Monday morning, Dallas HERO, a nonpartisan 501c4 organization dedicated to public safety and government accountability, formally notified the Dallas Mayor and City Council of a claim under City Charter Chapter XXV, Sec. 1(C), citing noncompliance with Proposition U.

 

Proposition U, approved by voters in November 2024, mandates that the Dallas Police Department (DPD) maintain at least 4,000 sworn officers and other funding and compensation requirements.

Yet, as of February 7, 2025, DPD reported only 3,169 officers—far below the required threshold.

The notice, emailed to City Secretary Bilierae Johnson, Assistant City Secretary Miroslava Martinez, City Attorney Tammy Palomino, and the Dallas City Attorney’s Office, details Proposition U’s stipulations:
  1. Allocating 50% of excess annual revenue to the police and fire pension system
  2. Conducting an annual third-party salary survey of regional police departments
  3. Ensuring DPD officers’ starting pay ranks in the top five among cities in five counties with populations over 50,000
  4. Sustaining the 4,000-officer minimum tied to Dallas’s November 5, 2024, population
Dallas HERO warns that without “immediate action,” litigation may follow within 60 days—by May 30, 2025—to enforce the voter-mandated charter amendment.

“Prop U is not a suggestion…Compliance is not optional,” said Executive Director Damien LeVeck, decrying the city’s “flagrant disregard” of the law.

With public safety at stake, this escalating dispute could lead to a courtroom showdown, spotlighting Dallas’s commitment to its voters’ demands.