In a decisive show of support, Dallas voters have approved two out of three key citizen-led amendments to reshape the City’s overall accountability.
The amendments, introduced by the local nonprofit Dallas HERO, focus on enhancing public safety and accountability within the City’s elected leadership and personnel.
The proposed changes, known as the “HERO” amendments, garnered significant attention after Dallas HERO collected nearly 169,000 signatures to get them on the ballot. Voters quickly passed Propositions S and U earlier this week, while Proposition T was rejected by a slight margin, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The Executive Director of Dallas HERO, Pete Marocco, was recently interviewed by Exploring Dallas podcast host Sarah Zubiate-Bennett about what the new initiatives will bring to the City. He also expressed his appreciation for voters and supporters.
“I am so grateful that the people made a choice to give power back to the people… that’s exactly what these propositions are, and it’s our constitution, it’s our City’s constitution, and it should be something that people understand in plain-speak,” Marocco said.
Proposition S, which received 55% approval, allows residents of Dallas to sue the City and seek legal action against the government for liability claims.
Proposition U, which passed with 50.5% of the vote, mandates that at least 50% of the City’s excess revenue be allocated to the Dallas Police and Fire Pension and used to increase police officer salaries. The amendment also requires a minimum of 4,000 officers on the force.
Proposition T, which would have tied the City Manager’s pay to a public survey, did not pass, with 55% of voters rejecting the proposal.
Supporters of the amendments see the vote as a clear call for change and, hopefully, a future with more accountability for the City of Dallas.
“Our government should fear that citizen looking over their shoulder that’s overlooking them saying, hey, we’re going to hold you accountable. So I think just the mere awareness that accountability may be lurking behind you may make some politicians act very differently,” Marocco told Zubiate-Bennett.
The Hero amendments, which could serve as a model for other cities facing similar challenges, represent a significant shift in how Dallas approaches public safety and overall government accountability.
“I think people are realizing that we are one or two election cycles away from looking like a degenerate city like Portland, Oregon,” Marocco told The Dallas Express before the election.
Marocco also spoke on the importance of a “better Dallas,” where the City takes the citizens seriously, saying, “It’s no longer a question whether they will; they have to now. That’s the law.”
“We are the first City in the country to hold City leaders accountable, this is monumental,” Zubiate-Bennett added.
When asked about his plans after the recent election, Marocco told Zubiate-Bennett, “There’s nothing you can do more for your day-to-day life than focus on stability, commerce, education, and civic engagement at the local level. So, I’m gonna continue to focus on making Dallas a better place. We, the people of Dallas, made history.”