Ken Paxton sues Dallas over alleged failure to fund police as required by Proposition U

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he has filed a lawsuit against officials in Dallas, alleging the city failed to properly fund its police department as required by a voter-approved public safety measure.

Paxton, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, accused Dallas of unlawfully refusing to comply with Proposition U, a public safety measure approved by the city's voters in 2024.

Proposition U requires that 50% of all new annual revenue the city receives be directed toward police and fire pensions. The measure also mandates that the city maintain a minimum of 4,000 police officers — roughly 900 more than the department had in 2024.

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The lawsuit, announced on 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 funds law enforcement, upholds public safety, and is accountable to its constituents," Paxton said in a press release.

"When voters demand more funding for law enforcement, local officials must immediately comply," he continued. "As members of law enforcement across the country increasingly face attacks from the radical Left, it’s crucial that we fully fund the brave men and women in law enforcement defending law and order in our communities. This lawsuit aims to do just that by ensuring Dallas follows its own charter and gives police officers the support they need to protect the public."

Paxton alleges Dallas officials under-calculated the total of excess money the city had in its current budget to put toward safety measures in Proposition U. The additional revenue for the 2025-2026 fiscal year should be $220 million, according to Paxton, but the city only reported approximately $61 million in excess revenue. 

The lawsuit also accuses Dallas of failing to hire an independent third-party firm to conduct an annual police compensation survey, as required under the measure.

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The complaint demands that the city properly allocate the excess revenue towards police pensions, officer pay and increasing the number of officers in accordance with Proposition U.

Dallas city leaders have taken action to comply with Proposition U, according to Fox 4. In December, the city council approved a 30-year, $11 billion dollar pension funding plan for the police department.