Statement from DART on sales tax reduction

(DART Board of Directors) – It is unfortunate to witness Dallas Area Rapid Transit member city councils consider and approve adversarial resolutions against our transit agency. Although the timing and language of these resolutions are similar, the core issues impacting these cities desiring to defund DART are not. Some cities claim the necessity of additional sales tax dollars to economically compete with neighboring municipalities, some need it to rescue poorly invested retirement plans, while others just don’t see the value of the DART system and view the ridership as “trash.” Regardless of the rationale, the signal is that accessibility to public transportation for the most vulnerable residents in their communities is low enough on the totem pole to explore a financial reduction. It must first be acknowledged for the cities that are looking at this monetarily, all DART member cities (Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and University Park) have increased their general fund budgets in total an average 26% over the past five years. The notion that these cities would divert 25% of their sales tax money away from DART and instantly create these economic opportunities, parks, streets, and...