The following is the full text of Mayor Eric L. Johnson’s 2024 State of the City Address. Please note: Mayor Johnson occasionally deviated from the text as prepared.
Madam Secretary, Interim City Manager Tolbert, City Attorney Palomino, City Auditor Swann, council members, other distinguished elected officials, board and commission members, city staff, and my fellow Dallasites: Thank you for joining me this morning.
As your Mayor, it is my duty, as laid out in the Dallas City Charter, to report to you once a year on, and I quote, “the state of the city, its financial condition, its accomplishments, and its plans and needs for the future.” It is my honor and privilege to do so here today.
Throughout the last five and a half years, I have consistently shared my vision to build on Dallas’ strong momentum by focusing on what I have called the four P’s: public safety, parks, potholes, and property tax relief.
These four pillars are essential to Dallas remaining a city of opportunity for everyone. Growing up in Dallas, my family didn’t have much. But we had each other, we had our neighbors, and we had this incredible city — a city that, years later, blessed me with the opportunity to serve as its mayor.
Today, we’re working overtime to keep that same spirit of opportunity alive and well — ensuring that Dallas continues to attract those eager to embrace our way of life and remains a place where people can live their dreams.
That, my friends, requires real investment in the four P’s. And the people of Dallas resoundingly agree. This year, voters overwhelmingly approved the city’s 2024 Bond Program, marking an historic investment in our streets, parks, and public safety — all without raising your taxes.
This morning, I’m thrilled to share with all of you that the state of our city is stronger than ever.
Dallas is excelling on all four P’s. For a city to thrive, all four P’s must work in tandem. However, the foundation of all of them is public safety.
Economic prosperity, beautiful parks, and vibrant neighborhoods are only possible when residents know that they’re safe. It’s actually quite simple: if Dallas isn’t safe, people won’t want to live, work, or even visit here — no matter how beautiful our parks or how smooth our streets.
In order to be a city of genuine opportunity, Dallas must be safe, first and foremost. And thanks to our police department, Dallas is safe. In fact, Dallas stands proudly as one of the safest major cities in America. Over the past year, we’ve maintained an incredible streak in public safety, with violent crime falling for the fourth year in a row.
Murders are down nearly 30% from last year. And since the implementation of our Violent Crime Reduction plan nearly four years ago, violent crime incidents are down 20%.
These statistics are more than just numbers on a page. Each figure represents a life saved, a family kept whole, a neighbor who feels safe walking down his or her street. Every percentage drop means fewer people facing the trauma of assault, robbery, and other crimes too often associated with big cities. We’re making a difference that goes beyond the data and truly making Dallas a safer city for everyone.
Dallas continues to defy the trends we see in other major cities thanks to the implementation of the data-driven public safety strategies in our Violent Crime Reduction Plan. But these strategies only work because of the daily dedication of our men and women in blue who put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe.
This year, on August 29, Dallas lost a hero — Officer Darron Burks, who was tragically killed in the line of duty while living out his oath to protect and serve this city. I pray that Dallas never forgets his sacrifice — that we always remember his name — and that we are forever inspired by his example.
Dallas stands firmly behind our police officers, and this year, we passed a funding plan for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System to ensure that our first responders can retire with the security they deserve.
In addition to looking out for our retirees, we are also investing in our up-and-coming cadets. Just a couple of months ago, we officially kicked off the design phase of our new Regional Law Enforcement Training Center at the University of North Texas at Dallas.
This center will train hundreds of new cadets and strengthen our police department’s recruiting efforts. We’re committed to recruiting new officers and to equipping them with the highest level of training and preparation needed to keep Dallas and themselves safe.
Funded through our city’s 2024 Bond Program and an appropriation from the State of Texas, this state-of-the-art center will be emblematic of Dallas’ deep appreciation for those who protect our city. When it comes to public safety, we’re guided by the core belief that all of our communities deserve to be safe — and for that, we need more dedicated, well-trained police officers.
