A new Dallas budget includes no property tax increase and no shortfall, with raises for police and firefighters and higher pension contributions from the city. But the police force would remain at roughly 3,100 officers next year instead of the future goal of 3,600.
Those are the highlights from the proposed 2017-2018 spending plan released Friday afternoon by new Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax, who only started in his new job in February.
"We are not at the 3,600 (officer) level," Broadnax said. "Realistically we will not be able to hire that many officers."
As Dallas faces an increase in violent crime, the new manager is under pressure to reverse a decline in the number of police officers. Broadnax said the goal is to expand the police force to 3,600 in the future.
"We're hopeful that we're going to develop a more robust retention and recruitment program," Broadnax said.
City council members received the spending plan Friday afternoon.
"There is no magic," said Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston. "There is no cavalry coming to save us. We're going to have to get by over the next year or two on a department that's smaller than we would like."
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But Kingston said he is pleased with the new manager's balanced budget approach. It is a contrast to past years when city leaders were told about shortfalls and potential cuts that sparked complaints to council members from worried employees and citizens but were somehow avoided by managers at the last minute.
"They are treating us like adult human beings, which is different than we used to be treated by previous administrations," Kingston said. "To limit that time and that oversight was another goal of previous administrations, to keep council members distracted so they couldn't propose meaningful budget amendments."
Broadnax also extended his first Dallas budget forecast for a second year to put future spending and revenue expectations on the record. He said the second year budget would be subject to approval in September 2018.
Councilman Dwaine Caraway said his phone is not ringing off the hook this year with concerns from worried citizens or employees.
"A two-year balanced budget is nothing short of a miracle," Caraway said. "It gives us the latitude to be able to now look ahead, plan ahead. And folks can rest and be assured that the libraries will operate, services will continue."
Broadnax said the new budget includes funding for a next generation 911 emergency call system, expanded ambulance service, improved street maintenance and code enforcement.
"We're going to work throughout the year to better refine how we spend our dollars," Broadnax said.
