The city of Dallas has renamed its workforce, education, and equity committee to the Committee on Government Efficiency, a change recommended by Mayor Eric Johnson to reflect his administration's priority for efficiency in internal city operations.
The name change was approved during Wednesday's city council meeting with no further discussion.
The name is similar to the federal Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, created by President Donald Trump earlier this year. DOGE was initially led by Elon Musk and was created to modernize federal technology in order to "maximize governmental efficiency and productivity."
Dallas City Council also approved renaming the Committee on Government Performance and Financial Management to the Committee on Finance. This change was proposed to reflect Johnson's priority for fiscal responsibility.
Part of the resolution to rename the two committees included a requirement for in-person attendance by city council members to committees.
The option to attend meetings virtually has been available since the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, all attendance was in-person. Because there are no longer emergency regulations in place, Johnson said in the resolution memo that there was "no basis" for allowing virtual attendance.
"Members' presence during committee meetings also provides opportunities for informal engagement with citizens, staff, and media that are vital to effective representation," Johnson said in the resolution memo.
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