Arun Agarwal, CEO of Dallas-based Nextt, has been appointed chair of the Community Bond Task Force Committee as part of the 2024 Capital Bond Program development process.

“The upcoming bond program will provide us with a critical opportunity to build for our future by investing in public safety, in infrastructure, and in our most significant needs,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement. “Arun Agarwal has proven to be an effective and engaged leader in our city, and I am confident he will advocate for the right priorities for the people of Dallas on this task force.”

Agarwal is chair of the Indian American CEO Council and president of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Board. He’s also a board member of the U.S. India Friendship Council, Executive Board UT Dallas, Texas Tech Innovation HUB at Research Park, Big Brothers Big Sisters International, and MD Anderson Board of Visitors.

Recommending bond priorities

The CBTF is a 15-member group that will assist the Dallas City Council and city staff in reviewing and selecting projects for consideration in the 2024 Capital Bond Program.

The task force will assess the city’s $13.5 billion needs inventory and recommend roughly $1 billion to the Dallas City Council, which will make the final decision to call a bond election.

The mayor and each city councilmember were asked to identify a total of six appointees to serve on the CBTF and its five subcommittees, including the Street Subcommittee, the Flood Protection & Storm Drainage Subcommittee, the Park & Trail Subcommittee, the Critical Facilities Subcommittee, and the Economic Development & Housing Subcommittee.

Johnson will announce his subcommittee appointments at a later date. The task force and subcommittees are scheduled to begin meetings in May.

“We are working every day to make Dallas a safer, stronger, and more vibrant city—and we’re making substantial, measurable progress,” Johnson said. 

Focusing on the ‘Three P’s’

In his November 2022 State of the City address, Johnson said that he wants the city’s next bond program to focus mostly on the “Three P’s”—public safety, potholes, and parks.

Bond programs are intended to pay for the city’s capital needs and must be approved by voters. That means the authorized funds cannot legally pay for salaries, benefits, and other ongoing programmatic costs.

Johnson said Agarwal’s appointment underscores his administration’s commitment to ensuring that parks are treated as a top priority in the bond program.

“I’m particularly excited to help make major investments in parks, trails, and recreational facilities,” Agarwal said in a statement. “Mayor Johnson has been a true champion for our city’s parks and for the efforts to build a safer and more vibrant city. I look forward to working with Mayor Johnson, my colleagues on the task force, and the residents of Dallas as we work to prioritize our city’s most pressing needs.”

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