While the Dallas City Council worked to cut spending ahead of the annual budget vote, City Councilman Adam Bazaldua suggested paying a lobbyist $85,000 more than her asking price.
The council renewed a two-year services contract with lobbyist Lorena Campos, for up to $372,000, on August 27. She has been one of the city’s taxpayer-funded lobbyists since 2018. During the meeting, Bazaldua pointed to two other male lobbyists who were being paid more than Campos and demanded that the council increase her pay to $457,000.
“Knowing that she is also being hired and contracted by a city that is currently paying a much higher rate to two males doing the same job she’s expected to do down in Austin, I think that is a problem,” Bazaldua said. “I hope that we could shore up that disparity.”
Bazaldua called on the council members to help close the “gender wage gap,” acknowledging that, on average, women earn less income than men.
“That is a reality that I know very well, because I happen to live in a household where my wife is our breadwinner,” Bazaldua explained.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn opposed Bazaldua’s proposal, pointing out that this was a financial issue, emphasizing Campos never asked for the raise.
“I think it’s insulting to make this a gender issue,” Mendelsohn said. “This is not a gender issue. This is a pay increase that she did not ask for.”
Cities across Texas use taxpayer-funded lobbyists to advocate for local interests and often left-wing agendas in Austin, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
Dallas has spent more than $1 million on its “internal lobbyists,” which support legislation it said would “protect the rights of all vulnerable communities, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, youth, seniors, and refugees.”
Notably, Dallas’ lobbyists got a pay increase nearly three years ago. Several of them also contract with other cities, collecting multiple streams of public funding.
An ‘Identity Politics’ Pay Hike
Ahead of the annual budget vote in September, the council had been trying to cut spending and ease residents’ tax burden. Bazaldua, however, appeared to have dismissed financial concerns.
“This is essentially about $20,000 – this is a rounding error – per year over the next four years,” he said. “This will not break the bank.”
Campos’ pay is what she requested, and proportional to her experience and institutional knowledge, according to Mendelsohn. She called the discussion “almost embarrassing.”
“She is an extremely capable woman,” Mendelsohn said. “Please recognize that you’re literally taking your identity politics and giving somebody something they didn’t even ask for.”
Councilman Paul Ridley echoed Mendelsohn’s point.
“I see absolutely no justification for throwing more money at someone than they’re asking, to perform the same level of services,” Ridley said.
Ultimately, the council defeated Bazaldua’s pay raise for Campos by 14-1. The council unanimously accepted the initial contract.
During the same meeting, the council also considered renewing contracts with Randy Cain for up to $504,000 and with Kwame Walker and Associates for up to $480,000. They also considered a state lobbying contract with Burklund Consulting for up to $240,000 and a federal lobbying contract with CapitalEdge Strategies for $340,000.
Mayor Eric Johnson emphasized that not all lobbyists earn the same amount – and that there are no prescribed amounts for men and women, but simply “their ability to get things done for their clients.”
Johnson expressed concerns about the city’s current lobbying team, questioning whether it was effective overall.
“If you’re wondering why we’re not getting the results we’re wanting to get down in Austin, I don’t think you need to look any further than the lobbying team,” he said. “I am certainly not interested in pouring more tax dollars into another contract, more so than it’s even been requested, when we are not getting the job done in Austin with our lobby team.”
Councilman Bill Roth questioned how taxpayer-funded lobbying fits into the overall budget.
“These are all consulting lobbying fees of a total of about $2.5 million,” Roth said.
Balancing the Checkbook
The council eventually slashed $339,000 in taxpayer-funded lobbying for the 2025-2026 budget, resulting in property tax relief of $0.015 per $100 in value for residents.
Johnson called the city’s $5.2 billion budget – the largest in history – “bloated.”
While the council voted on the budget, Bazaldua attended virtually – on a reportedly taxpayer-funded trip to Japan.
The Dallas Express has submitted a public records request for expenses related to this trip, but has not received a response at the time of publication.