City budget realities ... and leadership
As elected officials, city council members must be out front in reducing our own budgets. There is some real resistance to this. With property tax revenue down by $30 million, sales tax revenue down by $24 million, and debt service for 2006 bonds kicking in at $30 million, we must provide strong leadership and make some tough decisions for the coming fiscal year.

Join me at the budget town hall meeting Sept. 1
We will have many opportunities to work together until this difficult budget stretch passes. Each of us — with our neighborhood associations, crime watch groups and other community or church groups — can help keep our communities from feeling the pinch. Learn more at the budget town hall meeting at 7 p.m., Tues., Sept. 1 at the Walnut Hill Recreation Center.

Introducing annmargolin.com
One of the ways I intend to save costs at City Hall is by communicating with you through my Web site and e-mail ... at no expense to the City of Dallas. Bookmark and explore annmargolin.com, send District 13 news and event announcements to webteam@annmargolin.com, and encourage your neighbors to sign up for e-communications like this one.

Super Recycling Summer Roundup
From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 29, Dallas' Sanitation Services Dept. hosts an opportunity for us all to recycle everything from furniture and e-waste (like old cell phones and computers) to clothing and even building materials. Two of the four recycling locations will also provide super-shredding for unneeded paper files. Here are the details.

Sales tax holiday now also includes school supplies
Shoppers across the state get a break from state and local sales taxes on Aug. 21, 22 and 23 — Texas' annual tax holiday. For this weekend, state law exempts most clothing and footwear priced under $100 from sales taxes. Effective this year, Texas families also get a sales tax break on most school supplies. See the complete list of sales tax-exempt items.