Dallas City Council members get their first full look Wednesday at the city's draft agenda for the 2027 Texas Legislature, a list staff winnowed from 169 proposals submitted by council members and city departments.
The presentation for the 9 a.m. briefing, posted Tuesday, sorts the result into nine legislative priorities, 47 items the city would monitor and two it would oppose. The council is expected to vote on a resolution adopting the program Nov. 10. Bill pre-filing for the session opens Nov. 9, and lawmakers convene Jan. 12.
The priorities
The priority slides, approved by the council's Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Affairs, would have the city:
- pursue legislation letting cities enforce residential density caps, occupancy limits and faster nuisance enforcement, and seek to repeal or substantially reform the state's Learning Pod Act
- pursue changes to reduce barriers to condominium development
- support new state-authorized local funding to offset the cost of school crossing guard programs, including expanded vehicle registration fee authority and more participation from school districts
- pursue incentives for converting offices to housing
- support legislation tied to a proposed DART governance model the city is developing with other member cities
- seek money to put parks or green space within a 10-minute walk of homes, and to buy land
- push for police recruitment and retention incentives
- seek tougher penalties for firing a gun in a public place and for carrying a firearm while committing another offense
Each priority sits under the heading of maintaining local authority.
Opposed and monitored
The two oppose items cover state limits on city revenue, such as further caps on appraisals, tax rates or local revenue, and restrictions on utility cost recovery or revenue bonds.
