DALLAS—Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson on Thursday morning released select excerpts in advance of his State of the City Address.
Mayor Johnson will deliver the full speech at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 13, 2025. It will be broadcast on the City’s public access channel, Dallas Channel 16, and will be livestreamed online on City of Dallas TV and on the City’s YouTube channel.
Mayor Johnson on Dallas’s history:
“I have always found great comfort in the arc of our city’s history — and in knowing that Dallas has grown, evolved, and moved forward through all manner of trials and tribulations.
Since the ritual of this annual mayoral address started back in 1875, Dallas has grown from a mere speck on a hand-drawn map — a city of less than ten thousand people — to a national leader and an international destination that is powered by the grit and the gumption of its communities. We have much to be proud of.”
Mayor Johnson on public safety:
“Our goal is to be the safest major city in America. This means we cannot afford to grow complacent. . . .
“We are in a nation-leading fifth consecutive year of violent crime reduction, and I want to take a moment today to express gratitude for how far we’ve come. I’m grateful to our community for standing up and telling us they want us to continue putting public safety first. I’m grateful to our City Council for continuing to heed the community’s calls for a safer city by investing in public safety.”
Mayor Johnson on efficient government:
“During my administration, even as we have prioritized public safety funding and strategies, we’ve cut the property tax rate every single year. Twice, we have set new records for single-year tax rate reductions.
“And while we’ve been cutting taxes, we’ve also been making our city government more efficient and cutting wasteful spending. . . . We’re doing this work on behalf of our taxpayers without sacrificing results.”
Mayor Johnson on new development:
“When it comes to housing and development, we’ve embraced a “build, baby, build” philosophy. And in the past seven years, that philosophy has helped attract new Fortune 500 corporate headquarters such as AECOM and CBRE. In fact, this year, Dallas was named the Number One city in America for corporate headquarters relocations.
“But even when Dallas isn’t landing new corporate headquarters, we’re still attracting huge investments. Goldman Sachs is finishing its new eight hundred thousand square foot campus for five thousand employees. Scotiabank is building a brand new regional headquarters that will bring over one thousand new jobs.
“And recently, Wells Fargo announced nearly seven million dollars of new investment in South Dallas as the long-awaited redevelopment of the Martin Luther King Corridor takes shape. Comerica Tower, one of our city’s most iconic buildings, and Bank of America Plaza, the tallest building in Dallas, are both set for major renovations that will total hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Mayor Johnson on Dallas’s financial services sector:
“[I]n recent years Dallas has clearly emerged as a national leader in financial services. In fact, our region has added one hundred thousand new finance jobs alone in the past decade, and we are now second only to New York in the size of our financial services sector. So, it is no surprise that Dallas is home to this exciting new Texas Stock Exchange.
“And it will come as a surprise to no one when Y’all Street eventually overtakes Wall Street to make Dallas the undisputed financial capital of the United States.
“Because when you consistently say no to socialism and yes to economic freedom and to business-friendly and worker-friendly policies, the result is that in America, all streets lead to Y’all Street, and all roads lead to Dallas.”
Mayor Johnson on parks:
“A few years ago, we made it our goal to become the best major city in Texas for parks. We’ve achieved that goal, but we’re not done yet.
“In Oak Cliff, the new Halperin Park will reconnect communities that were torn apart decades ago. And we broke ground this year on Harold Simmons Park, which will reconnect neighborhoods along the Trinity River. New parks across our city’s neighborhoods — part of my city-wide Greening Initiative — are creating a rich tapestry of nature, recreation, and relaxation for families, while also generating major economic benefits.
“Downtown Dallas, which has opened four new parks over the last seven years, will reap these benefits in the years to come as these transformative public spaces continue to spur private investment.”
Mayor Johnson on Dallas’s future:
“My friends, our future is bright. The truth is, it’s brighter than it was seven years ago. It’s brighter than it was when we led the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic. And it’s so much brighter, bigger, and bolder than the tiny, mean-spirited world that lives inside of our cell phones. . . .
“We must continue to move forward with building a new police academy. I’ve entrusted one of my most effective former colleagues, Tennell Atkins, with chairing the task force that will lead this project and get it across the finish line. It’s time for us to put to work the funding that the State of Texas and our city’s taxpayers approved and construct an academy that will provide our police officers with the high-quality training they need.
“We must also continue attracting and retaining professional sports franchises that provide our city with such great economic, cultural, entertainment and marketing value. We’re thrilled to have welcomed Dallas Trinity FC, Atletico Dallas, and the Dallas Wings to our city. But, you guessed it, we’re not done yet.”
Mayor Johnson on City Hall:
“[W]e also have to decide the future of Dallas City Hall. This matter deserves an open and honest public discussion that leads us to a realistic plan — a plan that looks to the future and seeks to solve problems, and not simply admire them.
“While we still have much to understand and analyze, I do want to say this: Buildings are meant for people. Downtowns are meant for people. City Hall, as it stands today, is not a user-friendly building for people, and it risks becoming an albatross for our city. Whatever the intentions of a famous architect, it has become a massive symbol of a byzantine bureaucracy that is stuck in the past and falling apart—its shortcomings masked by a brutalist facade.
“As a workplace for city employees and as a gathering place for the public, it’s clearly failing. If the city government remains in the building, something has to change. If we decide to move on and modernize, something has to change. The status quo is not acceptable, and choices must be made.”
[Photo: Instagram]