In addition to our bond program, which committed over 90 million dollars to public safety facilities — the City Council unanimously passed a budget this year that puts public safety first and funds the hiring of 250 more police officers, which we have now done for four years in a row.
Finally, programs like the annual Mayor’s “Summer of Safety” keep Dallas youth safe and engaged with their community, which in turn contributes to lower crime rates in the summer months — something that rarely happens in big cities. All of these initiatives are directed toward our ultimate goal: for Dallas to be the undisputed safest big city in America.
But our successes don’t stop there. This year, Dallas doubled down on its commitment to parks with an historic 345 million dollar investment through our city’s 2024 Bond Program. These funds will bring new parks to neighborhoods across the city, ensuring that every Dallas resident has access to quality green spaces while leveraging further investment in our park system.
When I became Mayor, I recommitted Dallas to the Trust for Public Land’s 10-Minute Walk Campaign — a pledge that every family in Dallas would be just a short stroll away from a park or trail. We are living up to that pledge by adding parks, trails, and green spaces at a record pace.
Today, three-quarters of Dallas residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and the Trust for Public Land has ranked Dallas as having the best park system of any major city in Texas.
In the past year alone, we’ve taken great steps toward building innovative new parks that will serve this city for generations.
In southern Dallas, we’re building Halperin Park, a visionary deck park over Interstate 35 next to the Dallas Zoo named after the Halperin family in recognition of the largest private donation in the history of our city’s park system. Halperin Park will bridge the gap between communities long divided by that interstate while providing southern Dallas with the beauty, utility, and economic opportunity afforded by a modern park.
Recently, we also launched the construction of Harold Simmons Park, a transformative nature park along the Trinity River that will be one of the largest parks in all of North Texas. This year, we also began renovations on the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park, investing in an asset that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Dallas every year.
We know that parks and green spaces are tremendous for our residents. Everyone loves parks, but our city chooses to invest in them because parks hold real power. Parks can revitalize the neighborhoods around them and breathe new life into communities.
As powerful economic drivers, parks offer some of the best returns on your tax dollars. When the city chooses to invest in its park system, it attracts businesses and spurs private investment in the surrounding neighborhoods. Most importantly, parks help us attract and keep families in Dallas, making our city a more welcoming and vibrant place for everyone.
Parks also serve as a great equalizer. Step into a Dallas park, and you’ll see a cross-section of our city — people of every age, background, and income level, all enjoying these spaces, together. Parks unite us, offering a place to gather, recharge, and experience the best of Dallas, side by side.
I spend more time with my kids at Bachman Lake Park, Kiest Park, Preston Hollow Park, and our city’s golf courses than any other place on Earth besides possibly our living room sofa.
Our work is far from over. While we may have the best park system of Texas’ big cities, our vision doesn’t stop there. Our sights are set even higher: on having the greatest parks of any major city in America.
In addition to our incredible successes in public safety and parks, we’re also filling potholes and improving streets all across our city. Like public safety and parks, well-kept streets are essential to a flourishing city. Smooth streets make our city better-connected, and provide improved access to businesses and cultural attractions.
In a world-class city like Dallas, no one should have to worry about blowing a tire in a pothole on their way to work. Residents have told us time and time again that Dallas needs better streets. And this year, we are answering their call. In the city’s 2024 Bond Program, we are investing 520 million dollars in street improvements — again, without raising your taxes.
And speaking of taxes, we’re making historic strides in lessening your property tax burden. Just a few months ago, this City Council unanimously passed a budget that includes the largest single-year property tax rate reduction in Dallas history.
The Dallas economy is booming. This year, we achieved recognition as the No. 2 financial capital in America — and if you know anything about me, you know that No. 1 better look out.
With the Texas Stock Exchange establishing its headquarters here, Dallas is well-positioned to become a powerhouse for finance and international trade. All across North Texas, economic growth is evident, but Dallas remains the heart of this region and the anchor that keeps North Texas thriving.
And as a truly international city, Dallas serves as Texas’ gateway to the rest of the world. Our international relationships are expanding, and this year, we opened an official trade office with Tanzania — our third trade office to open in the last two years in our International District.
