Dallas voters will have three controversial, voter-driven amendments on the November ballot that could significantly impact the city’s budget and public safety. Propositions S, T, and U, put forth by the nonpartisan group Dallas HERO, are aimed at increasing police pay, holding city officials accountable, and allocating new city revenue to police and fire pensions.
Proposition S, if passed, would allow residents to sue the city for noncompliance with city ordinances and state law, potentially leading to costly lawsuits for the city to defend. Former Mayor Mike Rawlings has expressed concerns about the impact of this amendment, while Dallas HERO argues that it is necessary to hold government officials accountable. Proposition T focuses on creating a community satisfaction survey related to the city manager’s job and could affect the city manager’s compensation based on performance.
Proposition U, the most controversial of the three, would require 50% of all new city revenue to go to police and fire pensions and mandates a minimum of 4,000 police officers, increasing the current force by 900 officers. Opponents argue that the proposals are unaffordable and could lead to cuts in city services. Dallas HERO has defended the amendments, stating that the city budget can accommodate the changes by cutting unnecessary spending.
Despite questions about Dallas HERO’s political agenda and funding, the group insists that its efforts are nonpartisan and driven by the desire for better safety and accountability in the city. Former Mayor Rawlings views the amendments as a wake-up call and warns against turning Dallas into a California-style direct democracy. Voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on these amendments during the November election.
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