Recently, the City Manager’s proposed 2016 budget was approved by the Dallas City Council. The vote shifted moneys in order to allocate more funding to libraries, recreation centers, streets and animal services. These services have faced big budget reductions in recent years, according to City Manager A.C. Gonzalez.  This year, the city restored funding for libraries to a 2008 amount. As a result, libraries will have staffing to be open more hours.
More than $4 million will be saved in the police budget by reshuffling staff, trimming the number of sworn officers through and adjusting when the department replaces old vehicles. That $4 million is more than twice the potential savings suggested earlier by Police Chief David Brown. Gonzalez is recommending $3 million more for the libraries in next year’s budget, plus another $3 million the following year. He says it will allow 12 library branches and the central library downtown to return to opening their doors seven days per week.
The city’s property tax rate will not go up under the new plan. Read DMN story from August. Since this story was aired, the budget passed.