Dallas voters sent a clear message by approving all 10 bond propositions on the May 4 ballot. They want to house the homeless and have upgraded libraries and arts and culture facilities. But most importantly, Dallasites want their roads fixed.
The Dallas bond election proposition that got the most votes was at the top of the ballot. Proposition A pledges $521.2 million for the construction of, repair to, and land purchase for roads, bridges, sidewalks, traffic signals, safety projects, and railroad crossing noise reduction.
A Community Bond Task Force recommended allocations for bond proposals, which were reviewed along with staff recommendations. Ultimately the Dallas City Council decided what would go on Saturday’s ballot. As some voters pointed out, bonds are frequently approved; the challenge is in getting the right proposals on the ballot with designated amounts to make progress toward rebuilding infrastructure and catalyzing new development.
“The 2024 Dallas bond package is an investment in our city’s basics — with more than three-quarters of the funds allocated for roads, parks, and public safety,” said advocate Bryan Tony with Dallas Housing Coalition. “That means smoother streets, cleaner and safer parks, and investment in public safety that keep our families safe and our economy strong. It’s critical that we maintain our city’s infrastructure — even in uncertain economic times — and bonds are a great way to make that investment without burdening taxpayers.”
Ranking The Top Vote-Getters in Bond Election
Here’s how the final numbers shook out, with streets, parks, and information technology getting the most affirmative votes.
Proposition A — About 33,743 voters, or 86.45 percent, cast ballots for the Streets and Transportation proposition. Just 5,288 ballots were cast against Prop A.
Officials repeatedly emphasized throughout the bond process that issuing bonds is the most prudent way to pay for unsexy, but necessary, projects like streets and drainage.
District 9 Community Bond Task Force Member Courtney Spellicy said during a December council meeting that parks, housing, and the arts had dedicated advocates, but no one was speaking up about potholes and stormwater runoff.
“But we all know it has to be addressed,” Spellicy told the City Council. “My desire would be that, although it is certainly popular and more politically expedient to support a number of things, you’re going to have to do the tough thing, which is to increase funding in streets and infrastructure, increase funding in all of your facilities … and in regard to housing, it’s disingenuous to say that the city is becoming a developer by putting bond funds toward housing because the reality is that money is going to be utilized for streets and transportation infrastructure as well as water.”
Proposition B — Parks and Recreation got a resounding 31,866 “for” votes, or 81.91 percent, with 7,037 voters casting ballots against Prop B. The measure translates to $345.27 million for the construction of, repair to, and land purchase for parks, recreation centers, trails, specialty parks, athletic fields, a golf center, pedestrian bridges, and playgrounds.
Proposition J — No voter fatigue detected here. In the wake of a 2023 ransomware attack, 31,546 voters, or 81.31 percent approved $5 million for Information Technology, the last proposition on the ballot. About 7,249 Dallasites voted against Prop J.
Lowest Vote-Getters
Proposition G — All the propositions passed handily, but Prop G did so with the lowest approval margin. About 27,047, or 70.09 percent said yes to $72.3 million for Economic Development grants and incentives for commercial, industrial, retail, residential, or mixed-use development, infrastructure development, and land purchase.
Proposition H —The bond’s loudest and most organized advocates this year came out for housing, originally asking for $200 million. They settled for $26.4 million to fund affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization initiatives, including constructing affordable housing, infrastructure construction, and land purchase. About 28,620 voters, or 73.76 percent, cast ballots for Prop H, while 10,179 voted against it.
Proposition E — About 29,592 voters, or 76.26 percent, approved a $75.2 million expenditure for the construction of, repair to, and land purchase for cultural arts facilities. About 9,212 residents voted against it.
More Election Results
Measures that didn’t get the most votes but didn’t get the least votes are Propositions F (Public Safety Facilities), I (Homelessness), D (Library Facilities), and C (Flood Protection and Storm Drainage).
Proposition F — Those opposed to the Public Safety proposition referred to it as the “Cop City prop,” but only 8,549 Dallasites cast ballots against it. About 30,245, or 77.96 percent, supported the $90 million measure, which will fund the construction of, repair to, and land purchase for public safety projects, including a Police Training Academy.
“We do not need more policing; what we need is more community resources — more resources for housing, more resources for community services, re-entry programs,” Dallas advocate Tiara Cooper said in an Instagram video encouraging residents to vote against Prop F.
Proposition I — Voters approved $19 million for homeless housing, with 30,749 voters, or 79.14 percent, casting ballots for the measure and 8,105 voting against it.
Proposition D — About 31,114 voters, or 80.17 percent, approved Prop D, which allocates $43.53 million to library facilities. About 7,695 residents voted against it.
Proposition C — Flood protection and storm drainage was another contentious bond proposition. Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn asked voters to deny the $52.1 million measure, but just 7,422 Dallasites voted against it. It passed, with 31,464 votes, or 80.91 percent.
“The flooding and erosion (prop C) and housing (prop H) propositions are important, but I am against them because they can be funded in other ways, not requiring city debt,” Mendelsohn said in a CandysDirt.com column.
The councilwoman was quick to point out that while Dallas voters overwhelmingly passed all 10 measures, the majority of Collin County residents who live in the City of Dallas voted against Propositions C and H, with Prop G passing by less than 20 votes.
“To those who wonder if I regret being the lone voice against any of the bond propositions, the answer is hell no,” Mendelsohn said Sunday. “I pledge to tell you the truth as I see it, even if it is against a million-dollar PR campaign and unpopular at City Hall.”
