Dallas City Council Members Paula Blackmon and Adam Bazaldua have dropped their lawsuit over the future of City Hall after saying a judge’s June order blocking several agenda items gave them the relief they sought.
The council members filed a notice July 2 voluntarily dismissing their claims against the City of Dallas, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and City Secretary Bilierae Johnson. State District Judge Eric Moyé dismissed the case July 6, The Dallas Morning News reported after reviewing Dallas County court records.
“We certainly don’t want to waste the city’s resources or anyone else’s in continuing litigation when there’s nothing left to fight about,” attorney John Adams, who represented Blackmon and Bazaldua, told the newspaper.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Blackmon and Bazaldua sought a temporary restraining order ahead of the council’s June 10 meeting. They argued that agenda notices concerning the possible relocation of city operations and redevelopment of the City Hall property did not provide the public with enough information about the actions the council could take.
Moyé granted the order, blocking votes on several relocation and redevelopment items after finding the notices too vague under the Texas Open Meetings Act. He allowed the council to consider a separately posted proposal concerning repairs to the existing City Hall building.
The council voted 9-6 on June 10 against funding a phased repair strategy. The approved motion also directed Tolbert to continue exploring options for the City Hall site and return to the council by August 26.
Blackmon and Bazaldua later alleged in court filings that Tolbert and Johnson violated the restraining order by allowing the broader motion to proceed. Attorneys representing the city officials disputed that claim, arguing that the council had already directed staff in March to explore options for the property.
The voluntary dismissal ends that court case as city officials continue evaluating City Hall’s future.
On June 17, the council voted 9-5 to authorize up to $2 million in due diligence on no more than four possible sites for City Hall staff and functions in the Central Business District. Council members separately authorized up to $1 million for due diligence on no more than four sites for the city’s 911 and emergency operations, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Those authorizations allow Tolbert to negotiate pre-acquisition agreements and gather more detailed information about the properties. They do not authorize Dallas to purchase, lease or move into a new building.
City staff are expected to return to the council in August with additional information about potential agreements. Any final decision to relocate City Hall would require further council action.
