND JUST DREW A BLANK, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WITH IT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING, I'VE ALSO SPOKE WITH OUR CITY MANAGER ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS TOO.

BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THE COACH DEPARTMENT COMMITTEE IS ABOUT, NOT BEING INSENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY, BUT JUST BEING PRUDENT AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH WHAT WE CAN DO.

AND I'VE DISCOVERED THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND WORKING WITH EVERYBODY TO GET THAT JOB DONE.

AND HAVING SYNERGY IS WHAT WE'RE WHERE ARE WE GOING FOR? BUT THIS IS A MOMENT WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. AND SO AS WE APPROACH OUR BUDGET SEASON KNOW THAT WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING AS A CHAIR FOR COACH IS LOOKING AT EVERYTHING, WORKING WITH OUR ENTIRE COUNCIL AND OUR COMMITTEE, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR AND ESPECIALLY OUR CFO AND CITY MANAGER.

SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE SAVE OUR, OUR CITIZENS, OUR TAXPAYERS TAX DOLLARS WHERE EVERYONE CAN BE OKAY AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND IN MY LAST STATEMENT WOULD BE OUR COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.

WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. LET US KNOW WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE THESE TOUGH DECISIONS AND THESE TOUGH DECISIONS, WHETHER WE LIKE THEM OR NOT. IF WE EDUCATE AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN THEY WILL MOST LIKELY BE ABLE TO EMBRACE IT.

WHEN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY DISTRICT FOUR, I CAN SPEAK WHEN THEY BECOME UPSET THE MOST IS WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW HIM.

THEY MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, BUT IF THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR WHY AND YOUR WHAT, THEY CAN DEAL WITH IT BEST.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. CHAIRWOMAN MENDELSOHN, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR ONE MINUTE.

THANK YOU. ON SLIDE 48, I'D JUST LIKE TO GIVE YOU TWO BITS OF INPUT.

FOR MINIMUM WAGE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MIT LIVING WAGE.

AND I THINK WE SHOULD GET RID OF THAT ALTOGETHER.

PAYING COMPETITIVELY IS THE AMERICAN WAY AND HAVING A MARKET BASED FINANCIAL SYSTEM MAKES SENSE.

THE FIRST ITEM ON THERE IS THE CIVILIAN PENSION HASN'T EVEN BEEN MENTIONED TODAY.

I'D LIKE YOU TO PROVIDE TO US INFORMATION ON WHAT A REDUCTION IN THE COLA WOULD BE AS A COST SAVINGS FOR EVERY 1%, SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND PERHAPS CONSIDER PARITY WITH OUR POLICE, FIRE PENSION, OR AT LEAST A REDUCTION TO SOMETHING THAT IS MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE. AND FOR THE LAST 20S, I'M GOING TO GO TO PAGE 25 BECAUSE I JUST CAN'T GO WITHOUT SAYING THIS,

[05:35:05]

THIS IS CITY SPEAK, AND IT'S THIS ENGAGING TO THE PUBLIC WITH BRANDING THAT OVER IS THE KIND OF WORK THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.

AND WE NEED CLARITY, NOT AN ADMINISTRATIVE ABSTRACTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN RIDLEY, YOU RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES WITH COUNCILWOMAN MENDELSOHN ABOUT ABANDONING THE MIT LIVING WAGE CONCEPT. AND INSTEAD WE SHOULD RELY UPON MARKET RATES SO THAT WE ARE COMMENSURATE WITH MARKET RATES, ENABLING US TO HIRE THE NEEDED PERSONNEL WITHOUT GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE MARKET.

THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS.

COUNCIL MEMBER REALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL DID SUPPORT THIS YEAR.

THAT I THINK HAS REALLY HELPED US, WAS MOVING TO MORE OF A TASK PAY, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS AND USING THOSE TO ACTUALLY AND CREATE, CREATE AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF AN INCENTIVE FOR THOSE.

BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON.

WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME POSITIONS WITH HIGH TURNOVER, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPED US IN THIS LAST YEAR.

AND SO WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE WITH THE TASK PAY PROGRAM, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE PERSPECTIVES ARE ON THE WHOLE LIVING WAGE.

BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE DEFINITELY WANT TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I SUPPORT THAT. CITY MANAGER FOR THOSE HARD TO HIRE POSITIONS, IT'S AN ACROSS THE BOARD, ABOVE MARKET RATE PAY THAT I'M OBJECTING TO.

IF WE HAVE TO PAY MORE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE, THEN THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF WHAT THE MARKET IS FOR THOSE PEOPLE.

YES, SIR. WE WE WE WE, WE'RE DEFINITELY IN AN ALIGNMENT IN ALIGNMENT.

