It was an honor to welcome thousands of Dallas students and their families to the 27th Annual Dallas Mayor’s Back to School Fair at Fair Park on Friday.
This family-friendly fair has become a beloved annual tradition before the start of each new school year — and for good reason. Each year, Dallas students in grade levels pre-K through 12 are invited to register to attend this one-stop shop for back-to-school essentials.
School supplies required by the Dallas Independent School District and other health and social services such as immunizations, health screenings, vision exams, and even, haircuts were offered to Dallas students and their families — free of charge.
This event is incredibly meaningful to me, personally, as someone who grew up in a working class family in West Dallas and Oak Cliff. I remember the excitement as a kid before the start of each new school year but also the strain on my family’s financial resources. It is a privilege to help alleviate the growing financial pressures faced by Dallas families.
This year’s fair was powered by more than 20 sponsors, 100 vendors, and 500 community volunteers. Some new partners and sponsors participated, such as the Junior League of Dallas, and many returning. Amazingly, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages has sponsored this event every year since it began in 1996. It is because of these generous partners and sponsors that more than 10,000 school supply packs were offered — a record-breaking number — in addition to 4,000 clear backpacks, 300 laptops, and countless other giveaways.
Dallas is strong because its people are strong. And the Dallas community’s overwhelming support of this fair is further proof.
Both/and
Every year, the City Manager proposes a balanced biennial budget to the City Council in August. At this time, the work of the City Council begins to review his proposed budget, gather your input, and suggest amendments before the start of the city’s new fiscal year on October 1.
The City Manager released his proposed FY 2023-24 Budget on Friday. He has proposed a $4.63 billion total budget with a General Fund budget of $1.8 billion, which is $137.8 million, or 8.1% more than last fiscal year’s General Fund budget. (The General Fund pays for the day-to-day operating and maintenance costs of the city, including all expenses associated with the city’s police, fire, code compliance, parks, libraries, and other services.)
As you can imagine, it takes time to carefully review a $4.63 billion budget detailed in more than 700 pages. And on Tuesday, the City Manager will provide a comprehensive overview of his recommended budget to the City Council during a budget workshop (watch it here in real time beginning at 9 a.m. on August 8).
But after an initial review, it is encouraging to see that significant investments have been proposed to support the city’s police and fire departments. Over 62% of the City Manager’s recommended budget is dedicated to supporting public safety.
In addition, the proposed budget includes an increase in the property tax exemption for residents who are over 65 or living with a disability from $115,500 to $139,400. It also includes a 0.65¢ decrease in the city’s property tax rate, which brings the city’s rate from 74.58¢ to 73.93¢ per $100 valuation.
However, despite this proposed decrease in the city’s property tax rate, most Dallas homeowners would still pay more money in city property taxes than they paid last year because of the likely increase in the appraised value of their homes. This Administration’s goal is to ensure you actually pay less in city property taxes than you did last year. To accomplish this goal, a majority of the City Council must agree that genuine property tax relief is needed this budget cycle, which is why you should email your City Council representative TODAY and let him or her know where you stand on the issue of property tax relief!
There is no question there is great need across our city and that it is challenging to strategically deploy limited funds to address these needs. However, throughout the budget process, cynics and naysayers will tell you that Dallas has to choose between a safer city or smooth streets, between serving historically underserved neighborhoods or creating beautiful public green spaces, between delivering needed services to all Dallas residents or further lowering the city’s tax rate.
But these are all false choices. In this “either/or” world, you have a “both/and” mayor. You can have a city that taxes you less, spends less, and delivers essential services more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Dallas is a great city. And that is why this Administration will choose greatness every single day for every single Dallas resident — and never settle for anything less.
That is all for today.
Stay tuned for more updates about the FY 2023-24 Budget process. In the meantime, make your budget priorities known to your City Council representative and attend a budget town hall meeting in your council district to learn more about the proposed budget and share your feedback directly with city staff. The budget town hall meetings begin on August 10.
Until next time…
