Dallas Area Rapid Transit paid executives more than $747,000 in bonuses just months before funding shortfalls and the largest service cuts in history, The Dallas Express has learned.
DART paid members of its executive staff a total of $747,255 in bonuses between 2023 and 2024, records show — just months before the agency implemented the largest service cuts in its 40-year history.
“It’s indefensible that DART executives took huge bonuses while threatening service cuts and fare hikes, especially when ridership still hasn’t returned to pre-COVID levels,” said Dallas City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn to The Dallas Express.
DART’s highest bonus recipients were General Counsel Gene Gamez – at $67,935 – and CEO Nadine Lee – at $64,020 – total from 2023 to 2024, according to the records. During this time, DART gave out thousands of dollars in bonuses to 25 executives.
In 2022, Lee reportedly made a salary of more than $346,000, while Gamez made $280,000, according to GovSalaries.
A former high-ranking official on the DART board, who wished to remain unnamed, told The Dallas Express the bonuses are based on performance, but most executives receive them consistently.
The Dallas Express reached out to DART for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication. Though during the records request process, Senior Assistant Legal Counsel Dawn Roberts noted “board members are appointed and do not have employment contracts or receive bonuses.”
The DART board approved a “General Mobility Program” in March, sending 5% of annual sales tax revenue back to several member cities. But cities still went to the Texas legislature, supporting bills to reform the DART board and divert some of their sales tax revenue.
So DART Board Chair Gary Slagel demanded the mayors drop reforms in exchange for GMP funding, as The Dallas Express exclusively reported. At the time, Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick said DART proposed the funding as a compromise only to turn it into a “poison pill.”
The GMP funding caused a financial shortfall for DART, leading to the recent cuts – slashing routes and prolonging wait times.
Budget Tensions on the Board
DART passed its $1.8 billion annual budget September 30, over the objections of several board members. The budget passed 11-4.
Board Member Doug Hrbacek, who represents Carrollton and Irving, said he only received a copy of the budget in August.
“The budget that I did receive certainly lacked the details that we have had in the past,” he said.
He also expressed concern about DART’s circuit of public hearings this summer, which emphasized fare hikes and service cuts. Hrbacek said the agency gave a clear message to the public.
“I’m pretty troubled that the agency went out to the public and engaged them and did this message – it was a full on campaign – of, ‘Hey, we’re cutting service,’” he said. “They did all this without this body even having the opportunity to sit down and have a discussion on that.”
While Hrbacek thanked staff for their work, he said he could not support the budget.
“This budget ends up being a very clear example of prioritizing the agency itself over the transit services that all 13 member cities are paying for,” he said.
Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer – who represents the city on the board – also said he would not support the budget for three reasons: His city manager had not received a response to questions about DART, the agency was increasing travel funding while making service cuts, and a lack of answers from Lee about the Trinity Railway Express.
Board Member Anthony Ricciardelli, of Plano, cited the 2023 study showing the deficit between expenditures and services in return. He said he felt the budget did not go far enough to close that gap.
Board Member Michele Wong Krause, however, thanked staff for their work on the budget. She acknowledged “the decrease in monies available because of the GMP and what we were required to do.”
In the same meeting, the board also approved the GMP funding by 10-5.
“The reason for GMP is to try, as best we can, to try to heal some wounds, fix some problems,” Slagel said in the meeting. “If we approve this tonight, that’s part of the goal.”
Hrbacek said he felt the terms of the plan were “troubling and disturbing,” and Ricciardelli recommended cutting some sections restricting cities’ future actions.
“We’ve got to move forward from this, we can’t just continue to do what we’re doing,” Slagel said. “What we’ve done tonight I think is good, we’ve been able to air some issues.”
Growing Frustrations
The controversy over executive bonuses has amplified long-standing frustration among suburban member cities, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
Mayors have become increasingly critical of DART’s funding and governance structure, with some cities now reconsidering their membership in 2026.
Plano gave $109.6 million in sales taxes to DART but received only $44.6 million in services, according to a 2023 study. This is an annual deficit of $65 million.
Carrollton gave DART $48.3 million, but received only $37.3 million in services in return. This is an $11 million deficit.
Farmers Branch provided $24.3 million to DART but received only $20.8 million in services, resulting in a $3.5 million deficit.
Meanwhile, Dallas contributed just $407.8 million to DART, but received $690.5 million in services in return.
Dallas maintains a vast majority on the DART board, while cities like Plano and Farmers Branch are forced to share a single representative – which mayors also said makes it difficult to represent their constituents.
Mayors previously expressed frustration with DART lines bringing homeless people into their suburbs, where they do not have access to as many services as in Dallas, as The Dallas Express reported.
Mendelsohn also called on DART to share detailed crime data, saying officials never followed through on a previous request, as The Dallas Express reported at the time. Members of the Regional Transportation Council, of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, joined Mendelsohn in September demanding crime statistics from local transit agencies.
In the first week of October, two murders took place on DART rails in Dallas. In August, Garland police investigated a dead body found at a DART rail station. The month prior, a man stabbed a victim in Richardson, then fled on a nearby DART train until police captured him nearly 12 miles away.