Dallas voters rejected Proposition A, a $443 million public safety bond that included funding for a new police academy. Unofficial results showed 56% voting against and 44% in favor. Voters countywide also turned down a tax increase to address homelessness. Work to clear the site at UNT Dallas is already underway, but the financing path for the new academy is uncertain.
Sean Pease, president of the Dallas Police Association, said he did not actively campaign for the bond but supported its projects. He said he expected the result. Pease also said he had not seen a bond with a public safety label defeated before.
District 9 Councilmember Paula Blackmon said the result sends a clear message. She said voters do not have faith in city government and that the city did not do its job. Blackmon had lost an 8-7 vote earlier this summer on splitting the bond into separate projects. "I don't know what's next," she said.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said in a statement that public safety remains a top priority. "The voters have spoken, and we respect their decision," she said. Tolbert said the city will work with the mayor, City Council and partners to address the facility needs.