Texas 1 Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Dallas for underfunding its police force
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that he has filed a lawsuit against officials in Dallas, saying the city failed to adequately fund the police department as required by a voter-approved public safety measure.
Paxton, a Republican running for the U.S. Senate, accused Dallas of illegally refusing to comply with Proposition U, a public safety measure approved by city voters in 2024.
Proposition U requires that 50% of all new annual revenue the city receives be directed toward police and firefighter pensions. The measure also mandates that the city retain at least 4,000 police officers — about 900 more than the department had in 2024.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against officials in Dallas over underfunding the police department. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The lawsuit, announced Friday, names Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Chief Financial Officer Jack Ireland Jr. as defendants.
“I filed this lawsuit to ensure that the City of Dallas fully supports the law, protects public safety, and is accountable to its constituents,” Paxton said in a press release.
“If the voters want more money to maintain the law, local officials must follow immediately,” he continued. “As members of law enforcement across the country face attacks from the radical Left, it is imperative that we fully support the brave men and women who protect law and order in our communities. This lawsuit aims to do just that by ensuring that Dallas follows its charter and provides police with the support they need to protect the public.”
Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, accused Dallas of illegally refusing to comply with Proposition U. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Paxton alleges that Dallas officials underestimated the amount of excess money the city has in its current budget to put security measures in place for Proposition U. The additional revenue for the 2025-2026 fiscal year should be $220 million, according to Paxton, but the city only reported about $61 million.
The lawsuit also accuses Dallas of failing to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation audit, as required under the measure.
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The lawsuit accuses Dallas of failing to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation audit. (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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The complaint demands that the city properly allocate the proceeds from the proceeds to police pensions, police pay and increasing the number of police officers in accordance with Proposition U.
Dallas city leaders have taken action to go along with Proposition U, according to Fox 4. In December, the city council approved a 30-year, $11 billion plan to fund the police department.
