THE CHEAT SHEETHow Dallas actually works
No jargon, no civics-class tone. Just the stuff that turns out to matter when you finally get a ballot.
What does the mayor of Dallas actually control?
Less than you would think. Dallas runs a council-manager system, which means a hired city manager runs the departments day to day. The mayor gets one vote out of 15, sets the agenda, appoints committee chairs and holds the loudest microphone in the city. That last part matters more than the org chart suggests.
Then who runs the city?
The city manager, who is hired and fired by the council. Police, streets, permits, sanitation, code enforcement - those report up to the manager, not the mayor. When people say “city hall isn't responding,” this is usually the machine they mean.
When do I actually vote on any of this?
It is the city borrowing money for big physical things (streets, parks, libraries, flood control) and it requires asking voters for permission first. You are not approving a wish list. You are approving debt, which gets paid back out of property taxes over decades.
Who sets my property tax bill?
Nobody, and several people. The Dallas Central Appraisal District decides what your property is worth. Then the city, the county, the school district and a few others each set their own tax rate as a percentage of that value. Your bill is the sum. When it goes up, the honest answer to “who did this” is usually “four different government entities, partially.”
What is a bond program and why do I keep voting on one?
November, and this is new. Dallas just moved city elections from May calendar onto the November ballot of every odd year. Our 14 city council members come up every two years, while the Mayor serves up to two four year terms. If you have only ever voted in November, next year will be the first time the city ballot will be sitting there in front of you.
What is the single highest-leverage thing I can do?
Vote in local elections, which almost nobody does. In recent May elections roughly six percent of registered Dallas voters turned out. Your ballot is worth many times more here than in a presidential race, and it is the one people skip.
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One Dallas thing, explained.
Short, useful, occasionally funny. Written for people who have jobs.