Three former mayors of Dallas are launching an effort to amend the City Charter, seeking to significantly expand the executive powers held by future officeholders. Ron Kirk, Tom Leppert, and Mike Rawlings are advocating for a governance structure that would allow the mayor to hire the city manager and city attorney, develop the municipal budget, and veto specific spending items.
Under the proposed changes, the Dallas City Council would retain the ability to override any mayoral veto if two-thirds of its members vote in favor. The initiative aims to create a stronger executive branch, with supporters arguing that increased authority is necessary to advance the city’s agenda and potentially attract more qualified candidates for the upcoming 2027 mayoral election.
The proposal faces resistance from critics who contend that the current system, which features 14 council members elected from single-member districts alongside an at-large mayor, better serves individual neighborhoods.
Some activists and business leaders have previously called for even more substantial structural reforms, such as adding more at-large council seats or changing the total size of the council, though the former mayors have not endorsed those broader changes.
The campaign must also navigate opposition from the "Save City Hall" movement, which advocates for repairing and remaining in the current I.M. Pei-designed building. All three former mayors support relocating city government to a different facility, a stance that could alienate supporters of the preservation effort.
The success of the charter amendment will depend on whether voters separate the governance proposal from the debate over the future of City Hall.
