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DART compromise would return $25 million over five years; Garland staff urges monitoring May 2 elections
Summary
Assistant City Manager Matt Watson and the DART board chair described a regional compromise to refund about $25,000,000 over five years and a governance agreement that would reduce Dallas' board share; staff warned three suburban elections on May 2 could still change service routes for nearby residents.
Assistant City Manager Matt Watson briefed the meeting on a regional agreement with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority (DART) intended as a five-year stop-gap that would return about $25,000,000 in sales-tax funds to member cities. Watson said the package aims to buy time while cities negotiate longer-term governance and funding changes. "I mentioned 5 years, 25,000,000," Watson said as he summarized the refund and the intent to buy time before potential elections recur every six years.
Watson and the DART board chair both described an agreement in principle to alter DART's governance: Dallas would reduce its voting share on the board to about 45% and member cities would each have a vote, but staff said that change requires state statutory action. Watson emphasized that three cities — Addison, University Park and Highland Park — still have May 2 elections that could result in those cities withdrawing from DART, which would require route restructuring for Garland riders on affected lines. The DART board chair framed the compromise as necessary to sustain service and promote a long-term commuter-rail authority for additional regional funding.
