DALLAS — Dallas councilmembers voted Tuesday to support maintaining full funding for DART at the state capitol in a major win for the transit agency, which is under pressure from nearly half of its 13 member cities that want to cut how much they pay for buses and trains.
Councilmembers decided against asking state lawmakers to allow the cities to reduce the amount of sales tax they send to DART. Six other cities have previously approved resolutions seeking to reduce their contributions by 25 percent — though they need the DART board to authorize a change or lawmakers to adjust the rules before the cost-cutting could take effect.
"It would be catastrophic for DART to lose that kind of funding," said DART Chief Communications Officer Jeamy Molina. "We're talking about service cuts across the service area and loss of jobs for employees here at DART."
Councilperson Cara Mendelsohn's proposal to ask to cut funding was panned by fellow councilmembers over her concerns that the agency needs to be in sharper shape to provide the service customers want.
"We have to force the efficiency needed and the service needed," she said. "If we stick with the support of full funding, it’s possible we will have the worst case scenario — meaning the suburbs will get restructured and have a reduced contribution and we will not."
No other councilperson spoke up at the meeting Tuesday in favor of making cuts.
"My community depends on DART, and I believe this city and this region depends on DART," said Councilperson Carolyn King Arnold.
Councilperson Chad West acknowledged his support for the transit agency's existing funding scheme was a reversal from the proposal initially advanced by the council committee he chairs. Councilperson Gay Donnell Willis said she hopes to reduce the city's contribution at some point — but not now.
"I think that reducing it without a plan in place to backfill that is putting the cart before the horse and I just don’t think we’re ready to do that," Willis said.
But Highland Park, Plano, Irving, Rowlett, Carrollton and Farmers Branch have all said they'd like to reduce the penny sales tax they currently send to DART.
The cities argue they put more money into the agency than their riders get out of it. Data from a new audit by accounting firm EY shows several cities contribute more funding to DART than they receive in expenses allocated — but not Dallas.
The largest member of the 13-city consortium puts in 48 percent of the funding and receives 65 percent of the expense allocation, according to the analysis.
Dallas contributes 48% of DART's funding and receives 65% of its spending, report says
The six cities that have already indicated they want to cut contributions could still take their fight to Austin and ask lawmakers to restructure the funding scheme.
"We hope that it doesn’t have to get to that," said DART spokesperson Molina. "We hope that we can solve these issues here at home but we’ll do whatever we can to make sure that we are protecting DART and the region moving forward."