It was an incredible honor to return to the stage at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas — one of the top rated concert halls in the entire world — to deliver an address at the 2023 Dallas City Council Inauguration Ceremony. (Read or watch it here.)
Remarkably, both United States Senators from Texas joined this joyous occasion. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are to be commended for their unwavering support of this great city!
In four years, we have made undeniable progress toward preserving Dallas as a place of genuine opportunity for all. That is why this Administration is once again calling for unity behind a “back-to-basics” agenda and more steady progress toward three critical goals. This Administration will lead Dallas further down the path toward becoming:
- The safest major city in the United States;
- The major city with the best park system in Texas; and
- The major city with the lowest tax rate in the North Texas region.
Why? Because opportunity begins and ends with safety. And because a vibrant park system creates opportunities for kids and families in every Dallas community to experience a decent quality of life. And because without meaningful property tax relief, residents may choose or be forced to forgo the opportunity to live and work in Dallas.
My dreams came true because of the love and support of the Dallas community, which is why my primary mission remains ensuring that the dreams of others can come true in this city, too.
National attention
Dallas truly represents American urbanism at its best and is rightfully gaining national attention as a result.
The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty recently wrote about why Dallas stands out among America’s largest cities. And this week, Fox News explored just how Dallas has been able to buck national violent crime trends the last two years and counting.
I shared with hosts Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum the three main reasons for Dallas’ tremendous success: a great police chief; a comprehensive violent crime reduction plan that includes hot spot policing, focused deterrence, and non-law-enforcement-based strategies; and strong community-police relations. Watch the full interview here.
Your mayor will continue to prioritize public safety — no matter which way the political winds blow.
Room for improvement
Despite the progress this city has made over the last four years, there is always room for improvement.
The Dallas City Council was briefed last week on the findings of the 2023 City of Dallas Community Survey conducted by the ETC Institute. The purpose of the survey was to assess Dallas residents’ perceptions of the quality of city services and to understand better residents’ priorities.
Many of the results were positive and aligned with another recent survey conducted by Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group. For example, 66% of respondents rated their neighborhood as an “excellent” or “good” place to live, and 71% of respondents said they feel “very safe” or “safe” in their neighborhood during the day. In addition, the ETC Institute confirmed satisfaction with city services is higher in Dallas than in many other large cities in the United States.
However, too few respondents rated police services as “excellent” or “good.” And too few respondents believe they receive good value for the city taxes they pay.
That is why this Administration continues to call for unity behind a “back-to-basics” agenda and remains more committed than ever to getting Dallas closer to becoming the safest major city in the United States.
The survey also suggests that residents overwhelmingly want their city government to focus on two main priorities: the maintenance of infrastructure and police services.
The FY 2023-24 Dallas City Budget and 2024 City of Dallas Bond Program each represent golden opportunities to prioritize infrastructure and public safety improvements. This Administration will advocate fiercely for both in the city’s next budget, and my three highest priorities for the 2024 bond program are the “Three Ps” — public safety, potholes (infrastructure), and parks.
In other news…
- Registration is now open for the 27th Annual Dallas Mayor’s Back to School Fair. More than 10,000 Dallas students will receive free school supplies and access to immunizations, dental screenings, vision exams, and other health and social services provided by more than 100 vendors on August 4 at Fair Park. Learn more about this family-friendly fair and register to participate here.
- The Dallas Mayor’s International Advisory Council hosted a luncheon last week honoring the Consular Corps of Dallas/Fort Worth. Diplomats representing 20 countries attended, and I shared with them this Administration’s international accomplishments achieved over the past four years and vision for the next four. The Consular Corps representatives then discussed their respective countries’ international projects and priorities in addition to ways they can support this city’s international agenda. Dallas’ stature on the world stage continues to increase.
- A new report indicates that Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) will be the biggest metro in the United States by the year 2100. Based on current population and migration trends, moveBuddha predicts that America’s three biggest metro areas by 2100 will be DFW, Houston, and Austin, replacing New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago as the country’s most populous metros. The report’s author said, “The future of America may lie in Texas.” There is no question that the future belongs to Dallas!
It is the honor and privilege of a lifetime to continue serving as the 60th Mayor of Dallas. “Thank you” doesn’t begin to convey the extent of my gratitude for the entire Dallas community.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
Until next time…
