Early voters rejected efforts to increase the pay for Dallas’ leaders but mostly approved of 13 other propositions backed by the City Council, according to unofficial preliminary election results.

Just 42% of early voters supported Proposition C. It would increase the mayor’s salary to $90,000 and the council members’ pay to $110,000.

There are 18 propositions on the Nov. 5 election ballot for Dallas voters. Four of them, Propositions R, S, T and U, were successfully petitioned onto the ballot through signature-gathering drives led by two nonprofit groups. Proposition A is a city code amendment the City Council sent to voters. The other 13 propositions were the result of a yearlong process to update the city’s charter. They include raising salaries, banning term-limited former council members from being eligible to be elected again and adding a preamble at the beginning of the charter.

Dallas’ charter is typically updated once every 10 years. It determines the powers of city government and how it operates and is structured.

The 15-member Dallas City Council was not in alignment on recommendations for how voters should weigh in on the entire slate of 18 propositions and there are no organized support or opposition groups for propositions A – Q.

Mayor Eric Johnson and council member Cara Mendelsohn told voters to reject all 18 propositions saying they felt too many of the proposals were “unwise, unnecessary and underdeveloped.” Johnson, Mendelsohn and the rest of the City Council urged voters not to support Propositions S, T and U, which would set new mandates for police spending and the city manager’s job status and bonuses, as well as make it easier for residents to sue the city.

Council members Adam Bazaldua, Zarin Gracey, Jaime Resendez and Chad West have publicly supported decriminalizing low levels of marijuana in Dallas, citing such arrests disproportionately affecting Black and Latino communities and concern it diverts police attention away from more serious crimes. Proposition R would ban Dallas police from arresting people on suspicion of carrying less than four ounces of marijuana.

West, on his X account last month, said he voted for Propositions A-R and against S, T, and U.

If none of the propositions pass, a new slate of proposals to update the charter could go to voters as soon as May. Otherwise, the soonest voters could consider new charter amendments would be in another two years.

Here’s a summary of the propositions backed by the majority of the City Council:

Proposition A has 68% of the early votes. This proposal makes a series of changes impacting the pension system for civilian employees as well as the board that oversees it. It adds language to the Dallas code that puts term limits for six of the seven pension board members. This amendment would eliminate a cap on the maximum amount the city can contribute, increase the contribution percentage for some members, and add language allowing the City Council to approve giving lump-sum payments to the pension fund.

Proposition B has 71% of the early votes. This proposal adds a preamble to the beginning of the city charter, which is essentially a mission statement saying Dallas is an equitable democracy, comprised of representatives that act to make the city fair, equitable, just, and safe for all residents.

Proposition C has 42% of the early votes. This proposal would raise the annual salary of Dallas’ mayor from $80,000 to $110,000 and the pay of the 14 district council members from $60,000 to $90,000. The change would go into effect starting in January. It would also allow yearly adjustments to the salaries equal to the year-over-year percentage increase in the local consumer price index.

Proposition D has 65% of the early votes. This proposal would remove references in the charter requiring City Council elections to be held in May and allow the City Council to set the election date via a resolution or ordinance. State legislators must separately also approve allowing Dallas to move council elections from May.

Proposition E has 69% of the early votes. This proposal would eliminate the ability of prior mayors or council members coming back to run for City Council after previously being elected and serving the maximum number of terms.

Proposition F has 67% of the early votes. This proposal clarifies that the city secretary and city auditor can hire and fire all employees in their offices. The charter currently just lists assistants.

Proposition G has 70% of the early votes. This would add language to the charter to restrict who can be appointed by a City Council member to the redistricting committee. The new criteria would disqualify relatives of council members, registered city lobbyists, people who have contractual obligations with the city, and others with ties to the city or elected officials.

Proposition H has 51% of the early votes. This proposal eliminates the requirement that members of the Redistricting Commission, City Plan Commission, Civil Service Board, and Park and Recreation Board be registered to vote, qualified voters, or qualified taxpaying citizens. Removing this requirement would put the eligibility of members who serve on these four groups in line with the rest of Dallas’ around 50 volunteer citizen boards and commissions.

Proposition I has 53% of the early votes. This proposal would increase the time people have to collect valid voters’ signatures on petitions to create a ballot proposition for a new Dallas ordinance in the city code or to change an existing one. The deadline extends from 60 days to 120. This proposition would also lower the number of valid voters’ signatures necessary on petitions. The minimum requirement drops from 10% of Dallas-qualified voters to 5%. The current 10% requirement equals around 70,000 signatures.

Proposition J has 61% of the early votes. This proposal would allow the City Council to replace appointed members of boards and commissions at any time before the end of that board or commission member’s two-year term via a majority council vote.

Proposition L has 69% of the early votes. This change would create a new chapter in the charter, moving the Inspector General division out of the city attorney’s office and establishing it as its own office. The Inspector General would report directly to the City Council rather than the city attorney.

Proposition O has 79% of the early votes. This proposal would update the charter to clarify the current position of Dallas associate municipal court judges and state that their qualifications are the same as municipal judges.

Proposition P has 53% of the early votes. This proposal would eliminate a charter requirement for a city employee who appeals their demotion or termination to an administrative law judge to pay half the costs for having that official conduct an appeal hearing.

Proposition Q has 71% of the early votes. This proposal approves a series of changes for Dallas’ charter to conform to state law and city code, correct and clarify language and match actual city practices.

Posted November 5, 2024 9:43am CST

Dallas just can’t seem to stop putting themselves into holes early in games so far this season. They crawled out of an early 13-point deficit, then again from a nine-point hole in both the second and third quarters.

The offense looked alright after a get-right game against Orlando, but after winning their first back-to-back earlier this season, it looked like Dallas just couldn’t get across the finish line. Indiana scored at will in a 134-127 win against Dallas, and here are the stats we noticed.

22: Minutes from the Dallas centers

With Dereck Lively being a late scratch due to a shoulder sprain during warmups, the Mavericks went into this game with Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell as their bigs. Between them, they played 20 minutes; 15 from Gafford and seven from Powell.

Without Lively’s range-y mobility and ability to guard all the way to the arc, the Pacer’s Myles Turner caught fire from deep. He scored 30 for the game and went 5-of-8 from three. Dallas countered by going small, counting on PJ Washington to stem the damage from Turner while maximizing their own three-point potency. To that extent, it worked, as Dallas climbed back into the game shooting 42% on 36 three-point shots, but the defense suffered as a result.

11-of-11: Pacers’ 4th quarter shots at the rim

Despite having a hot shooting night of their own, Dallas’ small ball lineup had brought Dallas back into the game. In the fourth, Indiana responded by punishing Dallas down low.

Despite shooting 42% on 20 threes through three quarters, the Pacers shifted their focus to attacking the rim and Dallas’ smaller lineup. Indiana made one of the three triples they took in the final frame, but a perfect 11-of-11 at the rim powered a relentless 38-point fourth. Dallas just couldn’t get enough stops to get over the hump.

20: Points from Naji Marshall

If there was a bright spot to take away from this game, it was Naji Marshall’s offense showing up to the party. Early on when Dallas was still getting its bearings, it was Marshall’s 11-point first quarter that prevented what became a 13-point Pacer lead from getting any bigger.

He hit both his three-pointers and was 8-of-9 on the night. Along with Spencer Dinwiddie’s 14 bench points, the duo proved that Dallas has scoring depth that can buoy them in shootouts like tonight.

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