Shortly after Saturday's polls closed, Dallas city officials announced that 10 proposals making up a $1.25 billion bond package to improve streets, parks, libraries and other city infrastructure will head to voter approval in the spring bond election. A celebration was held.
“We're not just a city of dreamers, we're a city of doers, and we've become the city that all of America aspires to,” Mayor Eric Johnson said at an event on the rooftop of Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. he said.
Voters in North Texas spent two weeks weighing in on dozens of proposals to fund capital improvements and local elections to choose new leaders for schools and local governments. Voter turnout in Dallas County was 5.6%, with 80,129 people voting out of approximately 1.4 million registered voters. In neighboring Collin County, turnout was just 6.61%.
City officials said they plan to begin issuing bonds next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The bond would be repaid with revenue collected from the city's property taxes, and approval of the proposal would not result in an increase in current tax rates.
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Most Dallas residents living in Collin County voted against two proposals aimed at improving stormwater and flood drainage and upgrading housing infrastructure.
Two contested seats on the Dallas ISD School Board were also on the ballot. Lance Curry received 52.6% of the vote in the three-candidate race for the District 1 seat, according to unofficial election results. Ed Turner received 52.3% of the vote in the four-candidate race for the District 9 seat.
Curry, who wants to represent Northwest Dallas, is an attorney with two children in the area. Curry said if she wins, she would prioritize gathering better information about her students' lives after graduation and focusing on outcomes. It will help build a stronger pathway to college and a career, he said. Turner, a father and volunteer with DISD, is an insurance broker.
About a dozen school districts in North Texas have put bond requests of about $2.5 billion before voters. That included a desire for a new campus for the rapidly growing community. Improvements aimed at keeping students safe. Technology upgrades and other measures.
Anna ISD voters rejected a $100 million proposal to build a stadium at the high school for the second time.The stadium was to be used for Football, soccer and other local events. Final unofficial results showed nearly 57% of voters opposed the proposal.
In recent years, some school districts have found it more difficult to pass school bond proposals. This is especially true for items that some voters are considering adding value, such as pre-forming soccer stadiums and arts facilities.
However, other bond proposals from Cedar Hill ISD and Lewisville ISD were expected to be approved.
In other municipalities, members of the city council and board of directors, as well as members of the board, voted on a series of changes to the city charter.
In Frisco, a proposal that would have created civil service and collective bargaining for the city's fire department was defeated, according to unofficial results. Matt Sapp, president of the Frisco Firefighters Association, said the proposal was born out of the need to improve working conditions for Frisco firefighters and increase transparency in hiring and opportunities.
For complete North Texas election results, visit dallasnews.com/election-results/.
dallas bond program
On Saturday, dozens of people raised their glasses at Reunion Tower as Tim Powers, co-chair of the Dallas Bond Campaign, celebrated the big win.
“I cannot thank everyone on our task force and executive committee enough for getting us to this point,” Powers said. “And now we're investing. Tonight is the night we celebrate.”
Dallas Museum of Art Board President Jeff Ellerman said voters made the right choice by supporting all proposals, including projects focused on cultural arts buildings.
“These buildings are falling apart,” Ellerman said. “Our infrastructure hasn't been replaced in 25 to 30 years. Buildings are critical to a great city.”
Dallas' needs ranged from $521.2 million for road and transportation improvements to $5 million for information technology system upgrades. Other city proposals included funding for flood control, arts facilities, public safety (including a new police academy), economic development and homelessness.
Election day arrived Saturday for the second time this year in North Texas, but some voters said they were feeling tired.
Dallas voter James Wilson said he voted early, but has already voted in the March primary, Saturday's municipal election, the May 28 primary runoff, and the Nov. 5 primary. Considering the general election, it is difficult to keep all the dates and run straight, he said.
“I'm an active voter, but it was hard to keep up,” said Wilson, 43, of East Dallas. “It turns out this is an election that some people skipped or simply didn't know was happening.”
Lisa Swilczynski also happened to be one of those people. When she stepped outside the Samuel Grand Recreation Center after playing tennis on Saturday, she said she didn't know today was the last day to vote. The center was also a voting center. She had thought about returning home for her poll, but she ended up not knowing whether she would return to the polling place later that day, she said.
“Domestic politics took up a lot of my attention and concentration, and I wasn't keeping up with local issues as much as I wanted to,” Svitinski said.
Eddie and Martha Velez were inspired to vote Saturday after taking their children to play soccer at Kiesto Park in Dallas and seeing a sign urging them to vote at the park's recreation center.
The Dallas couple said they support the entire Dallas bond program to address infrastructure improvements related to roads, transportation and technology. Both men voted to approve all 10 proposals. Velez said she was not surprised by the low turnout, as she had heard that other soccer parents saw election signs and decided to vote.
“I think everyone focuses on the national championships and local championships at times,” Eddie Velez said.
Rafael Jimenez said in Frisco that he supports both proposals related to the fire department.
“I support firefighters. If they think they need a union, we need to support them,” Jimenez said.
For Annie Fendrick, the fire department is working well and doesn't need a union.
“Unionizing doesn't help. This is the way it is right now, and I don't think it needs to change,” Fendrick said.
