What You Need To Know About The 2021 Dallas City Budget

The final Dallas' 2020-2021 budget will go into effect Oct. 1, and was mostly unchanged from the initial proposed budget shared by City Manager T.C. Broadnax over the summer.
Though funding for police remained largely the same, the council trimmed the police overtime budget by $7 million.
The budget allocated funding for the expansion of the RIGHT Care program that pairs police, EMS and mental health professionals together to handle mental health emergencies.
Council also put money toward expanding the Office of Community Police Oversight, programs to reduce implicit bias and training in de-escalation and less-lethal tactics.
The city also expanded funding for 3,000 additional mobile internet hotspots.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, budget talks were heated as activists and community members called for the city to “defund the police.”
Local activist groups like Our City Our Future have proposed redirecting $200 million from the $500 million police budget towards social services like housing, education and mental health programs. Activists say improving the quality of citizens’ lives rather than policing them will create better outcomes for Black and brown communities.
In the midst of all this, Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall recently announced she'll leave her post at the end of the year.
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The Dallas City Council voted Wednesday to approve a $3.8 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Despite activists' outcries, council members didn't make significant changes to the police budget.
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With Dallas City Council to vote on a budget tomorrow, community activists are demanding the city allocate more funding to parks, libraries and cultural centers — services that have already suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As the city council voted on the budget Wednesday night, protesters rallied in front of the Dallas City Hall and police headquarters following the news of the indictment of an officer in Breonna Taylor’s case.
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Dallas has the largest homeless population in Texas, and advocates for people experiencing homelessness say too little funding and focus have gone into helping people get back on their feet. But federal funding for help during the coronavirus is adding millions more to the city's fight against homelessness.
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Community leaders and activists in Dallas have demanded city leaders divest from the police department and invest in social services. But council members say public safety is still the top priority despite moving to increase spending on DPD.
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A new partnership with a local nonprofit and the City of Dallas is aiming to reduce crime and violence in neighborhoods.
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The city budget determines how taxpayer dollars are spent in the coming year. Dallas residents are sharing their city budget priorities.
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Dallas has proposed a major expansion of its RIGHT Care program, which teams up police, paramedics and social workers to respond to behavioral health calls. But some activists believe cops should not be on the scene during a mental health emergency.
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The Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to accept a grant that would give money to the police department to enforce traffic laws.
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City Council is hammering out a spending plan as we speak. Here's what's happening.