Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has challenged city council members to cut "nonessential spending" ahead of the final vote for the fiscal year 2025-26 budget on Wednesday.
He proposed two such changes in a memo issued Friday which would cut funding for the city's state lobbying team and would close the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library. The two amendments, if approved, would reduce spending by around $725,00.
Johnson said cuts to "nonessential spending" should be redirected toward further reducing the city's tax rate without compromising the proposed $1.3 billion toward public safety and the $162 million for street improvements and maintenance.
The fiscal year 2025-26 city budget already proposes a reduced property tax rate by .5 cents. Johnson said further reducing "wasteful spending" — without affecting essential services — could build off that reduction.
"Reimagining our city budget for greater efficiency is not an insurmountable task, and I trust each of you is up to this challenge," Johnson said in his memo.
The Dallas City Council approved four professional services contracts for its lobbying team last month. The total cost of all four contracts over two years will cost the city up to $1.596 million.
During a discussion over one of the lobbyist contracts, Johnson said he did not feel that the city's team was delivering results.
"Our lobby team is not very good," Johnson said during the Aug. 27 meeting. "And I'll put up our results as the evidence."
Skillman Library was at risk of closure as early as this month. An amendment by Council Member Paula Blackmon would reallocate $386,612 from American Rescue Act funding toward the library, allowing it to be open eight hours for three days a week.
The Skillman library was previously at risk of closure due to its small size, low performance, and close proximity to the Vickery Park Branch Library, which is just over one mile away.
Blackmon spoke in favor of keeping Skillman open some days versus closing it down completely and leaving a vacant building in the neighborhood. But Council Member Cara Mendelsohn said the opening of the Vickery Park library in 2021 should have closed Skillman.
The money proposed to keep Skillman open for three days a week could be reallocated to the Park and Recreation department for its aquatics programs in the Southern Sector, Johnson said in his memo.
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