Dallas staff propose $281.9 million midyear amendment; stormwater reclassification and parks among major changes

City budget officials briefed the Dallas Government Performance and Financial Management Committee on June 10 on a proposed fiscal year 2025 budget appropriation amendment that would increase the city’s total budget by about $281.9 million and reclassify portions of stormwater operations as an enterprise fund.

Jeanette Wheaton, director of Budget and Management Services, told the committee the ordinance before council would reallocate funding between departments, add appropriations for grant, trust and other funds and make capital adjustments. Wheaton said the amendment consolidates previously council-approved adjustments and contains $3.3 million in new appropriation requests, with larger capital adjustments both previously approved and new.

The proposal would leave the general fund with a net zero change overall while moving money among departments; Wheaton said staff are reallocating funds to reflect the city manager’s realignment of homeless response operations, including the Dallas Street Response team. She identified $1.6 million primarily for Park and Recreation, $1.1 million from the state opioid abatement fund and about $32,000 for the Home Investment Partnership Program among the new requests.

Wheaton also described a technical change tied to stormwater. During fiscal 2024 the stormwater operation issued revenue bonds backed by fees and charges, and the city will treat stormwater as an enterprise fund going forward. That change “results in a restatement of all assets and liabilities,” Wheaton said, and the amendment provides appropriation to move cash accordingly.

Wheaton said capital adjustments include $152.5 million previously approved and roughly $120.2 million of new capital appropriations, and that some items are closing-the-loop entries documenting actions council already took. She said city council will consider the ordinance on June 11 and staff will continue monitoring and reporting through budget accountability reports with a further end-of-year appropriation adjustment expected in September.

Committee members asked where the $3.3 million new requests are broken down; Wheaton said the ordinance posted for council includes the list of the previously approved items (about $5.8 million) and the new $3.3 million requests (parks, opioid abatement, home investment partnership). She said some transfers represent reclassifications and that detailed resolutions tied to the previously approved items are listed in the posted ordinance.

No committee vote was recorded; staff recommended the ordinance for council consideration on June 11.