The Dallas City Council authorized spending $80,980,528 of taxpayer money on Wednesday, funding improvements to Dallas Love Field Airport and programs to re-house the homeless through The Bridge Recovery Center.
This comes amid debates between City leaders about municipal spending as the upcoming FY23-24 budget must be finalized by September 20. As reported by The Dallas Express, Mayor Eric Johnson and Council Member Cara Mendelsohn have led the charge to reduce City spending moving forward to avoid a financial crisis.
Wednesday’s expenditures will be paid for with taxpayer dollars from every level of government. The federal government will provide $50,414,050, while the State of Texas will pay for $4,112,897, and the remaining funds will come from the City of Dallas.
The largest expense approved by the council came with a $49 million price tag. Council members authorized spending this amount on runway and taxiway improvements at Dallas Love Field Airport. The project will be funded with a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program.
Initially, the item on the council agenda was priced at $28 million, but that was revised to $49 million.
Aviation department spokesperson Lauren Rounds told The Dallas Express, “At the discretion of the FAA, the proposed funding for the eligible capital improvement project for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) at Dallas Love Field was increased as of last week.”
The City Council also approved spending $7,641,270 on a three-year purchasing agreement for buying roll carts for waste and recycling, along with other supplies for the sanitation department.
Amid rising homelessness and vagrancy, as covered by The Dallas Express, council members authorized renewing a $5,669,686 annual contract with The Bridge Recovery Center. The previous annual fee for the contract was $4,519,000.
The original agreement focused on sheltering services, but the renewed contract has been expanded to include the REAL Time Rehousing Program. This contract is being funded by the City of Dallas ($4,519,000), the Texas Homeless Housing and Services Program ($736,579), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ($350,003), and the Texas Ending Homelessness Fund ($64,104).
Other expenses include the following:
- $4,172,845 — purchase of building materials and lumber for citywide use.
- $3,493,469 — construction services for Bachman Lake Skate Park.
- $2,191,947 — purchase of hotspot service with devices for the library.
- $1,900,000 — temporary financial assistance to individuals and families “in financial crisis.”
- $1,441,300 — construction of sidewalks along Preston Road and Douglas Avenue.
- $979,310 — services to the homeless through the Homeless Housing and Services Program.
- $950,000 — construction services for pedestrian crosswalks, traffic signals, street lighting, etc.
- $750,000 — intersection improvements including left turn lanes, new traffic signals, and pedestrian crosswalks.
- $567,747 — purchase of mobile camera surveillance trailers for the Office of Integrated Public Safety Solutions.
- $550,000 — childcare services for the Early Childhood and Out-of-School Time Services Program (ECOSTS).
- $484,350 — maintenance and technical support of point-of-sale and online payment processing system for Development Services.
- $400,000 — settlement of a lawsuit regarding alleged flooding from a City infrastructure project.
- $250,000 — contract with Catholic Charities of Dallas for supportive services for seniors.
- $171,900 — construction services for improvements to Turtle Creek Park.
- $180,000 — installation of site-specific artwork at Martyr’s Park.
- $102,600 — job training and job placement assistance for seniors with disabilities.
- $64,104 — services to homeless individuals and families through the Texas Ending Homelessness Fund.
- $20,000 — public health services, in conjunction with Dallas County.
In addition to these expenditures, the council also approved several items expected to add more than $2,915,590 to City funds.
While the City approved spending $1.9 million on financial assistance to families in “temporary financial crisis,” as listed above, council members also approved accepting $1.9 million from electric and energy companies to cover these costs.
The council also authorized accepting $1 million from Dallas County to be used to fund homeless assistance services through The Bridge Recovery Center.
Still, while the City of Dallas continues to allocate taxpayer dollars to housing and services for the homeless, officials have yet to pursue the “one-stop-shop” solution of Haven for Hope in San Antonio, which provides supportive services on the same campus as housing.
Meanwhile, 75% of Dallas residents say homelessness and vagrancy continue to be “major” problems throughout the City.
Previous polling conducted by The Dallas Express has shown that most Dallas residents support trying the “one-stop-shop” model of Haven for Hope.
Finally, the City will bring in $7,820 by abandoning a portion of two sewer easements; $5,750 by selling five pieces of land; and $2,020 by granting a license for two blade signs. This license will cost the HW Commerce Office $2,000 per year.