AND THE ONE THING THAT I THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS THAT THERE ARE SOME COST INCREASES THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING NOW DUE TO SOME OF OUR CONTRACTS THAT CONTRACTS THAT WE HAD BEFORE, WHERE THE LIVING WAGE WAS A DIFFERENT AMOUNT THAN WHAT IT IS TODAY.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME OF THOSE COME TO YOU FOR APPROVAL IN THE NEXT FEW, NEXT FEW WEEKS.

WELL, AND I THINK THOSE CONTRACTS ALSO SHOULD REFLECT THAT WE WILL PAY OR THAT THAT THE CONTRACTOR, THE VENDOR SHOULD PAY MARKET RATE RATHER THAN AN ENHANCED ABOVE MARKET LIVING WAGE, BECAUSE THAT WILL SAVE US COSTS TOO, WON'T IT? EXACTLY. BECAUSE THOSE COSTS GET PASSED ON BACK TO THE CITY.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR THAT. LORI BLAIR, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED FOR THREE MINUTES.

HOPEFULLY I WON'T TAKE IT. CAN YOU GUYS ALSO PROVIDE AN IN EITHER A FRIDAY MEMO OR SOMETHING THAT THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY WHEN WE, WHEN WE HAVE A CONTRACT AND THEN THE VENDOR COMES BACK AND THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. CAN YOU CAN YOU GUYS TELL US HOW MUCH MORE THAT IS HITTING OUR BUDGET? OVER THE LAST OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND HOW THAT'S HOW THAT HAS MADE US HAVE AN OVERRUN.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO ALSO TALK ABOUT THE SURVEY.

IT WAS MY FIRST TIME DOING THE SURVEY. AND, AND I AGREE THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I COULDN'T ADD BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY. WOULD IT BE MORE PRUDENT TO KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL PRIORITIES ARE IF WE HAD A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION AS OPPOSED TO A SURVEY OR YOU DO THE SURVEY WITH, WITH SOME ADDITIONAL MANUAL FEEDBACK OR INPUT SO THAT WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE BUDGET. WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT'S RELATIVELY CLOSER TO WHAT WE, WHAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER THINKS WOULD, WOULD, WOULD BE WHAT THEIR, THEIR DISTRICT WANTS.

YES, MA'AM. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DID PROVIDE OR COUNCIL MEMBERS PROVIDED WITH THE SURVEY WAS DID IDENTIFY TOP THREE DISTRICT SPECIFIC PRIORITIES, WHICH WE LEFT THAT OPEN ENDED FOR YOU JUST TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT THOSE WERE.

AND SO I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, THE, THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE SURVEY AND FOR US TO IDENTIFY OTHER WAYS TO SEEK THAT INPUT.

AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU GUYS DID.

I KNOW THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LONG PROCESS, AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL HAVE MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, SO I'M GONNA SAY THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU BEFOREHAND.

BEFORE WE WE ALL GET UP AND BEAT YOU UP ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE WANT AND HOW MUCH MONEY WE NEED YOU TO GO FIND FOR EACH DISTRICT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO SAY THANK YOU UP FRONT AND THE UP FRONT TOO FOR PUTTING UP WITH US,

[05:40:03]

ALL RIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE ON THE QUEUE. MADAM CITY MANAGER, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO THANK CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

YOUR COMMENTS. WE KNOW WE GAVE YOU A LOT OF BIG, HEAVY BRIEFINGS, BUT WE WANTED TO BRING YOU BACK THAT WHOLE FINANCIAL PICTURE.

I THINK YOU REQUESTED IT. AND SO HOPEFULLY TODAY HAS BEEN HELPFUL.

AND THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR YOU. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY SECRETARY NOW.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WE WILL NOW RETURN TO YOUR OPEN MICROPHONE SPEAKERS.

I'LL RECITE THE SPEAKER GUIDELINES. SPEAKERS.

SPEAKERS MUST OBSERVE THE SAME RULES OF PROPRIETY, DECORUM AND GOOD CONDUCT APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

ANY SPEAKER MAKING PERSONAL, IMPERTINENT, PROFANE, OR SLANDEROUS REMARKS, OR WHO BECOMES BOISTEROUS WHILE ADDRESSED IN CITY COUNCIL, WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM. FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN PERSON FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE SESSION. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.

FOR THOSE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, YOU WILL NOTICE THE TIME ON THE MONITOR AT THE PODIUM WHEN IT'S SET UP.

FOR THOSE VIRTUAL SPEAKERS, I WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

ALSO, SPEAKERS, PLEASE BE MINDFUL THAT DURING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO REFER TO A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER BY NAME AND ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO MAYOR JOHNSON ONLY. JESSICA STEWART LYNN BAY HAS CANCELED.

STEVEN DOMINGUEZ IS NOT ONLINE. IT'S NOT PRESENT.

