By Rita Cook
Correspondent
Texas Metro News
Credit: from Ken Paxton Attorney General o⿿cial website
AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement last week he was suing officials in the City of Dallas for “insufficiently funding Dallas police in violation of voter-approved Proposition U.
Proposition U, which was passed in November 2024 requires that the City of Dallas use 50% of its new annual revenue to fund police/fire pensions and increase officer staffing to 4,000.
The ultimate goal of Paxton’s lawsuit demands immediate compliance with the charter to fund law enforcement.
Dallas City officials have said there are ongoing recruiting challenges, and that has led to a shortfall of roughly 700 officers leading to their not meeting the 4,000-officer target.
A media release from Paxton’s office noted Proposition U is a public safety measure “approved by Dallas voters in the November 2024 election that mandates increased funding for police and other critical public safety priorities.”
It noted that “Despite the clear will of the voters, Dallas city leadership has failed to properly calculate and allocate excess city revenue as required by the Dallas City Charter”
The lawsuit names the City of Dallas, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, and Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland Jr. as defendants for acting beyond their legal authority by underfunding the Dallas Police Department in direct violation of the charter.
Numbers show that compared to fiscal year 2024–25, the City of Dallas’s projected excess revenue for fiscal year 2025–26 is approximately $220 million.
“However, Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland reported to the Dallas City Council that excess revenue totaled only $61 million, based on an improper calculation that excluded large categories of city revenue without citing any state or federal law restricting their use,” the release indicated. “As a result, the City’s proposed budget fails to fund voter-mandated public safety priorities and does not meet the requirements of Proposition U.”
Apparently, Dallas officials have also failed to fulfill the mandatory provision of Proposition U that requires the City to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey.
Public information requests revealed that no such survey was conducted, despite the charter’s clear directive.
Paxton’s lawsuit is about the City of Dallas complying with the Dallas City Charter and the suit demands “All revenue not restricted by state or federal law when calculating excess revenue and properly allocate those funds to police pensions, officer pay, and increasing the number of officers, as required by Proposition U.”
“I filed this lawsuit to ensure that the City of Dallas fully funds law enforcement, upholds public safety, and is accountable to its constituents,” Paxton said. “When voters demand more funding for law enforcement, local officials must immediately comply. As members of law enforcement across the country increasingly face attacks from the radical Left, it’s crucial that we fully fund the brave men and women in law enforcement defending law and order in our communities. This lawsuit aims to do just that by ensuring Dallas follows its own charter and gives police officers the support they need to protect the public.”
Rita Cook is a world traveler and writer/editor who specializes in writing on travel, auto, crime and politics. A correspondent for Texas Metro News, she has published 11 books and has also produced low-budget films.
