DALLAS — Days after Dallas voters passed most propositions on the Dallas ballot, city leaders are still trying to figure out the ramifications, particularly as it relates to Proposition S, which makes it much easier for citizens to sue city leaders and Proposition U, which will force the city to hire more police officers.
City Council Member Paula Blackmon says the first thing they’ll do is hold an executive session to determine whether they have any legal recourse.
“Anything can happen when you go to the courts,” Blackmon told us on Inside Texas Politics. “But I think the voters have made it clear what they want from their city government.”
The Dallas Police Department currently has just under 3,100 officers.
Dallas HERO, the organization behind Proposition U, wants that number to grow to 4,000 officers at a minimum, which would lead to a ratio of three officers per one thousand citizens.
That means the city now has to hire some 900 new officers.
And Blackmon put that price tag at around $175 million, not even including training.
“But it means that you would have to get rid of your Parks Department, your libraries and 10 more million dollars,” Blackmon argued. “So, that library that I saved this past year, it’s the frog in the pot. People are going to experience a real hit to those quality of life things that make a city vibrant and viable.”
Dallas HERO Executive Director Pete Marocco told us previously that the city can pay for the increase with the money coming from year-over-year revenue increases, and by making security and the police department the city’s top priority until they reach the required levels.
But Blackmon argues that it’s not hyperbole to say some city services will disappear as funds are shifted around.
And while not all parks and libraries may close, she says it’s a good representation of what equals $175 million in the city of Dallas.
“If you look at your own household income, and if you’re making cuts, you go okay, vacation’s off the table, right? You go, that car payment that has to be made, but you know what, I may not be driving it as much. So, you start looking at your budgets and what are those big pots,” Blackmon explained.