ALEXIA STEVENSON HAS CANCELED. ROBERT HOBSON.

ROBERT HOBSON IS NOT PRESENT. RONNIE MESTAS IS NOT PRESENT.

DOLORES PHILLIPS.

YOU HAVE HANDOUTS. ALSO FILED A COPY WITH THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE IN 2012.

I STARTED SPEAKING HERE BECAUSE THEY ERASED 911 CALLS WITHIN A WEEK.

IT WAS THREE. THAT'S WHY I WAS THERE AT THE MEETING.

OCTOBER 25TH, 2013. THAT WAS PREARRANGED BY MAYOR ROLLINS.

YOU HAVE A HANDOUT. THIS FIRST PAGE IS OF THE GUY WHO BACKED INTO THE CAR WHEN HE WAS IN WHATABURGER.

DRIVE THROUGH AND LET ME REWIND BACK AND SAY THIS.

THIS IS NOT THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE. NO MATTER WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE, IT'S NOT THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE.

YOU OWE YOURSELVES MUCH BETTER. IT'S VERY SERIOUS.

DON'T LOOK AT ME AS THOUGH. OH. SHE DANGEROUS.

YOU GOTTA WATCH HER. NO, I'M BETTER BY DANGEROUS PEOPLE.

MY DAD'S DEMISE BEFORE HIS TIME WAS FOR MONETARY GAIN.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS GUY, HE INTENTIONALLY BACKED INTO US.

HE'S WEARING A SHIRT THAT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT COLOMBIA.

AT THE TIME THAT HE BACKED INTO US. WE WERE DOWNSTAIRS IN YOUR EQUITY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE HUD TRANSFERRED A COMPLAINT FROM FORT WORTH TO YOUR OFFICE, AND I SHARE IT WITH THEM.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE FAIR, HE SAID. LET'S GIVE THEM A CHANCE.

WHAT'S HIS NAME? BARKSDALE. HARGENS. AT FIRST, IT WAS BARBARA DAVIS.

I THINK SHE RETIRED. MR. HIGGINS WASN'T FAIR.

HE PROTECTED Y'ALL, AS ALWAYS. NOW, STAY WITH ME, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TAKE YOUR BLOWS.

I'M NOT AFRAID TO LIVE, AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO DIE.

MY DAD WAS CRYING FOR ME TO SAVE HIM. LISTEN TO ME.

IN HIS MOST VULNERABLE MOMENT, SOMEBODY MADE THAT CALL.

I WAS ON MY WAY WITH A PHONE WITH HIM. SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2023.

ON A FRIDAY. MY DADDY COULD USE A PHONE. HE COULD TALK.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW HE COULD TALK. THEY SENT HIM BACK TO TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF.

AND HE COULDN'T. WITH EVERYTHING IN ME. I'M KNOCKING ON DOORS.

Y'ALL LISTEN TO ME. Y'ALL MAKE CALLS FOR PEOPLE TO DIE IN HERE.

YOU COULD BE EVEN A CITY EMPLOYEE THAT'S MAKING A COMPLAINT.

YOU COULD BE A POLICE OFFICER. THIS IS THE NETWORK FOR FORWARD.

NOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME. YOU HEARD MISS BATES.

MR. HOPKINS, SAY, PLEASE HELP US. BUT YOU GOTTA BE WORRIED ABOUT THEM WHITE PEOPLE THAT Y'ALL DONE MADE MAD MAYOR JOHNSON.

YOU OWE THE PEOPLE TO PROTECT THEM. GET THEM OUT THIS BUILDING.

BECAUSE BEFORE THEY GO BEFORE THIS MIC. I HEARD THEM TALKING.

BEFORE THEY WENT TO FORT WORTH. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THEY GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO THIS BUILDING BECAUSE DALLAS RENEGED ON SOME TYPE OF CONTRACTS AND THEY SAID THEY MESSED UP,

[05:45:09]

THAT'S WRONG. WHAT YOU DID TO MY DAD. PLEASE MAKE RIGHT YOUR WRONG.

I'LL BE BACK NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU. NO THANK YOU, MAYOR SAUL RAMIREZ.

MISS RAMIREZ WILL BE VIRTUAL. MISS RAMIREZ.

MARISOL RAMIREZ. I'LL COME BACK. NICOLE. MICAH! DO YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? NICOLE. MICAH? YES. I'M HERE.

YES. AND WE CAN SEE YOU. YOU MAY CONTINUE. ALL RIGHT.

GIVE ME ONE SECOND, PLEASE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THIS IS THIS IS IN REGARDS TO BANNING HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES.

I WANT TO MENTION THAT FIRST. SO I'LL CONTINUE.

HOW DO YOU USUALLY WHAT DO YOU USUALLY ASSOCIATE WITH HORSES? FREEDOM, SPEED AND POWER. HORSES SYMBOLIZE STRENGTH AND UNTAMED SPIRIT AND ELEGANCE.

