Dallas is freezing most new hiring and tightening spending to close a projected budget shortfall exceeding $30 million in its General Fund.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert announced the immediate cost-containment measures Friday in a memo to department directors. The gap stems from $16.4 million in overspending on police and fire pay and overtime, $13.8 million in higher employee medical and pharmacy claims, and $3.8 million in lower-than-expected sales tax revenue.
To address the shortfall, the city is implementing a selective hiring freeze on non-uniform positions in General Fund departments through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Exceptions are limited to mission-critical roles tied to public safety, legal compliance or public health; uniformed police and fire positions are largely exempt.
Overtime is now restricted to essential operations only, with discretionary and non-uniform overtime suspended. Departments must limit spending to mission-critical needs, delay nonessential purchases and suspend all non-essential travel for both uniformed and non-uniformed employees.
Tolbert said the steps will help the city focus limited resources where they matter most while protecting core services. “We are committed to strengthening efficiency across all operations while ensuring that limited resources are focused on the City’s most critical needs,” she said. “These measures are necessary to maintain essential services and uphold our fiscal responsibility to Dallas residents.”
The restrictions take effect immediately as officials monitor the budget closely and prepare for more comprehensive decisions later this year. City leaders stress that frontline public safety operations will not be impacted.
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To address the shortfall, the city is implementing a selective hiring freeze on non-uniform positions in General Fund departments
To address the shortfall, the city is implementing a selective hiring freeze on non-uniform positions in General Fund departments
