Dallas city officials want to quickly get pay and benefit negotiations underway with police officers and firefighters in hopes of getting a deal done by the end of the year — significantly earlier than the down-to-the-wire talks less than two years ago.
The current agreement — commonly known as meet-and-confer — began in October 2016 and doesn't expire until Sept. 30, 2019, which is the end of the next fiscal year. The agreement has major ramifications; the police and fire departments make up the majority of the city's $1.3 billion general fund budget.
Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune, who joined the city last year, said Monday he has not set a schedule for talks yet, but he has told some associations he doesn't want to wait.