Dallas businessman and publisher of The Dallas Express, Monty Bennett, has challenged City Hall over police pay, offering to buy cowboy hats for every Dallas Police Department officer who wants one—if the city raises starting salaries to meet voter-approved standards.
Bennett’s pledge came in response to the department’s recent announcement that officers can now wear cowboy hats on duty, a move touted as part of a new recruitment push.
“Something new is landing at the Dallas Police Department. Our officers are now approved to wear cowboy hats on duty!” read an August 22 Facebook post from DPD.
The change drew mixed reactions online, with some praising the decision as a return to Texas tradition, while others questioned the practicality during foot chases. Bennett, however, pivoted the focus from style to salary:
I will personally buy every DPD officer that wants one their own cowboy hat if the city immediately raises their starting pay to the top 5 in North Texas ($86,500/year) as required by Prop U. @ChiefComeauxDPD @cityofdallas https://t.co/E7AqDt4u0p
— Monty Bennett (@MontyBennett) August 25, 2025
Prop U Requirements vs. Budget Proposal
Bennett’s pledge comes amid growing controversy over the city’s proposed FY26–27 budget, which appears to fall short of key requirements in Proposition U — the 2024 voter-approved charter amendment that set minimum staffing and pay standards for Dallas police.
Prop U requires the city to maintain at least 4,000 sworn officers and ensure Dallas’ starting combined salary and non-pension benefits rank in the top five among departments in Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, Denton, and Rockwall counties with populations over 50,000.
According to the FY26 proposal, the city plans to hire 350 officers in FY26 and 400 in FY27, resulting in a total of 3,424 sworn officers at the end of FY26 — 576 short of the Prop U mandate.
The budget also includes a 7.71% entry-level pay increase, which will bring the base salary to $81,232. City officials argued that stipends for bilingual skills, education, and night shifts could push compensation higher, but Prop U requires pay calculations to be based on compensation available to all new officers.
A review by The Dallas Express found that Dallas’ base starting pay would still rank 12th among area departments, and it would be about $4,700 below the $85,925 needed to crack the top five.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn criticized the city’s pay analysis, saying it used outdated data: “We have the number one police department in the United States. We should be paying them the number one amount,” Mendelsohn said. “Further research in these numbers — we’re not in the top five. I can count 20 cities … already paying more than us.”
Dallas Hero Response
Dallas Hero, the group that spearheaded the Prop U initiative, also blasted the city’s proposal. In an August 13 post on X, the group said the budget would “not lead to an increase in police hiring” and accused City Hall of misleading residents about police pay rankings.
“The city’s claim that its police pay ranks in the top three regionally is wrong, as the proposed starting salary would actually place the City of Dallas 11th among regional departments. City Hall is lying, and their proposed 2026 budget is a betrayal of voters who demanded competitive pay to address the ongoing police shortage,” the group wrote.
Cowboy Hats and Recruiting
The DPD’s cowboy hat announcement was framed as a recruiting boost, with recruiters encouraging applicants to learn more at dallaspolice.net/joinDPD or call 214-671-4409. But with staffing projections hundreds below Prop U’s requirement, critics argue new accessories won’t fix fundamental issues with pay and staffing.
The Dallas City Council is scheduled to hold a final budget vote on September 17.