A proposed $1.1 billion bond package that would be used to upgrade Dallas streets, parks and other infrastructure projects is now headed to the City Council for consideration.
The 15-member Community Ties Task Force approved a list of proposed projects on Saturday. It includes nearly $250 million primarily for road repairs, $89 million for renovation and construction of new recreation centers, $53 million for stormwater drainage improvements, and $50 million for construction of new recreation centers. ing. $30 million to build and renovate police training facilities and fire stations, and $10 million to help promote homeownership and preserve affordable housing. The recommendations will be formally presented to the council at its Dec. 6 meeting.
Council members can propose changes to the bond package before passing the final version for voters to decide. But some participants who helped develop the recommendations to the City Council argued that $350 million for parks and recreation projects is too much when the city has other needs. He said he hopes a decision will be made to change the allocation. This amount is more than three times the amount proposed for housing and homelessness.
“What we have is an allocation that prioritizes amenities over necessities,” said Randall Bryant, a member of the community bond task force. dallas morning news before Saturday's meeting. “We must invest more in our streets than we are allotted, and do more to address the growing number of unhoused people and residents who lack adequate affordable housing options, as well as our crumbling urban facilities and growing south Dallas. . I'm sorry, but none of that was driven by park growth.”
It has not yet been decided when the elections will be held. City Manager TC Broadnax has recommended a May election, which would require the council to approve a final list of items for the vote by February. However, some City Council members have expressed concerns that the deadline is too narrow and suggested the city consider delaying the bond vote until November 2024 instead.
An election to update the city charter is also scheduled for November 2024.
The Community Bond Task Force, whose members are each appointed by the mayor and City Council, chose Saturday not to include a recommendation to the council on when to schedule the bond election.
The last three Dallas bond programs ($1.35 billion in 2006, $642 million in 2012, and $1.05 billion in 2017) were approved by voters in the November election.
If the latest bond package is approved by voters in 2024, work on the project would take place over five years.
The $1.1 billion bond proposal divides the funds into five categories. $375 million for streets and transportation projects, $350 million for parks and recreation projects, $200 million for urban facilities, $100 million for housing, homelessness, and economic development, and $75 million for flooding and erosion. Control.
Bryant was one of five task force members who voted against the Oct. 24 meeting to set these allocations.
Not everyone is convinced that Dallas is better off not investing so much in its parks. Garrett Boone, a former co-founder of The Container Store and head of the task force subcommittee that recommends park projects, said at Saturday's meeting that expanding green space in Dallas could have several benefits for the city. He said he believes there is. Pointing to Plano, he said he believes investing in parks is a key element of growth and attracting companies like Toyota.
“I think we can have a park system that actually fosters population growth,” Boone said.
Park advocates were well represented in the Community Bonds Task Force process.
Six of the group's members are members of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. Mr. Arun Agarwal, the chairman of the task force, is the head of the park board. Boone was named the city's green czar by Mayor Eric Johnson in April, a volunteer position tasked with spearheading ways to increase the amount of parks and green space in Dallas.
Johnson himself was part of a coalition of advocates in August who publicly called on the task force to support the Park Service's request for about $400 million in bond funds for the project.
Mr. Johnson did not answer questions from news Regarding the proposed bond allocation for parks.
The $350 million amount for parks would be a significant increase from 2017, when voters approved a $1.05 billion bond package that included nearly $262 million in park projects.
Agarwal said. news He said before Saturday's meeting that he felt the bond amounts in the five categories were consistent with Johnson and the council's priorities. He also noted that during the task force meeting on October 24, each member did their own tally for each category. The aggregate average was close to the amount recommended by the task force. $382 million for roads and transportation, $306 million for parks, $186 million for urban facilities, $157 million for housing, homelessness and economic development, and $68 million for flood and erosion control.
“I think the distribution is fair,” Agarwal said. “I think we could have spent a little more money in some areas. We definitely could have. But given what we had, I think it was a very fair allocation. Masu.”
Ashley Brundage, vice chair of the task force subcommittee charged with considering housing, homelessness and economic development, and a member of the nonprofit Dallas Housing Coalition, said the recommended allocations were disappointing. Ta. The group had asked for a $200 million mortgage loan.
“It really feels like the city is doing what it's always done, which is building affordable housing in the community,” said Brundage, executive director of housing stability for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. It's not a priority,” he said. news before Saturday's meeting. “When it comes to $1.1 billion, we truly feel there is a way for everyone to get their fair share.”
Brundage said he believes distributing $200 million for housing, homelessness and economic development initiatives “might feel a little more equal” than distributing $100 million. He said Dara city officials could someday create a future bond dedicated solely to more affordable housing developments, similar to how Austin voters greenlighted a $350 million housing bond last November. He said he hopes to consider sending the package to voters for approval.
“We need city funds to subsidize the construction of affordable housing because market forces will never meet the affordable housing needs we need,” Brundage said. That's because they can't do it.” “This must be met through various forms of city funding, but the most important form is bond costs.”
She also announced that the city had succeeded in moving more than 2,700 people experiencing homelessness into apartments through rapid local housing efforts, but added that “we need to build more housing.” “We will never be able to successfully end homelessness if we do not focus on finding housing for people experiencing homelessness.” They end up homeless in the first place. ”
A survey of 803 residents conducted over the summer found that homelessness, parks and street-related projects were most frequently cited as the top five priorities for bond funds.
Roads, alleys, sidewalks, and bridges received the most votes, with 619 votes. However, parks (477 votes) and homelessness (472 votes) received roughly equal support, followed by public safety facilities (336 votes), transportation-related projects (332 votes), and housing (290 votes).
