Bust the Bond declares victory and pledges to work toward a better bond proposal in 2027.
Dallas voters rejected the city’s $443 million public safety bond Tuesday, Bust the Bond said in a victory statement pledging to work toward a better bond proposal in 2027.
The proposal sought $443 million in borrowing. The city’s voter information document estimated $186.6 million in interest, bringing total repayment to $629,618,180. The repayment estimate explains the roughly $629 million figure on opponents’ campaign signs.
“This vote was not a rejection of public safety. It was a demand for a better plan,” Bust the Bond said in a statement provided to The Dallas Express.
Dallas City Council Member Cara Mendelsohn (District 12) made a similar case in an October 25 op-ed for The Dallas Express, arguing that voters deserved separate propositions for individual projects and guarantees about how the city would spend the money.
“Supporting public safety doesn’t require abandoning fiscal responsibility,” Mendelsohn wrote.
The campaign said it would work toward a better bond proposal in 2027 and support a separate police academy proposition that guarantees the money goes to that project and cannot shift to other uses.
The group said Dallas needs a new academy and strong public safety facilities, but argued residents deserve a more specific proposal, greater public input and clearer spending protections.
“We can support public safety while demanding fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability from City Hall,” the statement said.
Opponents also objected to moving 911 operations out of Dallas City Hall. The city’s project description called for combining the 911 center and emergency operations center at an existing city-owned property outside the central business district, citing resilience and security needs.
The city’s plan included $82 million for the law enforcement training center at UNT Dallas and $149 million for a separate public safety training complex. It also proposed $150 million for police evidence storage and a crime lab, $40 million for the emergency operations and 911 facility, and $22 million to replace Fire Station No. 4.
The academy’s funding plan also includes $50 million from the voter-approved 2024 bond program. The November proposal sought additional funding rather than the academy’s entire construction budget.
Voters faced a single decision on the combined city bond package, separate from Dallas County’s Proposition A tax proposal for homelessness-related programs, as The Dallas Express previously reported.
Bust the Bond credited volunteers who distributed yard signs, spoke to community groups and contacted neighbors. The group said it would also continue advocating for responsible fiscal policy, transparency and preserving Dallas City Hall.
Provided by Dallas Express
