3 younger Dallasites say what they would do with the city’s new budget

Dallas officials are set to wrangle with a projected $51 million budget gap over the next few months. Sound like something you could handle?

The budgetary season ramps up each August as city leaders negotiate and weigh priorities before the next fiscal year begins in October. Cuts have affected community pools and libraries in prior budgets, but this year, officials have warned of tough choices amid stagnant sales tax revenues and state revenue caps.

In June, before city council members went on recess, staff reported projected revenues for the upcoming fiscal year falling roughly $51 million short of planned Fiscal Year 2027 expenditures. The gap, staff reported, was largely tied to a $3.8 million shortfall in sales tax revenue, state revenue caps and rising costs, including $13.8 million in employee medical costs. A fraction of those costs were reportedly tied to the purchase of GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

Past budgetary cycles have resulted in the closure of the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library, among other community offerings, although officials have said impacted facilities were well past their useful lifespan. This year’s cuts could be even more wide-reaching, as City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has reportedly asked general fund departments to preemptively identify cuts totaling 15% of their annual budget. For the parks department, those cuts could translate into the closure of four recreation centers and a reduction in mowing frequency.

The city has projected a FY 2027 budget of roughly $5.39 billion, which would be the largest in the city’s history, though that figure is likely to change in the coming weeks.

Several council members have said budgetary decisions will have to be made in light of the enduring and controversial question of what to do with Dallas City Hall. Officials will also have to grapple with the realities of Proposition U, a voter-approved city charter amendment that requires them to budget at least 50% of additional annual revenue YOY toward police hiring and pension obligations.

The city council is set to have its first post-recess briefing on August 5. Council members are also planning budget town hall meetings in each of their districts.

On Thursday, a collection of activist groups hosted their own budget town hall at Wild Detectives in Bishop Arts. The town hall was organized by Dallas Neighbors for Housing, the Latino Leaders Coalition, Democratic Socialists of America, Explaind and the Texas Civil Rights Project. During the town hall, representatives from each organization explained the budgetary process and each department’s role, and provided information on citizen engagement opportunities, including public comment at city council meetings.

At the end of the budgetary segment of the meeting, attendees were asked to divide the city’s budget into a pie chart on a piece of paper. It may not be the nitty-gritty officials will deal with in August and September, but here’s what they had to say.

Ankur B., 27 | Council District 1

Ankur, who works in the medical field, said while he understood the need for public safety, he did not understand why it takes up such a large portion of the city’s budget. The city could spend up to two-thirds of the general fund budget, roughly totaling $1.35 billion, on the “Safe” pillar of its services, according to preliminary budget briefings delivered to the council. “Safe” includes the Dallas Police Department, Dallas Fire-Rescue, 911 and municipal court and detention services.

“I hadn’t quite realized how much we’re spending on the police, and for what looks like little gain on the ground,” Ankur said. “Obviously safety is a big concern here in Dallas. But whenever we need the police, they’re never around.”

The 27-year-old slightly reduced both the fire and police budgets to allocate more funding to other areas, despite the Prop U mandate. In a June interview with Paula Blackmon, the four-term council member from Lakewood told the Observer the police budget and the department’s 4,000-strong hiring goal may need to be reconsidered, adding that “everything should be on the table.”

Instead of public safety, Ankur chose to increase funding for libraries, parks and infrastructure.

“Our roads have sadly gone to pot, and I increased funding for parks,” he said. “If we want our city to really match the global reputation it’s developing with its large population and plethora of global companies. We need to have the infrastructure that matches that, and that includes third spaces and wide open areas for children and adults to spend time at.”

He added that he plans to attend town hall meetings and voice his opinions on the budget in the coming weeks.

“We do live in a democratic society, and that only works if the people of Dallas are civic-minded and go make their voices heard,” Ankur said. “For example, the requirement to never take away money from the police department. But while I understand that it’s a very difficult task, it doesn’t mean that we can’t do it better, and we shouldn’t be imploring our elected officials to do better.”

Veronica P., 31 | Council District 7

The event coordinator said her largest priorities were housing instability, environmental stability and economic development, with housing coming first. In May, city council members said the city was facing a “crisis” in housing as staff reported that close to 28,000 eviction notices had been filed in Dallas in 2025.

“These are three factors that affect everybody,” Veronica said. “It essentially affects one another. That’s also why I chose them. If we focus on our environment, people would be coming in and also investing in our economy, right? And then also if we focus on our housing and stability, people would know that we have a community down here in Dallas that we take care of, that we are supplying for. It is systematic revenue.”

Budget town halls — or municipal politics, for that matter — are not exactly known for attracting participation from younger residents. To counter the issue, Veronica said the city should begin using City Hall.

“A good way that they would be able to activate young adults in the DFW area is by reaching out to schools,” she said. “Why do they not have field trips going to City Hall that will encourage people to be like, ‘Hey, you know what? This is how I can utilize City Hall.’”

Tasha S., 33 | Council District 1

Housing was also a concern for Tasha, a 33-year-old writer living in Oak Cliff. She said her rent has gone up considerably since 2020, which is why she prioritized it in her budget.

“Every single year it’s like another $100 plus on rent, and like I’m in a position where I would feel like relatively lucky and able to handle it, but that’s not something that a lot of people can maintain,” she said. “And just like the cost of living and like life happens, emergencies happen. Like it’s hard as a city to maintain that kind of expectation.”

When asked what she took away from the exercise, she related her answer to City Hall, of course.

“It’s a lot of aspects you have to consider,” she said. “A lot of groups, a lot of interests. So I understand, like you’re gonna have to make some tough calls, and you have to negotiate. But at the same time, you’re there for the people. You shouldn’t be representing other corporations, like the whole thing with saving Dallas City Hall.”