In a bid to secure $305 million in federal grants, the Dallas City Council has authorized City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to review municipal programs for alignment with President Donald Trump’s executive orders concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The City Council’s approval came without discussion, empowering Tolbert to take immediate steps to ensure compliance with federal directives.
Tolbert has committed to briefing the City Council by August 20 on recommendations for which policies and programs may need to be paused or modified.
Despite these reviews, Tolbert believes that the city can continue its mission to serve underrepresented communities while still adhering to federal guidelines.
This decision closely follows a similar development in Fort Worth, where the City Council delayed a vote on a comparable measure that could jeopardize $277 million in federal funding each year.
The executive orders in question do not explicitly mandate the discontinuation of equity programs; however, they contain broad prohibitions against supporting initiatives that promote DEI among recipients of federal contracts or grants.
As with many municipalities across the United States, Dallas is heavily reliant on federal funds to support its efforts to revitalize neighborhoods, enhance infrastructure, provide housing assistance, and encourage economic growth.
Currently, the city has several projects totaling approximately $980 million in development, which are dependent on grants from federal entities, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Justice.
The City Council has been briefed privately about five executive orders that may impact local governance. Notable among them is order No. 14168, which categorically recognizes only two genders, thereby impacting transgender rights, while order No. 14173 revokes a critical affirmative action order from Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration intended to reverse discrimination based on race and gender in federal employment.
The implications of these orders for Dallas’s equity and inclusion office and its staff remain uncertain.
City officials have not publicly detailed which specific programs are under review, but it has been confirmed that all city programs are being evaluated.
During a meeting with The Dallas Morning News editorial board, Tolbert expressed that their efforts would refresh the overall approach towards DEI within city programs.
Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira remarked that the ordinance authorizing Tolbert’s review offers a valuable opportunity for a thorough examination of the city’s program portfolio.
Cedillo-Pereira oversees various city offices, including those dedicated to equity and inclusion, community care, libraries, arts and culture, and environmental quality.
This comprehensive review will also aid in the creation of a city budget that addresses Dallas’s most urgent needs.
Cedillo-Pereira noted that Tolbert has been leading discussions with peers, private sector partners, and philanthropists to explore innovative approaches to economic opportunity, mobility, and addressing disparities in the community.
As cities across Texas navigate similar challenges, Houston has seen legal action against its DEI programs. A couple has filed a lawsuit claiming that a city-mandated program, which allocates a certain percentage of contracts to women- and minority-owned small businesses, places them at a disadvantage due to their racial background.
In San Antonio, leaders have adjusted an ordinance to remove language that granted extra evaluation points to minority- or women-owned businesses, yet they will continue to pursue goals of supporting these businesses in city contracts.
In Dallas, contractor John Martinez from the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association voiced his support for hiring a construction manager to refurbish The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, emphasizing that involved firms have a history of fostering minority talent without the need for DEI labels.
Martinez expressed his belief that developing homegrown programs would be more effective than accepting federal initiatives.
He affirmed that Dallas is already creating the necessary conditions for minority firms to thrive independently, suggesting that reliance on federal DEI requirements may be unnecessary and even counterproductive.
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