The Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to spend up to $200,000 hiring an outside consultant to evaluate the potential cost of buying out two roofing plants.
The vote advances the City’s review of TAMKO’s shingle manufacturing facility in Joppa, a historic South Dallas neighborhood, and GAF’s roofing plant in West Dallas, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. Both sites predate current zoning rules and operate as “legal nonconforming uses” without the Specific Use Permits now required under Dallas City Code.
Neighbors living near the plants spoke during public comment, with some connecting their serious health conditions to the facilities. One Dallas resident at Wednesday’s meeting said she has developed COPD and asthma and described the air quality near GAF’s site as a consistent source for health problems.
Before Wednesday’s vote, Konner McIntire, TAMKO’s Director of Communications and Community Relations, told The Dallas Express, ”We have data from EPA grade monitors that show no meaningful correlation between our operations and ambient particulate levels in the area. Prevailing winds blow toward the north and northwest, which is away from Joppa nearly 90% of the time.”
McIntire added, “We understand these conversations about air quality and community health are deeply important to the Joppa community and to us, and we take those concerns very seriously. TAMKO has a 40-year history in South Dallas, and we’re committed to being a good neighbor and a responsible environmental steward.”
The Joppa plant makes shingles for about 100,000 homes each year.
During the meeting, some supporters pushed back on the idea of a buyout, describing how the plant has been part of the neighborhood for decades and that many of its employees live in the surrounding community.
TAMKO General Manager Jason White spoke about the site’s value to the City, saying, “The people who work at our plant are fathers, mothers, and members of the Dallas community.”
Not all council members agreed with the process. Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn raised questions about the logic of spending $200,000 to determine the cost of a buyout that the City may not ultimately be able to fund. That concern was echoed by TAMKO, which pushed back on the council’s decision following the vote.
A company statement provided to The Dallas Express after the vote reads:
“Closing TAMKO would eliminate 100 good-paying jobs, erase $20 million in annual economic activity, and jeopardize more than $2.6 billion in economic impact in Dallas County over the next 25 years. The City is spending $200,000 to obtain an answer it already knows: it would take more than $500 million to move TAMKO. That reality underscores the magnitude of the decision before the City, as well as the significant economic and human consequences that would follow. We’re disappointed in the City’s decision and will continue pushing for fact-based, transparent decision-making that protects our employees and the Joppa community.”
TAMKO added that monitoring done with EPA-grade equipment hasn’t shown a clear link between its operations and local air pollution levels.
The company also pointed out that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality renewed its air permit as recently as August 2025. Additionally, over the past decade, TAMKO says it has spent more than $25 million on environmental upgrades, with more incoming improvements expected to reduce certain emissions by up to 45%.
GAF, for its part, is reportedly planning to relocate its West Dallas facility. TAMKO has made clear it intends to stay.
Wednesday’s vote does not directly close or relocate either plant. Under Dallas City Code, the consultant’s findings will be presented to a City Council committee within 30 days, at which point a follow-up vote on next steps will be scheduled. Any final action on amortization would require additional council approval.
The effort to start the process was led by five council members – Laura Cadena, Adam Bazaldua, Chad West, Zarin Gracey, and Paula Blackmon – who submitted a joint memo requesting the item back in November 2025.
