PILLAR: Fiscally Sound
AGENDA DATE: August 25, 2026
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): Citywide
DEPARTMENT: Office of Procurement Services
PRIORITY: N/A
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SUBJECT
Title
Authorize an amendment to Resolution No. 15-2141, previously approved on November 10, 2015 for the City's Living Wage Policy to revise the policy's threshold, applicability, wage floor methodology, contract terms, and policy review requirements - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Dallas adopted the Living Wage Policy in 2015 through Resolution No. 15-2141. The policy currently requires certain City service contracts to pay a minimum wage based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Living Wage Calculator for Dallas County, with the wage adjusted annually.
The proposed amendments would preserve the policy's intent while better aligning wage requirements with prevailing market conditions and focusing the policy on contracts where labor represents a significant portion of the total contract cost. The proposed amendments include:
* Limit applicability to labor-intensive general service contracts where labor represents the primary component of the services provided.
* Increase the applicability threshold from $100,000 to $300,000.
* Establish the applicable living wage as the lesser of the MIT Living Wage Calculator for Dallas County or the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 50th-percentile occupational wage for the applicable occupation within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area.
* Establish a standard contract term for contracts subject to the living wage as three years, with two one-year renewal options.
* Require the Office of Procurement Services to review the Living Wage Policy at least once every two years and present any recommended amendments to the City Council, as appropriate.
These amendments are intended to:
* Maintain fair compensation for emplo...
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