CITY SCORE CARD 2005-06

On Oct. 4, 2006, City Manager Mary Suhm presented the city's major accomplishments for 2005-06 (our fiscal year runs from October to September).  There are substantial improvements and positive changes happening in the City of Dallas.  The following five "key focus areas" represent the city's priorities:  Public Safety, Economic Development, Neighborhood Staff Accountability, Quality of Life, and Trinity River.

Here's how we're doing:
 

PUBLIC SAFETY
  • Public Safety Improved for Citizens
    o Overall crime reduced by 8% in FY 05/06
o Homicide reduced by 14% in FY 05/06
o Public Safety Budgets
      􀂃 Additional $30m, 50 new DPD positions in FY 05/06
􀂃 Additional $35m, 100 new DPD positions in FY 06/07
    o Decrease in overall response time of 11.3% in FY05/06
o Decrease in emergency response time of .72% in FY 05/06
o DFR reduced 911 wait times from 5.17 to 4.46 seconds
o $265 per capita DPD spending in FY05/06 - up $2 from FY 04/05
o $288 per capita DPD recommended spending in FY 06/07
o Squad car replacement - 100,000 miles in FY05/06
o City received $15m grant form W.W Caruth Jr. Foundation
o DPD recruitment incentive - 35% increase in applicants,1 Academy class added
o Most recent Citizens Survey – 10.5% increase in the number of people who feel safe in their neighborhoods after dark
o Increased staff, raised professionalism and enhanced training for
emergency operations and homeland security
  • Emergency Management during Katrina/Rita
 
Economic Development
  • City’s Infrastructure Improving
    o $1.35b bond proposition developed, recommended and scheduled for a vote on November 7th
o Previous Bond Programs Update
      􀂃 95 Bond Program – 99% complete or on schedule
􀂃 98 Bond Program – 97.5% complete or on schedule
􀂃 03 Bond Program – 90% complete or on schedule
  • Focus on Current and Future Growth of Dallas
    o City’s first comprehensive plan completed – received Comprehensive
Planning Award from the Texas Chapter of the APA
o Sales Tax has grown 9.1% to date in FY 05/06
o City-wide taxable value grew 8.4% in FY 05/06
      􀂃 Commercial grew 12.97%
􀂃 Residential grew 8.95%
    o Unemployment rate fallen from 8.2 in 2004 to 5.6 in 2006
o Gross City Product in 2005 - $93b (grown $11.2b since 2000)
o Inland Port
      􀂃 MOUs with ports and government entities
􀂃 $32m for infrastructure in 2006 Bond Program
􀂃 $29m in other public sector support
􀂃 Urban Land Institute endorsed plan
    o Southern Dallas
      􀂃 Taxable value grew 7.4% in FY 05/06
􀂃 Taxable value has grown $5.5b in the last five years
􀂃 In other measures Southern Dallas at times tripled city-wide
growth rates
  • Total permit values grew 12.7% in FY 05/06
• New commercial permit values grew 18.9% in FY 05/06
• New single family permit values grew 16.1% in FY 05/06
 
Staff Accountability
  • Sound Financial Management and Responsibility
    o Tax rate decrease in FY 06/07 (first time in 8 years)
o City Controllers Office improvements In FY 05/06
      􀂃 Reorganized to enhance financial reporting controls
􀂃 Adding professional level staff recommended to ensure
compliance with accounting standards
􀂃 Staff training increased
  • New Processes, Plans and Ideas Initiated
    o “Budgeting for Outcomes” implemented
o Second Dallas Citizens Survey completed - results showed zero
categories decreasing in rating with 50% of categories improving
o Strategic Plan prepared (integrated with annual budget)
o Action Plan (3-5 years) for City activities developed – 85% either
complete or on-time
o Performance measurement for all departments implemented
o ICMA benchmarking for 15 core city service areas completed for 2nd year
o Joint meetings with DISD identify partnership opportunities
o Management Development Associate program implemented
  • Accountability Increased
    o Utilization of retooled performance plans for all civilian employees to focus on results, customer service and performance
o Accountability reports for HR, Safety/Risk, Environmental and Fleet developed
o New budget document allows for greater transparency in government
  • Employee Productivity, Motivation and Communication Addressed
    o No increase in employee health care costs – FY05/06, 06/07
o Merit raise program implemented in FY 04/05 continued in FY 05/06 and recommended to continue in FY 06/07
o Quarterly Employee Recognition Program
      􀂃 Wall of Honor
􀂃 Unsung City Stars
􀂃 Great Milestones & Living Legends
 
Neighborhood Quality of Life
  • Focus on Customer Service and Results
    o Late service requests dropped from 85,765 to below 300
o Most recent Citizens Survey – 4.9% increase in respondents who rated
the overall quality of City services as good to excellent
o City-wide customer service initiative
      􀂃 All employees have completed Level 1 customer service training
    o 311/911 operation restructuring underway
o Mystery Shopper Program implemented for 311 services
      • New Joint Facilities Opened with DISD
    o Arcadia Park Library
o Hampton Illinois Library
o Fair Oaks Park/Conrad High School Fields
  • Wallace Foundation Grant Awarded - only Dallas & NYC received
• Homeless Assistance Center - design to be complete in 10/06
• Service Area Coordination Team Initiated
• Recycling Tonnage Increased - 22% through August
    o Most recent Citizens Survey – 36% increase in the number of people who rated the recycling program good to excellent
 
Trinity River
  • Progress on Floodway and Design Guidelines
    o Contract for design of lakes/urban design in negotiation
o 100 acres acquired in FY 05/06
o Surveys, environmental assessments and appraisals underway on additional 1,500 acres
o Construction of chain of wetlands underway - reduced flood levels upstream by one foot
      􀂃 Cell D completed
􀂃 Cells E, F and G to be completed in summer 2007
  • Design and Construction of Recreational Amenities
      o Boat launch at Loop 12 constructed
o Trinity Audubon Nature Center – Design complete, construction to begin in March of 2007
o Finalizing a management contract for the equestrian center –
construction to begin in November 2008
o Design and land acquisition continues for Elm Fork Soccer Complex
       
       
       



Home | Blog | District 14 | City Council | Photos | Biography | Contact

Paid for by the Angela Hunt for City Council Campaign, Philip Kingston, Treasurer
P.O. Box 192128, Dallas, Texas 75219   214-907-4600