By BETHANY BLANKLEY | THE CENTER SQUARE
Two days after failing to convince the Dallas City Council to cut spending and taxes in its new budget, the Democratic mayor of Dallas switched parties to become a Republican.
On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved its FY 2023-24 city budget, and Democratic Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson voted against it. He sought to ensure the budget kept a no-new-revenue property tax rate of roughly 68.13 cents per $100 valuation. The city council passed a $4.6 billion budget, including a property tax rate of 73.93 cents per $100 valuation.
“In an environment of such economic uncertainty for our residents and businesses, with inflation and interest rates being where they are, I simply could not vote for a budget that is the largest in the history of the city and that is paid for by raising taxes on our residents and businesses,” Johnson said on Wednesday, explaining his decisions to go against fellow Democrats.
“It is simply not the case that we could not have significantly reduced the size of this budget and cut taxes without drastically cutting essential services,” contradicting the claims made by proponents to increase taxes. He also said, “it is preposterous to suggest that our city government could not, by being more efficient, deliver essential services next year using the same amount of tax revenue collected from Dallas residents and businesses just a year ago.”
Before becoming the 60th mayor of Dallas, Johnson served in the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from 2010 to 2019. During his four years as mayor, he’s sought to lower taxes and create a “friendlier business climate.” One major accomplishment he’s championed is the city has reduced its property tax rate every year since he took office.
On Friday, he announced in a Wall Street Journal column that he had joined the Republican Party.
He said he has “no intention of changing my approach to my job” but is changing his party affiliation. “Next spring, I will be voting in the Republican primary. When my career in elected office ends in 2027 on the inauguration of my successor as mayor, I will leave office as a Republican.”
He said of his time in the state legislature that he took pride in “finding common-sense solutions and worked closely with my conservative colleagues to improve policing, public education and water infrastructure. I was never a favorite of the Democratic caucus, and the feeling was mutual. By the time I was elected mayor—a nonpartisan office—in 2019, I was relieved to be free from hyper partisanship and ready to focus on solving problems.”
If inflation is hammering his constituents, how does he think services could not be kept the same without increasing revenues? Is the city of Dallas immune from inflation?
Two things you fail to appreciate though is that first, the property tax (mil rate) is also increasing, and as inflation continues, so does home valuations. Their targeted revenue is almost certainly inaccurate.
The second is that there is significant waste in city government apparati. Every year, in nearly every muni there are departments which have to find frivolous spending in order to not return monies to the general fund. This happens at city, county, state, and especially Federal levels.
Ideally, most departments SHOULD be intentionally “underfunded” so if they must exceed their approportionment they have to return to the elected representatives and explain the “need.”
If you really want to stay in power, don’t increase taxes. Tax increases just add to inflation woes – this is why Jimmy Carter didn’t get a second term. As for how to cut the budget to avoid tax increase – I think the mayor has a plan… Start with raising the thermostat on the air conditioning – make ’em sweat a little.
Well lets just ignore the peasants trying to stay afloat and just tax them into homelessness so the municipality can foreclose on their homes for nonpayment of taxes and then auction it to another batch of fools and do the same in a few years.
Gotta do what Demorats do best…Screw the peasants while the Elitests sit back and smoke Cohibas and drink the finest brandy with ear plugs firmly attached.
Bidenomics is destroying our country one family home at a time. Record numbers of homeless arent because of the illegals swarming across the border collecting $2200/month just for being here illegally while the folks in Maui who lost EVERYTHING including their children in the fires get a one time only payment of $700.
You have to be stoned or just plain stupid to see how much Joe Dimentia hates American citizens and caters to the illegal foreigners to garner votes from them.
He never even bothered to show up at the worst and most dangerous train derailment in US history where the water is still contaminated.
He just doesnt give a damn about anyone except his greedy family extorting money from every corner of the world.
The sad part is there will always be IDIOTS who will vote for his ignorant ways and mistreating citizens of the United States!
Like a typically idiotic and innumerate radical leftist, Jaded, you clearly do not understand the difference between a RATE and an absolute value.
Even if the tax rate had remained the same, the city would STILL have had increased revenues, due to the inevitable rise in property values.
Honestly, how do you even get through daily life, being so clueless?
Government by its very nature is inefficient and corrupt.
By getting rid of even a small amount of this can save
the tax payer a lot of money.
Yesterday, I saw a parade of street sweepers and dump trucks crawling down the Old Seward. I ride my bike. After a summer of rain the streets asphalt is as clean as a road can get.
Mayor Johnson states it clearly: efficiency is how he reduces city budgets.
Your assumption is synonymous with ID “Jaded”. Of course, every public dollar in the budget is the foundation to build more bureaucracy on!
Cutting unnecessary services and bloated staff is a start.
Sooner or later you run out of rich white people willing to be fleeced.
He also has reduced crime!!
Something tells me that he is going to run for statewide office in the not so distant future. So much for turning Texas blue. Now if we can just start doing the same thing here in AK. Cheers –
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