Dallas proposes $5.7 billion budget with employee layoffs, funding for police

The Dallas city manager on Tuesday outlined a proposed $5.7 billion budget that includes more than 100 layoffs. She said it marks a new era for the city with lower growth.City Manager Kim Tolbert explained that because costs are rising faster than revenue, this could be a painful season in a city that is accustomed to reliable growth.Even so, Dallas City Council members praised her for presenting a balanced budget that for the most part keeps services the same.The new budget does call for 108 employees to be laid off and a total of 296 positions to be eliminated.It also cuts the city’s tax rate by a tenth of a penny for the 11th year in a row. So, if your home appraisal stayed the same, that would equal a $3 decrease for the owner of a median home.But since Dallas appraisal values went down on average, the owner of a median home now valued at $347,000 would see a $61 tax decrease.The state’s new cap on property tax revenue is not impacting the city this year because the growth from rea