STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Government Performance and Financial Management
AGENDA DATE: May 27, 2020
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): All
DEPARTMENT: Office of Budget
EXECUTIVE: Elizabeth Reich
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SUBJECT
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A resolution to authorize the Dallas County Tax Office to calculate the voter-approval tax rate in the manner provided for a special taxing unit (8 percent) as the City is located in an area declared a disaster area pursuant to Section 26.04(c-1) of the Texas Tax Code - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
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BACKGROUND
On March 13, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for all counties in Texas as a result of the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. The coronavirus has been recognized globally as a contagious respiratory virus and has necessitated the implementation of numerous safety measures.
On April 6, 2020, Dallas County instituted the Safer At Home Order which prohibited all public gatherings and required the closure of all non-essential businesses among other preventive measures. These measures, while necessary, have had a negative impact on the City's revenue collections. The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is expected to last for at least several months and potentially much longer.
On March 27, 2020, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other measures, the CARES Act established the $150 billion Coronavirus Relief Fund to provide payments to state, local, and tribal governments to mitigate the impact of responding to COVID-19. These funds will allow the City to cover unanticipated costs associated with responding to the virus, but they are not available to replace lost revenues.
The Texas Reform and Transparency Act of 2019 (Senate Bill 2), passed by the 86th Texas Legislature lowered the voter-approval tax ra...
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