Dallas City Wire

A proposal by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to punish communities that defund their police departments by freezing their property taxes has Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson saying he would like to defund high-paid bureaucrat salaries and have less dependence on police.

"I would want to see the actual legislation before I comment directly on Gov. Abbott's proposal because 'defunding' means different things to different people,” Johnson, a Democrat, said on the City of Dallas website. “But generally, I believe it should be up to voters to hold their local elected officials accountable for their budgetary decisions, which should reflect the people's priorities.

My top priority as mayor is keeping the public safe,” Johnson continued. “Dallas has had unacceptable increases in violent crime in the past few years, and that has disproportionately affected our underserved communities. People need safety and stability to thrive. To that end, it's imperative for us to invest in a highly trained and well-led police department that emphasizes community policing. I am also committed to exploring policies that reduce our dependence on police officers to solve society's ills.”

Johnson’s comments came on Aug. 18, the same day that Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen held a news conference in Fort Worth to announce a legislative proposal that would freeze property taxes at their current rate for Texas communities who attempt to defund their police departments. The defunding movement gained impetus in the wake of the death of George Floyd in May in Minneapolis and the nationwide riots and protests that followed.

"Part of our job as state leaders is to ensure the safety and security of all Texans, and we will not allow this core function to be undermined by cities that seek to defund and dismantle law enforcement agencies that have a sworn duty to protect our communities," Abbott said. "Defunding the police puts Texans in danger and invites lawlessness into our cities, and cities that endanger their residents should not be able to turn around and raise more taxes from those same Texans.”

However, Johnson indicated he would like to see police departments that were more economical.

"I personally believe we should look to defund the bureaucracy by redirecting portions of highly compensated government executives' salaries back to taxpayers or to programs and services that help make our communities stronger," he said. "With limited resources, we must act responsibly and produce a budget that focuses on safety, service and equity for our residents and businesses."