Dallas Budget Town Halls Hit Districts 3, 5, and 6 Tonight

The money talks resume. Three Dallas council members (Districts 3, 5, and 6) are hosting budget listening sessions in scattered locations tonight as the city continues its annual process to shape the Fiscal Year 2026-27 spending plan. The sessions arrive against a backdrop of contentious budget priorities. During last year's budget season, city staff were pushed to focus on spending cuts and prioritized street infrastructure and public safety, while debate surfaced over funding for libraries and community pools.

District 6 Council Member Laura Cadena opens the evening with a virtual session at 6 p.m. featuring Spanish interpretation. District 3 Council Member Zarin Gracey follows at 6:30 p.m. with an in-person meeting at Park in the Woods Recreation Center (6801 Mountain Creek Pkwy.), also with Spanish interpretation. District 5 Council Member Jaime Resendez rounds out the night at 6:30 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Branch Library (7310 Lake June Rd.), with Spanish interpretation available.

The current fiscal year's budget was approved at $5.2 billion in September, per city records. But the looming backdrop is substantial: a recent AECOM study pegged the full rehabilitation of the I.M. Pei-designed City Hall at roughly $1 billion, and then there is the pink elephant of a potential Dallas Mavericks stadium. The council's March 4 briefing on that question stretched 16 hours, drew approximately 90 speakers, and ended with a 9-6 vote to continue exploring relocation.

Additional sessions continue on Thursday, March 26, covering Districts 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 14. Virtual attendees can register at bit.ly/dallasbudgettownhall.