Dallas City Council Passes $5.66 Billion Budget Lowering Property Taxes and Directing $82.3 Million to Public Safety

City Council Enacts $5.66 Billion FY 2026-27 Operating Blueprint

DALLAS, Texas — Solidifying municipal investments in public safety and neighborhood infrastructure, the Dallas City Council voted 10-5 in late September 2026 to adopt a $5.66 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27. Taking effect October 1, the adopted fiscal plan implements Dallas's 11th consecutive annual property tax reduction, decreasing the rate from 69.88 cents to 69.78 cents per $100 of taxable valuation to provide financial relief to local property owners.

The municipal budget channels a landmark $82.3 million increase into the Dallas Police Department and Dallas Fire-Rescue, funding the recruitment and training of 750 new police officers over a two-year deployment cycle. Additionally, the capital program allocates $142.8 million to resurface, repair, and modernize more than 800 lane miles of city streets, addressing priority corridors across North and South Dallas.

Balancing Departmental Streamlining with Street Modernization

To balance record frontline police and fire allocations within strict revenue limits, the approved budget incorporates targeted municipal downsizing, eliminating 108 non-emergency administrative positions and slightly consolidating operating hours at select municipal library branches and recreation facilities. While the administrative reductions sparked extensive council debate, leadership stressed that directing capital toward street safety and emergency dispatch reflects core community priorities.

On the housing front, council members directed staff to advance the Dallas's Home affordable housing framework, seeking creative public-private partnerships to address a documented shortfall in attainable workforce rental units across Dallas County.

DART Board Adopts $1.4 Billion Budget Under Regional Mobility Compact

In regional transit governance, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) board of directors adopted a $1.4 billion operating budget incorporating the General Mobility Program (GMP), which returns a dedicated share of local sales tax receipts to 12 suburban member cities for municipal roadway and sidewalk repairs. As DART prepares for incoming CEO Nathaniel Ford in late October, transit leaders affirmed that disciplined financial governance positions North Texas for sustained regional transit reliability.