ALL HORSES ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN STATES SUCH AS NEVADA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, UTAH AND WYOMING.

THEY ROAM LONG DISTANCES EACH DAY, LIVING IN SOCIAL HERDS AND GRAZING AND RESTING NATURALLY IN OPEN ENVIRONMENTS.

CARRIAGE HORSES, HOWEVER, LIVE VERY DIFFERENT LIVES FROM US.

MANY SPEND LONG HOURS STANDING TIED TO CARRIAGES, WORKING IN EXTREME HEAT OR COLD.

WHEN THEY ARE NOT WORKING, THEY ARE OFTEN KEPT IN STALLS WITH LIMITED OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FREELY AND LIMITED ACCESS TO WATER OR BREAKS.

WE COMPARE HORSES NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WITH THE CONDITIONS OF MANY CONDITIONS.

OF THE MANY CARRIAGE HORSES EXPERIENCE, THE DIFFERENCE IS STARK.

HORSES ARE ANIMALS BUILT TO ROAM, SOCIALIZE AND LIVE IN OPEN SPACES.

GIVEN THIS CONTRAST, WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES IS THIS MORALLY RIGHT TO KEEP HORSES IN HIS CONDITIONS, OR IS IT TIME TO MOVE TOWARDS A FUTURE WHERE THEY CAN LIVE MORE FREELY AND IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT BETTER REFLECTS THEIR NATURE, NATURAL WAY OF LIFE? HORSES ARE WILD AT HEART.

PERHAPS THERE ARE PLACES THAT WORKING ON CITY STREETS, BUT LIVING IN CONDITIONS THAT HONOR THE FREEDOM AND NATURE THEY WERE MEANT TO HAVE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. RITA LEROUX.

IT'S NOT PRESENT. GLORIA CARVAJAL.

GOOD, GOOD. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. PUBLIC OFFICIALS.

MAYOR. MY NAME IS GLORIA CARVAJAL. AND ONCE AGAIN I'M HERE REPRESENTING CO-FOUNDER OF BAN HORSE CARRIAGES DALLAS.

TODAY MARKS MY 15TH TIME SPEAKING BEFORE YOU ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE IN 1984, TWO STATES ENACTED MANDATORY SEATBELT LAWS. A YEAR LATER, IN 1985, 12 STATES ENACTED MANDATORY SEATBELT LAWS. ONE OF THEM BEING TEXAS. TEXAS LAW REQUIRES THAT ALL CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT, UNLESS THEY ARE TALLER THAN FOUR FEET NINE INCHES, BE SECURELY SAFE IN A SEAT WHEN WHENEVER THEY'RE IN A VEHICLE. OLDER CHILDREN WHO HAVE OUTGROWN A BOOSTER SEAT MUST BE BUCKLED WITH A SEAT BELT, BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO SERIOUS INJURIES IN CAR ACCIDENTS.

NOW, EVERY STATE REQUIRES CHILDREN TO RIDE CARS TO RIDE IN CAR SEATS.

TEXAS ALSO HAS HELMET LAWS. SINCE THE LATE 1970S.

CURRENT TEXAS LAW REQUIRES ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 TO WEAR A HELMET.

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. ON ALMOST ANY FRIDAY, FRIDAY NIGHT, AND OR SATURDAY EVENING LATE INTO THE NIGHT PAST 11:00, YOU CAN DRIVE OUT TO ANYWHERE IN THE KLYDE WARREN AREA

[05:50:02]

AND YOU WILL SEE BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES IN THESE CARRIAGES SURROUNDED BY MOTOR VEHICLES, FAST MOTOR VEHICLES. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WITHOUT SAFETY BELTS NOR HELMETS.

SO TODAY, ONCE AGAIN THIS EVENING, I AM ASKING YOU TO PLEASE REINTRODUCE THE PROPOSAL TO BAN HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES A STEP TOWARDS A MORE COMPASSIONATE AND RESPONSIBLE CITY.

IF NOT FOR THE WELFARE OF THE HORSE, THEN PERHAPS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.

ONCE AGAIN, I AM THANKFUL TO BE HERE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU.

THANK YOU. WE'LL GO BACK TO MARISOL RAMIREZ. MISS RAMIREZ.

OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON. DONALD ROBLES. DONALD ROBLES IS NOT PRESENT.

MR. MAYOR, THIS CONCLUDES YOUR OPEN MICROPHONE.

SPEAKERS FOR THIS MEETING. WONDERFUL. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA FOR TODAY? NO. MR. MAYOR. THIS CONCLUDES OUR CITY BUSINESS FOR THIS MEETING. I LIKE TO HEAR. ALRIGHT. WELL, THEN THE TIME IS 5:04 P.M.

AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MEMBERS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.