Dallas, TX

Mission creep at Dallas City Hall must stop

Published

9 months ago

September 10, 2025

Mission creep at Dallas City Hall must stop

We are deep into budget season at Dallas City Hall, and you know what that means. Special interests are lining up to protect and expand every dollar that gets spent on their projects.

So it seems like a good time to get a quick reset on how Dallas stacks up when it comes to cost to taxpayers. Houston’s tax rate is 51.9 cents per $100 in valuation. Austin’s is 57.4 cents. San Antonio’s is 54.15. Fort Worth’s is 67.25.

And Dallas? Dallas’ current tax rate is 70.47 cents. We won’t even get into the rates of suburbs the city competes with.

So please, council members, resist the urge to add costs back into City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s proposed budget.

Sadly, we aren’t confident that is going to happen. The council already looks like it will buckle under, once again, on the closure of the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library. The story of this branch is an anecdote of why it is so hard to cut costs at City Hall, and why taxpayers continue to get saddled with ever-higher costs.

The branch is underutilized and doesn’t conform with a necessary consolidation strategy that reflects the reality of how libraries are used today. But it’s been all but impossible to close because council members won’t do it. Instead the branch will limp along another year on reduced hours. Next year, we are promised.

The council needs to recognize that special constituencies are not the voice of most Dallasites. People who choose to live in our city are paying a premium for the privilege. Tolbert has weighted her budget to add funds for public safety while reducing head count in other areas. That’s what most Dallasites want right now.

We were disappointed that more council members did not focus proposed budget amendments on savings. Council member Bill Roth, from North Dallas, did recommend $13 million in savings. He framed it in a politically unpalatable way by singling out programs that might run afoul of the Trump administration.

But Roth’s effort is the right one, combing the budget for costs that serve very small constituencies at the expense of all taxpayers. His proposal didn’t make it to the budget amendment process. It’s too bad since the discussion could have been fruitful. Whatever one thinks of some of the programs he highlighted, he is likely right that they could draw federal scrutiny.

Instead, if one looks at the council amendments listed on last week’s meeting agenda, the words “add” and “increase” most commonly precede “funding.”

Mission creep has been the standard of business at City Hall for generations. The costs of that creep are creating burdens that make Dallas less competitive.

It needs to stop. It will take a willingness to say enough is enough to get us there.

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If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

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Dallas, TX

McAllen Welcomes Texas Hockey | Dallas Stars

Published

3 hours ago

May 29, 2026

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McAllen Welcomes Texas Hockey | Dallas Stars

DallasStars.com is the official Web site of DSE Hockey Club, L.P. The Dallas Stars primary logo is a registered trademark and the Stars name and secondary logos are trademarks of the Dallas Stars. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2026 DSE Hockey Club, L.P. and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

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Dallas, TX

At least three dead after fire destroys Dallas apartment complex

Published

15 hours ago

May 29, 2026

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At least three dead after fire destroys Dallas apartment complex

NewsFeed

A large fire destroyed an apartment complex in Dallas after crews responded to reports of a gas leak. Authorities say at least three people, including a child, were killed. Other residents are unaccounted for.

Published On 29 May 2026

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Dallas, TX

North Texas doughnut shops named among best in U.S.

Published

1 day ago

May 28, 2026

Press Room

North Texas doughnut shops named among best in U.S.

Jarams will always be top in our hearts.

Lauren Drewes Daniels

Arguments about the best doughnut shops can get heated. We have our own personal top 10 favorites. And we have issues with DoorDash’s list below. So, let’s dive right into this sweet, round confection with a hole in the middle.

For National Donut Day, which is Friday, June 5, for all those who celebrate, DoorDash has a roundup of the top 100-rated small and medium-sized donut shops on DoorDash. The list includes local businesses across 86 cities and 25 states.

To be considered for the Donut Day Dozens list, the bakery must be small or medium-sized, have fewer than 10 stores, and have at least 1,000 reviews. The shops with the highest average consumer ratings from April 2025 to April 2026 were chosen.

Of the 21 donut shops chosen across Texas, 13 are located in North Texas.

North Texas bakeries named best doughnuts

Morning Donuts – Dallas, TX
Baker’s Dozen Donuts – Cross Roads, TX
Busy B’s Bakery – North Richland Hills, TX
Donut House Plano – Plano, TX
Donut King #3 – Fort Worth, TX
Eagle Donuts – Crowley, TX
Earnest Donuts – Lewisville, TX
Four Seasons Donuts – Irving, TX
Jin’s Donuts – Farmers Branch, TX
Master Donut – The Colony, TX
Stacy Donuts – McKinney, TX
TWISTY DONUTS MANSFIELD – Mansfield, TX

A few misses

There are some obvious big misses here. Like La Rue in Trinity Groves, which apparently was left off because it has fewer than 1,000 reviews. We awarded this chef-driven shop Best Doughnuts in 2025 for pushing out top-tier confections every morning and a seasonal menu that will both win you over and break your heart. They’re also using only beef tallow in the fryers now.

And no Jarams? The shop on Preston Road has a 4.7 average rating on DoorDash, and it appears 4.8 was the cutoff. The family-owned Jarams is one of the best shops in Dallas.

As is Detour Donuts in Frisco. This is run by an ambitious young baker who draws long lines for themed doughnuts and a rotating menu.

Beyond North Texas …

The rest of the awarded donut shops were mostly located in Houston, with a sprinkle in San Antonio. Shops were listed in alphabetical order, and not with any sort of numbered ranking system.