City leaders say the extension is vital to the region’s economy. Critics argue taxpayers deserve a vote.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The city of Arlington is weighing a proposal that would extend its financial partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and keep the team at AT&T Stadium until 2055, committing more than $273 million in public funds to the effort — but the plan is drawing criticism from people who say voters should get a say.
Arlington City Council Member Bowie Hogg, who represents District 7, says the Cowboys are a cornerstone of the city’s identity and economy and that keeping them is a priority.
“We’ve built and done some amazing things. It’s great for our economy,” said Hogg.
Under the proposed deal, taxpayers would contribute $273 million while the Cowboys organization would invest $750 million toward maintenance, operations, and improvements to the complex. Arlington Mayor Jim Ross says the public funds would be directed toward priorities like security upgrades and pedestrian safety improvements around the stadium.
“We have the best stadium in the world, and we want to make sure we remain the best stadium in the world,” said Jim Ross, Mayor of Arlington.
The funding source is a half-cent sales tax that Arlington voters approved in 2004 — the same tax that provided $325 million to help build the stadium. Mayor Ross argues the new deal does not require a public vote because voters already approved the tax more than two decades ago.
“Here’s the reality,” Ross said. “We’ve already been approved by the voters.”
Council Member Hogg acknowledged that the matter is not yet settled but expressed optimism that a path forward exists.
“I think everyone says yes to the Cowboys. I think, as I said earlier, it’s how we get to that yes — whether it’s a council vote or a citizen’s vote,” said Hogg.
Not everyone shares that optimism. Arlington attorney Warren Norred says he supports the Cowboys organization but draws a hard line at writing them a public check.
“I’m in favor of the Cowboys. I want them to win, I want them to go play, I want them to make a lot of money in Arlington. That doesn’t mean I want to give them my money,” said Norred.
Norred says if the deal proceeds to a council vote on Tuesday without a public referendum, he is prepared to challenge it in court. He argues the original 2004 tax authorization was not presented to voters as an open-ended commitment stretching indefinitely into the future.
“It was not sold on, ‘Hey, pass this and we will have an unending half-cent sales tax for the rest of your natural life,'” he said.
The debate has also drawn in Steve Cavender, a candidate for Arlington mayor, who says the proposal raises serious questions about democratic accountability — particularly given recent fiscal pressures on the city.
“While I commend City Manager Trey Yelverton for his leadership in working to keep the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, I am troubled that our taxpayers are being shut out of this decision to spend $273 million, especially with the Mayor and Council voting a few months ago to raise taxes to cover a budget deficit,” Cavender says.
Cavender noted that past Arlington mayors — Richard Greene, Robert Cluck, and Jeff Williams — each put major financial decisions of this scale before voters. He called for that precedent to be maintained.
“Any proposal involving taxpayer dollars should be transparent, fully vetted, and ultimately decided by the voters,” Cavender said.
The Dallas Cowboys organization released a statement reflecting favorably on the proposed extension. “The long, impactful partnership we’ve had with the City of Arlington represents the fulfillment of a mutual vision we had years ago,” the team said. “It has exceeded the high expectations we all shared right from the beginning.”
The team added that the proposed extension “is a reflection of our continued trust, collaboration and proactive approach to the future.”
The Arlington City Council is expected to take up the proposal on Tuesday. Whether the vote will settle the matter — or trigger legal action — remains to be seen.