The City of Dallas has announced a “City Hall at Fair Park” event that is supposed to function as a one-stop destination for City resources and services.
The free event is scheduled for March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center, which is located at 1403 Washington St. It will enable residents to share their input on the 2024-2025 City budget at a Budget Town Hall meeting from 1 to 2 p.m.
Residents who cannot attend the event in person can attend the budget meeting in a “Telephone Town Hall Meeting.”
“We invite all Dallas residents to weigh in on how the City’s tax dollars are spent and what services/resources are important to you!” the City says in its promotional material for the event.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Dallas City Council approved the biggest budget in Dallas history for FY 2024, despite criticisms from Mayor Eric Johnson and Council Member Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) that officials were taxing and spending too much.
Over 20 departments from the City will attend the social happening. Onsite services such as pet adoptions, library card sign-up, community outreach and education materials, and mascots from various departments will be available onsite to provide information, resources, and fun throughout the day.
On hand will be a slew of family-friendly entertainment and activities.
“Touch a Truck” vehicles from Dallas Water Utilities, Dallas Fire-Rescue, the Dallas Police Department, and Park and Recreation will be on site for kiddos to explore. An array of live music will be featured, with local bands such as Jazz BeCuzz and Bandan Koro in attendance, and local painter and sculptor Fred Villanueva will hold an arts workshop.
In addition, there will be a variety of food trucks, giveaways, and free parking.
In a poll conducted by The Dallas Express in January of 2023, over 53% of responding Dallas residents expressed a longing for greater transparency from their local government.
Scandal has been no stranger to Dallas officials. In 1997, then-Council Member Paul Fielding was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy after using his position to coerce contracts in exchange for his votes. Only a few years later, former Council Member Al Lipscomb was convicted in 2000 of taking $95,000 in bribes, though this was overturned later on procedural grounds.
In 2008, former Council Member James Fantroy Sr. was caught embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from federal taxpayer grants intended for Paul Quinn College. The following year, Council Member Don Hill was convicted on several charges, including bribery and money laundering.
In more recent years, ex-Council Members Dwaine Caraway and Carolyn Davis pled guilty and were sentenced in 2019 for taking bribes.
