Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal action against Dallas officials, accusing them of insufficiently funding the city’s police department in violation of a voter-endorsed public safety initiative.
In his lawsuit, Paxton, who is currently campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat as a Republican, claims that Dallas has failed to adhere to Proposition U. This measure, passed by city voters in 2024, outlines specific funding requirements for public safety.
Proposition U mandates that 50% of any new annual revenue the city secures must be allocated to police and fire pensions. It also stipulates that the city should maintain a police force of at least 4,000 officers, significantly increasing from the approximately 3,100 officers in 2024.
In the lawsuit announced last Friday, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland Jr. are named as defendants.
“My aim with this lawsuit is to compel the City of Dallas to adequately fund law enforcement, ensure public safety, and remain accountable to its residents,” Paxton declared in an official statement.
“I filed this lawsuit to ensure that the City of Dallas fully funds law enforcement, upholds public safety, and is accountable to its constituents,” Paxton said in a press release.
“When voters demand more funding for law enforcement, local officials must immediately comply,” he continued. “As members of law enforcement across the country increasingly face attacks from the radical Left, it’s crucial that we fully fund the brave men and women in law enforcement defending law and order in our communities. This lawsuit aims to do just that by ensuring Dallas follows its own charter and gives police officers the support they need to protect the public.”
Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, accused Dallas of unlawfully refusing to comply with Proposition U. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Paxton alleges Dallas officials under-calculated the total of excess money the city had in its current budget to put toward safety measures in Proposition U. The additional revenue for the 2025-2026 fiscal year should be $220 million, according to Paxton, but the city only reported approximately $61 million in excess revenue.
The lawsuit also accuses Dallas of failing to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey, as required under the measure.
The lawsuit accuses Dallas of failing to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The complaint demands that the city properly allocate the excess revenue towards police pensions, officer pay and increasing the number of officers in accordance with Proposition U.
Dallas city leaders have taken action to comply with Proposition U, according to Fox 4. In December, the city council approved a 30-year, $11 billion dollar pension funding plan for the police department.
