With so much talk of municipalities looking to decrease their contributions to DART, it is probably worth considering what the entity spends taxpayer dollars on.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, billions of dollars in taxpayer money are currently at stake for the troubled transportation system amid pervasive crime, vagrancy, and uncleanliness at DART stations and on trains.
Dallas proper has been suffering from similar issues. Polling has suggested that more than three-fourths of Dallas residents are dissatisfied with the state of vagrancy and panhandling in the city. Respondents also indicated their support for a “one-stop-shop” model of homeless services like in downtown San Antonio, where Haven for Hope has reportedly reduced unsheltered homelessness.
Anyway, here is some of what KERA News reported on the transportation system’s finances:
Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s board of directors got its first look this week at a new study that could shape how member cities pay into the transit system — and how the agency determines its next budget.
The report by the consulting firm Ernst and Young shows how DART spent its money in each of its 13 member cities in fiscal year 2023. During a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, directors heard directly from the firm’s consultants.
“We did want to emphasize that these results represent a snapshot in time,” said Adam Christian, senior vice president for Ernst and Young.
Each member city contributes a one-cent sales tax contribution to the agency each year. The study shows that some cities, like Dallas, Garland and Irving, get more bang for their buck.
Results show the city of Dallas contributed a little more than $407 million to the agency from that one cent, while DART spent about $690 million on operating, capital and interest expenses in the city.