DALLAS — Mayor Eric L. Johnson on Thursday afternoon released select excerpts of his 2023 State of the City Address, which will be broadcast at 7 p.m. Thursday on WBAP News/Talk 820 and 99.5 FM-HD2.
The speech will be Mayor Johnson’s fifth State of the City event since taking office in June 2019 and the first of his second term. It will be the first time Mayor Johnson has delivered the speech via radio broadcast.
The speech fulfills a requirement of the City Charter, which calls for the mayor of Dallas to “ensure that annual reports are made as to the state of the city, its financial condition, its accomplishments, and its plan and needs for the future.”
Mayor Johnson’s address will discuss his vision for public safety, parks, and the 2024 Capital Bond Program. The speech will also touch on the mayor’s plans to build on the progress made during the last four years on many issues, including lowering violent crime and cutting property tax rates.
The speech will also be live-streamed on WBAP.com. A full transcript of the speech will be sent to the media on Thursday evening.
Excerpts
Mayor Johnson on Dallas’s growth and trajectory:
“In search of a better life, people across this country increasingly want to make Dallas their home.”
“When it comes to America’s biggest cities, Dallas has come to represent an oasis – a big city where dreams can, and still do, come true.”
Mayor Johnson on public safety:
“It is my philosophy that your city government must be responsive, responsible, and restrained. But the most important role that your city government plays is in keeping you safe.”
“This year, violent crime will fall again – a remarkable third-straight year of reductions. Aggravated assault, rape, and robbery are all continuing to go down. This means fewer victims of violence in this city than the year before. That is always our goal, and that is a significant achievement.”
“Our goal is to become the safest big city in America. That’s going to require us to continue to be relentless when it comes to ensuring public safety. You should expect nothing less from your city government.”
Mayor Johnson on property taxes:
“Here in Dallas, we’ve lowered our city’s tax rate every single year since I took office. Last year, we cut the tax rate by the largest amount in at least four decades. This year, we cut the rate again for the eighth-straight year, and we increased the exemption for senior citizens.”
“We can and we should be doing a lot more to give hard-working Dallas taxpayers some relief.”
“The wish lists of city government bureaucrats will always grow. There will always be a new program, a new pet project, a new department or office to establish for one reason or another. And your tax dollars will pay for it regardless of whether it works or not.”
Mayor Johnson on the next bond package:
“But the two biggest allocations in this bond package must be for streets and for parks. That’s what our citizen-led Community Bond Task Force recommended. That’s what the people of Dallas want. That’s what I want as your mayor. And that’s what our city needs.”
“The proposed allocation for parks would be the largest investment ever in our city’s park system. And it will help us to achieve our goal of ensuring that everyone in Dallas lives within a 10-minute walk of a park or a trail.”
Mayor Johnson on parks:
“Parks have an extraordinary ability to revitalize neighborhoods. They encourage private investment. They attract visitors and give our communities a gathering place. And most importantly, parks help us attract and keep families in Dallas.”
“We have seen this time and time again. When we’re smart about it, we get more bang for your buck with parks and trails and recreation centers than with anything else we do with your tax dollars.”
“Today, if you go to a Dallas park, you’ll see people from every neighborhood in our city — no matter how much money they make, no matter how old they are, no matter if they are black or white or brown, and no matter whether they’ve had a good day or a bad day.”
“I would say that, today, parks are to Dallas what Dallas has become to the rest of our nation: a place where we can breathe – and where promise and potential are still within our grasp.”
