By Devyani Chhetri
Staff Writer
Dallas Morning News
Credit: Steve Nurenberg/The Dallas Morning News
A southern Dallas council member is donating a portion of his salary in solidarity with city employees who will be furloughed for three days to address the city’s budget deficit.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Maxie Johnson said the city’s cost-cutting measures were a difficult but necessary decision that called for shared sacrifice. He said he will donate three days of his pay. Council members make $60,000 annually, and pay for three days is less than $700.
“Although the Dallas City Charter does not permit elected officials to participate in the city’s furlough days, I will stand alongside our city manager and city staff during this challenging time,” he said.
Johnson defended City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert against criticism that drastic changes in the city’s operations often come with little to no warning. He said the council received regular budget briefings and sales tax reports as city officials work to overcome a more than $30 million shortfall halfway through the current fiscal year.
Most city employees will have to take mandatory leave without pay on July 10, Sept. 4 and Sept. 28. They can’t take sick leave or vacation time instead. Executives at or above the assistant director level are also required to take two additional furlough days before Sept. 16.
These measures are expected to save the city about $5 million. City officials previously estimated furloughing non-essential staff would save $1.4 million a day in salary and pension costs.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
