Dallas furloughs 4,200 city employees to address $30 million budget shortfall

DALLAS, Texas — Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert has ordered most nonuniform city employees to take three unpaid furlough days as the city works to address a $30 million budget shortfall, officials announced.

The furloughs include one day in July and two days in September. City officials said the move is expected to save millions of dollars.

Tolbert said the decision was not the preferred solution but was necessary to reduce expenses. The announcement quickly drew criticism from members of the Dallas City Council.

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn released a statement criticizing the use of furloughs as a short-term solution rather than addressing structural spending issues.

"Instead of looking at short-term solutions like a furlough, I'd like to see departments that have grown tremendously over the last several years, like HR, Data Analytics, City Attorney's Office, Mayor & City Council Office, return to the staffing levels of 2017," Mendelsohn said.

Mendelsohn also called for reducing the number of boards and commissions, scaling back the civilian pension cost-of-living adjustment, and requiring a full return to the office for city employees.

Councilman Adam Bazaldua criticized both the decision and the communication process.

"This news is incredibly frustrating, as no matter the budget issues encountered, cutting workers' pay should be the last resort we default to," Bazaldua said. "It's incredibly disappointing to find out this information via correspondence intended for the media, instead of a one-to-one conversation, so that council feedback could be factored into this decision."

Mayor Eric Johnson released a statement saying he has pushed for spending reductions and believes the effort has become increasingly urgent.

"At a time when rising costs continue to strain family budgets across this city, we simply cannot raise taxes in lieu of addressing much deeper and more structural fiscal challenges," Johnson said.

Chris Bowers, a former assistant city attorney who experienced furloughs during the 2008 and 2009 economic downturn, said the impact on employees extends beyond immediate pay cuts.

"It meant that your paychecks were smaller than you might've expected," Bowers said. "It meant the days that you were eligible to retire would be pushed off a few more days in the future."

The furloughs affect most nonuniform city employees as Dallas works to close its budget gap for the current fiscal year.

Sources

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, July 1, 2026