Dallas leaders debate safety bond package

The campaign for and against a $443 million Dallas bond proposal is heating up. Proponents believe it'll fund much-needed public safety facilities, while opponents argue it gives the city a blank check. Fox 4's Lori Brown explains what's on the ballot. Lori. Eden, this bond proposal is going to come down to trust. Do voters trust the city to use the money to build new Dallas police training facilities, or do they think that the city may use that money as a way to abandon its iconic city hall building? We're doing everything we can to be accountable and transparent to our community. This bond will go toward the training facility and it will get done. Dallas City Councilman Maxie Johnson held a news conference alongside representatives from the Dallas Police Association, Black Police Association, and Black Firefighters Association. The new academy, new training facilities will help us continue our training and we'll also help train our new recruits and get them out on the streets. Last month, the city of Dallas broke ground on its long-promised law enforcement training center. But there is not enough money to complete the facility on the campus of UNT Dallas or a separate gun range by Dallas Executive Airport. The two facilities are now projected to cost more than $300 million. There was not enough money from the beginning when they asked for this. And so, don't know why the amount was asked for, why the entire amount was not asked for so i cannot give an account for something that i was not a part of however i can tell you this now that what we're having to do is go back to our citizens and say enough money was not done johnson insists prop a will not raise property taxes but there is a bipartisan movement underway to bust the bond the reason opponents are concerned that the way the proposition is written amounts to giving the city a blank check dallas city councilman Kara Middleton tried to get clarity in the language, but her proposal failed in a narrow eight to seven vote. One of the items is to move the 911 center out of City Hall. This is the first step in abandoning City Hall. So a lot of support to bust the bond and say no from people who would generally say yes to this has been a hard line that says, no, we're not going to leave City Hall and we're not going to give you this big pot of money. The $443 million bond will cost $629 million to repay, and while it will not change the tax rate, Mendelson argues it is still paid for by taxpayers. The city wants to say it's not a tax increase, but this is not free money. You as a taxpayer will be paying for this, and had we not brought this forward, you would not be paying for it. Mendelson says she will support bringing a bond before voters in May that is written with a bond committee and written in a way that it must be used for the needed police training facilities. Early voting for this bond starts Monday.