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Reimagining and Realigning for Results Delivers Tax Relief for Residents
DALLAS - The Dallas City Council today unanimously adopted the City’s budget and tax rate for FY 2024/25. The new budget goes into effect October 1. This budget is focused on Reimagining and Realigning for Results. The Fiscal Year 2024-25 operating and capital budget totals $4.97 billion including the General Fund, Enterprise Funds, Debt Service, Capital, Grants, Trust, and Other Funds. Of that total, the General Fund is $1.9 billion, which is $65.1 million, or 3.5 percent more than the budget adopted by the City Council last September.
Public Safety remains a top priority for the City of Dallas. The combined budget for the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire Rescue increased by $78 million to fulfill commitments made to our first responders. This budget reflects a reimaging of service delivery, including eliminating duplications, identifying efficiencies, and other measures that do not significantly affect service to residents.
With continued growth in property values, this budget includes a property tax rate reduction for the ninth year in a row by 3.10¢. The property tax rate reduction for FY 2024-25 is the largest single-year reduction in modern history. This will lower the property tax rate from 73.57¢ to 70.47¢ per $100 valuation. Additionally, for the sixth time since 2017, we have increased the property tax exemption for residents who are age 65 and over or living with a disability, from $139,400 to $153,400.
“This budget is focused and mindful of every tax dollar we spend, while addressing the needs of our residents and the priorities of the Dallas City Council,” said Interim Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “We are proud to deliver the largest tax rate reduction in Dallas’ modern history without compromising our commitment to delivering Service First with the urgency of Now! And, we cannot stop there, we must be diligent to continuously improve. We will Reset, Revisit, and Raise the Bar for the next budget cycle and beyond.”
Budget Highlights:
· Invest $44.1 million to provide market-based compensation and step increases in accordance with the Meet and Confer Agreement for uniform employees.
· Keep Dallas safe by hiring 250 police recruits and implementing an incentive program to retain officers.
· Enhance the fire department staffing model by adding 63 firefighters and four Single Function Paramedics to strengthen response to medical calls.
· Ensure the fiscal soundness of both the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System (DPFPS) and the Employee Retirement Fund (ERF) with increased City contributions.
· Continue partnership for the R.E.A.L. Time Rehousing (RTR) program to reduce unsheltered homelessness.
· Invest $129.5 million in funding for street improvement and maintenance of approximately 710 lane miles, alley maintenance, sidewalk projects, bridge maintenance, and updating paving model to support quality modes of transportation.
· Invest $26.2 million to address City facility maintenance needs.
· Launch Clean Sweep! a proactive Citywide program to keep public right-of-way clean.
· Continue cross-departmental efforts to advance the nationally recognized Comprehensive Environmental Action Plan (CECAP)
We appreciate resident engagement in public hearings, town hall meetings, the community survey (residential and business), and the budget priorities survey.
The budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 begins on October 1 and runs through next September 30.
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