Dallas is also dominating in sports. Right now, North Texas is preparing to host nine games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — more than any other area. This will bring Dallas international attention and generate incredible revenue for our city, benefiting our local hotels, restaurants, and entertainment-related businesses.
Because professional sports are a robust and lucrative industry, one of my key initiatives has been to attract and retain professional sports in our city. And that focus is starting to bear fruit. Right now, Dallas is at the forefront of women’s sports in particular.
This year marked the launch of Dallas Trinity FC, our first professional women’s soccer team, now playing at the Cotton Bowl. And in an exciting new partnership, the WNBA’s Dallas Wings will soon come home to Dallas, and will be playing downtown at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
Essential to securing the Wings deal was the $3.7 billion redevelopment of our city’s convention center, which we officially broke ground on this summer. This incredible investment was also accomplished without a tax increase on Dallas residents thanks to Prop A, which I championed two years ago.
The expanded convention center will transform Downtown Dallas and drive unprecedented economic growth, with over $1.5 billion in events already booked at the new facility upon its opening.
Additionally, our city is tackling the issue of homelessness with renewed vigor. This year, Dallas recorded its lowest homelessness count since 2015, marking a 19% decrease in overall homelessness and a 24% reduction in unsheltered homelessness since 2021. We also achieved the ambitious goal of effectively ending veterans’ homelessness.
This year also marked another significant milestone for Dallas, something we do only once every 10 years: we reviewed and updated our city’s charter. This process began over a year ago with the Charter Review Commission, chaired by long-time public servant Allen Vaught, and culminated in last month’s election.
Through this election, Dallas voters sent a resounding message to City Hall. Our residents told us loud and clear that they want more police officers on their streets and a city government that is more responsive, more accountable, and more transparent.
Voters overwhelmingly passed a measure to enshrine in our city’s charter the Office of Inspector General as a permanent, independent office. Nearly three years ago, I proposed the Office of Inspector General to increase accountability among city officials. And now, Dallas voters have overwhelmingly ratified this tangible embodiment of our city’s commitment to open and honest government.
These calls from our residents for greater public safety and stronger government accountability could not be more clear. And City Hall must listen. I assure you that as your Mayor, I hear you and I understand what’s important to you. And I promise you that I will continue to champion accountability and to put public safety first.
To that end, I will initiate a process in the coming months to develop Dallas’ first ever comprehensive public safety policy, which will guide our next decade of decision-making with respect to public safety. This process will be led by Council Member Cara Mendelsohn, as chair of the Public Safety Committee, working alongside our new police chief.
Which brings me to my final point for today. It’s been a tremendous year for Dallas, but maintaining this momentum calls for the right leadership. We’re actively searching for both a new Police Chief and a new City Manager who will align with the priorities I’ve outlined this morning—priorities that Dallas is excelling at today.
Finding the right police chief in former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia was critical to the record-breaking public safety achievements Dallas made over the past four years. And finding the right successor to pick up the mantle and lead our police department going forward is no less critical. The residents of Dallas deserve a police chief who is truly dedicated to keeping them safe — and who has the expertise to do so immediately.
Likewise, appointing a city manager is one of the most important decisions a Dallas City Council makes. While we, your elected officials, determine public policy, it’s the city manager who is responsible for executing that policy and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city, including everything from issuing building permits to hiring a police chief.
For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that Dallas hires a city manager who puts public safety first, prioritizes property tax relief, spends your tax dollars wisely, and delivers city services efficiently. We need someone who’s capable, accountable, and committed to serving the people of Dallas.
I want to thank Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins for his strong leadership of the Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Affairs, which is handling our national search for a city manager who’s right for Dallas.
Building on our successes in public safety, parks, filling potholes, property tax relief, and more, it’s now time for us to get back to work serving you, the people of Dallas, and ensuring that Dallas remains a city of genuine opportunity for everyone.
May God bless you. And may God bless the great city of Dallas.
