Chief Concerns

The public meet and greets for police and fire chief finalists are over. So are the rounds of private interviews.

As soon as this week, City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert may make two of the most important decisions of her career. She will pick two chiefs to oversee combined police and fire budgets of $1.1 billion and forces of more than 5,500 officers, firefighters, paramedics, and civilian employees.

There are few things more important in local government than how a city is equipped to respond to life-threatening emergencies — and how that city treats those who risk their lives in service to its residents.

Both the Dallas police and fire departments face major challenges tied to staffing, pensions, facilities, and equipment. The next police chief will inherit a department years into a crisis of poor 911 response times. The next fire chief must address crumbling stations and trucks.

By most accounts, the men Tolbert tapped to serve in the top roles temporarily — interim Chief of Police Michael T. Igo and interim Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball — are highly capable. But there are a variety of political considerations beyond job performance alone.

Should the jobs go to insiders or outsiders? Should the picks have prior experience leading a big city department? What role should race play?

For better or worse, these are among the questions likely keeping Tolbert up at night.

Table of Contents

• 🗳️ Candidates of Interest

• 📰 Highlights From Last Week's Meetings

• 📝 Memos of Interest

• 🤝 Meetings of Interest: April 7 - 11

  • Monday, April 7

    • Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee

    • North Central Texas Council of Governments

    • Economic Development Committee

  • Wednesday, April 9

    • Dallas City Council

  • Thursday, April 10

    • City Plan Commission

    • Regional Transportation Council (RTC)

🗳️ Candidates of Interest

Our special series on candidates in the upcoming May City Council elections continues with a focus on two more races.

📰 Highlights From Last Week’s Meetings of Interest

• A $30 million public-private partnership to construct a new Dallas fire station on the north side of Downtown won approval from members of key city boards on Tuesday. The new station would replace an aging one with a modern 23,000-square-foot facility west of Field Street between San Jacinto and Patterson streets. The proposal is now up for review at the City Council Economic Development Committee tomorrow (more on that below).

• City Council members were briefed Wednesday on revised plans for a much-needed new police academy at the University of North Texas at Dallas campus. Some Council members continue to raise doubts about the cost, location, and other details, but City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert assured them, “we’re in a good place,” the Dallas Observer reports.

• With the 2026 FIFA World Cup a little over a year away, Dallas City Council members are focused on security, transportation, and small business engagement, among other issues. Read more from The Dallas Morning News and KERA.

• Dallas Park & Recreation Board members (me included) unanimously approved the naming of the H-E-B Main Stage Fountain at the forthcoming Halperin Park (formerly Southern Gateway Park). H-E-B is making a $1 million donation to the park’s foundation.

📝 Memos of Interest

• City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert’s org chart overhaul continues with the creation of the Dallas Street Response team to ensure shuttered homeless encampments remain closed after people are housed and offered behavioral health care. The move shifts 23 people currently working in the Office of Homeless Solutions to the Office of Emergency Management and Crisis Response, led by Director Kevin Oden. “Dallas Street Response will be responsible for proactive, multi-agency field operations, ensuring faster response, stronger compliance coordination, and sustained maintenance of cleared sites, resulting in visible, accountable, and effective service to all Dallas residents,” according to this memo announcing the change.

• A Presidential executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services could mean the end of grant-funded Dallas library programs tied to homelessness, education, music, digitization of collections, and more, according to this memo.

• City Council members are mapping a new annual performance review process for the appointed officials who report to them. Here is a detailed timeline and process, including “catch-up” performance reviews for officials who have not been evaluated in years.

• Here’s the complete City Manager memo packet for Friday, April 4, 2025

🤝 Meetings of Interest: April 7 - 11

Monday, April 7

City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

• Downtown is among the hottest areas of Dallas, according to an urban heat island study. Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI) is funding an initiative to plant 500 trees in Downtown this year with an increase of $0.01 cent per $100 valuation on public improvement district property owners that City Council members approved last year.

• The Dallas Greening Initiative is transforming city-owned land into neighborhood greenspaces across the city. Learn more.

North Central Texas Council of Governments Transportation Public Meeting, 12 p.m., 616 Six Flags Dr., Arlington, TX 76011

• The regional agency is presenting and seeking feedback on Mobility 2050, a long-range transportation plan. More information on that plan can be found at nctcog.org/planinprogress.

City Council Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

• An error in a fee calculation adopted by City Council last year has led to a loss of millions of dollars in expected revenues, according to this briefing and the above slide. Instead of adopting a consultant recommendation to increase the commercial remodel permit fee, “the staff error resulted in a large decrease in the fee for larger commercial remodel projects.”

• City Hall is excited for the launch of a new software for land use and permitting, DallasNow. They’ve even put together this video full of generic stock footage to tell you a little about it ahead of the planned May 5 launch.

• The long and winding journey of parking reform finally arrives back at City Council with this briefing on Code amendments recommended by City Plan Commissioners. For perspective, Oak Cliff Council Member Chad West kicked off this process when he was months into his first term. He’s now running for his fourth and final term.

• Committee members will discuss a $30 million public-private project to replace the aging and “functionally obsolete” Downtown Fire Station No. 18 with a new station a few blocks away. If approved, the new station could be completed as soon as December 2028. Learn more.

Wednesday, April 9

Dallas City Council Meeting, 9 a.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

• Item 32 is the City’s acceptance of a donation of a slice of land that was at the center of Saks Global’s now delayed decision to close the flagship Downtown Neiman Marcus store. The store will now say opened at least through the end of this year as City officials and corporate leaders negotiate on a potential long-term deal.

• Item 33 is closed session discussion of the aforementioned land donation and related issues.

• Item 34 is closed session discussion of the former Dallas Morning News building property. City officials say a portion of the property is needed for the ongoing convention center redevelopment. Developer Ray Washburne, who owns the property, says he is selling it to a data center provider.

Thursday, April 10

City Plan Commission, 9 a.m. Briefing, 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing, Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.

Regional Transportation Council (RTC), 12:30 p.m., Medal of Honor Museum, 1861 AT&T Way, Arlington, TX 76011

• RTC members will discuss the dangers to the region from state legislation that could substantially defund Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

• Here is the latest correspondence from an attorney for Ray L. Hunt and his companies to the RTC regarding Hunt opposition to a proposed Dallas-to-Fort Worth high-speed rail line that would run through their properties in Downtown.

🗣️ Quote of Interest

Did I miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings and memos and other fun stuff? Hit me up.