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The Real Estate Council is
actively monitoring issues at the state and local level that impact
the commercial real estate industry and our partners. Our mission is
to build a better city – and public policy is an essential component
of that vision.
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On Election Day, voters
will decide on 18 proposed amendments to the Dallas City Charter.
TREC provided input
on several of these, including support for establishing an
independent Office of the Inspector General (Proposition L). Four
amendments added to the November ballot by petition have raised
concerns from city, business, and civic leaders. The four amendments,
located at the bottom of the ballot, are as follows:
- Proposition
R: Decriminalizes up
to four ounces of marijuana for adults 21 years and older
(Ground Game Texas)
- Proposition S: Allows local citizens to file
lawsuits against the city alleging violation of city ordinances
or charter provisions (proposed by Dallas HERO)
- Proposition T: Ties the city manager's bonus pay
or possible automatic termination to the results of a
community survey (proposed by Dallas HERO)
- Proposition U: Caps 50 percent of all new revenue
-- including enterprise funds -- and allocates the other 50
percent to public safety initiatives (proposed by Dallas HERO)
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TREC’s Executive
Committee voted to join a broad coalition
of city and community leaders in opposing Propositions S, T, and U.
This coalition includes former Mayors Mike Rawlings, Ron Kirk, Laura
Miller, Tom Leppert, and Steve Bartlett, former Police Chief David
Brown, and State Senator Royce West. For more information, visit www.votenodallas.com.
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ForwardDallas 2.0
On September 25, the
City Council voted 11-4 to approve the comprehensive land use plan.
TREC expressed support for
Forward Dallas 2.0 throughout the process. At the August 27 Economic
Development Committee meeting, Councilmember Ridley proposed
compromise amendments that would direct “incompatible growth away
from areas of stability and toward areas where development can be a
force for healthy change.” Neighborhood groups had previously
criticized the plan for not explicitly protecting single-family
neighborhoods from potential zoning changes that could impact their
character and livability. You can read the latest version here.
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Digital Advertising Kiosks
On September 16, the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee surprised staff and
stakeholders by directing staff to issue a new request for proposals
(RFP) for digital advertising kiosks. TREC has been actively engaging
with city staff, raising concerns and requesting that the city
provide a clear rationale for the kiosks, outline design standards,
assess budget impacts, and clarify the process for selecting future
locations. On September 27, Councilmembers Paul Ridley and Jaynie
Schultz authored a five-signature memo to
bring the matter before the full council for consideration
soon.
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2024-25 Draft Budget
The Dallas City Council
unanimously voted to approve the $4.97 billion budget on September
18. Following a reorganization of city departments, the new budget
closes a $38 million shortfall, increased the police and fire budget
by $79 million, and lowered the property tax rate by 3.1 cents.
Dallas residents and businesses will also see a new $3 monthly water
utility fee to support city-wide cleanup efforts around homeless
encampments, storm debris, and illegal dumping.
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Park Land Dedication
Passed during the 88th legislative session, the legislature adopted
H.B. 1526 in an effort to cap the collection of
park land dedication fees in the state's largest cities. While the
city works to stand up a new park land dedication fee program, it
paused assessment and collection of all parkland dedication fees for
projects that submit for permit after January 1, 2024. The TREC
team is working closely with city staff to reach a consensus on the
fee structure and ordinance changes for multifamily development.
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Construction Parking Concerns
TREC is collaborating
with Councilmember Ridley and city staff to find a compromise on a
proposed ordinance that would require parking plans for new
construction projects in Uptown, specifically PD-193. Councilmember
Ridley has received numerous complaints from residents and small
business owners regarding construction crews occupying street
parking.
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Join TREC PAC
State and local
officials impact the commercial real estate industry from zoning to
permitting to tax policy, and TREC needs your support to elect
candidates who support sound policies. TREC PAC is funded exclusively
by our members, and offers exclusive member benefits, like attending
the 89th Texas Legislature RECsTX Lobby Day in February, interviewing
candidates for Dallas City Council, and voting on candidate
endorsements and contributions. Make an impact, join TREC PAC today!
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2024 Elections: Your Voice, Your Vote. Make It
Count!
When you cast your vote
alongside your neighbors, friends, and family, you ensure that your
community's values are represented, and vital resources are directed
to the issues that matter most to you. It’s election season, and the
ballot will include candidates from the president to our local county
sheriff as well as important municipal charter amendments. Don’t stay
silent—make sure your voice is heard at the polls this November!
VOTE!
Early voting starts on Monday, October 21 and runs through
Friday, November 1. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
You can find more information on Dallas County elections and polling
locations here.
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Public Policy Committee
Interested in joining
TREC's Public Policy Committee?
Contact Michael Williams to
learn more. The next meeting will be Thursday, December 5, at 8:30 a.m.
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Legislative Bill Working Group
The 89th Texas
legislature will gavel in on January 14, 2025, and legislators will
begin prefiling bills in November. TREC is reinstituting the
Legislative Bill Working Group for members to help analyze
legislation that could impact commercial real estate. If you are
interested in state public policy, please reach out to Michael Williams to
learn more!
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You can register for
our upcoming events here.
- Wednesday, October
30| The Deal: From
Acquisition to Disposition, Module III
- Wednesday,
November 6 | Young Guns
Forum: Uptown Dallas
- Thursday, November
7 | Industry
Insights: Transportation and Infrastructure
- Wednesday,
November 12 | Bank of Texas Speaker Series: Capital Markets Update,
with Mark Gibson of JLL Capital Markets-Americas
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Manage Your Preferences
The
Real Estate Council
3100 McKinnon Street, Suite 1150 Dallas, TX 75201
214.692.3600 | recouncil.com
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