Dallas residents want more arts funding

Dallas residents want to increase funding for the arts, social services and fixing streets, according to a city survey.

Why it matters: Dallas city leaders will begin budget discussions next week to determine how tax dollars will be used during the 2022-23 fiscal year, which begins in October.

What happened: 1,214 Dallas residents ranked their highest and lowest funding priorities in a survey open from May 2 through July 2, according to a city memo.

• Policing came in fourth among priorities but also ranked third of services residents would like to receive less funding.
• Code violation response and municipal court services were the top city functions residents want to decrease funding for.

Flashback: The city's current $4.3 billion budget is the largest ever, driven by federal stimulus funds.

• Of that budget, $566 million is allocated to the police department.

Of note: Property values and sales taxes are up this year, giving cities more dollars to work with in their budgets.

What's next: Residents can give input on the city's budget beginning Aug. 11, during town hall meetings scheduled for each council district.