Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson highlighted the city’s rapid growth as a financial hub and praised its public safety gains during his State of the City address on Thursday.
He also urged residents to engage in an “open and honest” conversation about the future of City Hall.
Johnson delivered the annual address via livestream from the Texas Stock Exchange. His spokesperson said he chooses a different venue each year. The appearance came as the New York Stock Exchange launched NYSE Texas and as Nasdaq announced plans for Nasdaq Texas, a new dual-listing venue tied to its expansion in North Texas.
Johnson said Dallas continues to strengthen its financial position.
“In recent years, Dallas has clearly emerged as a national leader in financial services,” he said. He noted that the region added 100,000 finance jobs in the past decade. “So, it is no surprise that Dallas is home to this exciting new Texas Stock Exchange.”
Johnson pointed to other major developments, including an 800,000-square-foot Goldman Sachs campus and Scotiabank’s planned regional headquarters.
The mayor then focused on public safety.
“Yes, Dallas is safer. It’s safer than it was during the height of the pandemic, when I stood up and demanded that we prioritize public safety in the face of a reckless and deluded defund the police movement,” Johnson said. He said Downtown Dallas saw double-digit declines in violent crime through a public-private partnership.
“Our goal is to be the safest major city in America. This means we cannot afford to grow complacent,” Johnson said. He said the City Council’s public safety committee will create a new long-term policy, though he did not provide details.
Johnson also addressed concerns about the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars considering their arena options before their lease ends in 2031.
“We must also continue attracting and retaining professional sports franchises that provide our city with such great economic, cultural, entertainment, and marketing value,” Johnson said.
He then celebrated recent park projects.
“In Oak Cliff, the new Halperin Park will reconnect communities that were torn apart decades ago,” he said. He also noted progress on Harold Simmons Park and other neighborhood projects tied to his Greening Initiative.
Johnson ended with a call for a full public discussion about City Hall’s future. “The status quo is not acceptable, and choices must be made,” he said.