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Dear Board Members,
On September 30, The Real Estate Council Executive Committee voted to
join a coalition comprising current and former elected officials,
civic leaders, and business organizations to oppose Propositions S,
T, and U on the November ballot. Following a thorough evaluation, we
have determined these three petition-proposed amendments to the
Dallas City Charter would be detrimental to the commercial real
estate industry and harmful to our city.
In our assessment, the passage of these propositions would impair the
City’s ability to invest in essential services and expose it to
frivolous and costly litigation. Additionally, these measures could
result in the termination of effective city managers based on the
outcomes of a very small annual survey, thereby politicizing this
critical role.
Furthermore, the language presented on the ballot for these
amendments does not fully represent the detailed underlying charter
amendments, hindering voters from making informed decisions. Below
are high-level summaries of these propositions. (See the full
propositions as they will appear on the ballot and the underlying
charter amendment proposals, sent to us by the City of Dallas, here.)
- Proposition
S: This proposition permits residents to sue
City Hall for perceived failures in the charter or ordinance
enforcement. A reputation for excessive litigation will concern
businesses and investors, harm future economic development, and
deter corporate relocations.
- Proposition
T: This proposition links the City
Manager’s employment and bonus compensation to an overly
simplistic performance survey. This amendment would dissuade
experienced candidates from considering the city manager
position in Dallas because a survey of 0.1% of Dallas residents
could lead to their automatic termination.
- Proposition
U: This proposition mandates the diversion of
half of all new revenue – including from hotel taxes, public
increment districts, and the Enterprise Fund – to public safety
initiatives. While public safety is paramount, this requirement
would constrain the City’s ability to allocate resources
effectively and respond to evolving needs and trends.
Additionally, some of the public safety objectives, such as
increasing the total Dallas Police Department force to a minimum
of 4,000 officers, exceed the hiring and training capacity of
DPD and is not recommended by current or prior Chiefs of Police.
The Real Estate Council remains steadfast in its
commitment to advocate for issues that impact the commercial real
estate industry and our city, both now and i the future. In alignment
with this commitment, we support the coalition leading the charge to vote
“against” these three measures that appear at the bottom of the
November 5 ballot.
If you have any questions,
please contact Jennifer Schmiel, senior director of The Real Estate
Council at jschmiel@recouncil.com or
(214) 580-1678.
Sincerely,
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