The Dallas Cowboys will remain in Arlington until at least 2055.
Arlington City Council Tuesday night approved an extension of the football team's lease and signed off on using $273 million of previously approved venue taxes to reimburse the Dallas Cowboys for improvements to AT&T Stadium.
Council's approval came after a discussion on whether further voter approval was needed.
Mayor Jim Ross said voters made their decision in the past and that his yes vote aligns with their choice. In 2004, 55% of voters approved the creation of several taxes to fund the construction of the stadium.
"I hear you with your concerns, there's nothing more I agree with that this is something that the voters need to have a say in this," Ross told attendees. "I'm just confident that they've already had that say."
Mayor Jim Ross listens to speakers during a City Council meeting April 21, 2026, in Arlington. (Christine Vo | Fort Worth Report) The funds will go to improving the stadium's lifespan, security and safety in the surrounding area, according to the city's agreement with the football franchise.
The upfront costs will be covered by the team. The funds will be reimbursed to the Cowboys starting in 2028 and will be paid out over the following 20 years.
The deal saw two levels of opposition: from those who felt the incentives should have gone to voters and from those who said the Cowboys should foot the bill, not taxpayers.
Council member Bowie Hogg raised concerns about subverting voters. Hogg and council member Nikkie Hunter were the only dissenting votes.
The Cowboys and the city have maintained a good relationship, but now was the time to make a new investment — with voters' approval, Hogg said.
"We have a history of going to voters, so I'm having a hard time with this," Hogg told council members.
Hunter agreed with Hogg's sentiment, adding that she felt the issue should go back to taxpayers.
"That's pretty much what my vote came down to," Hunter told the Arlington Report in an interview after the meeting.
Ross said voters already approved the taxes and their use for the construction and improvement of the stadium.
"The voters have already been heard on it, and they overwhelmingly said, 'Sell the bonds and pay this thing back by 2048,'" Ross said.
In 2016, voters approved the construction of Globe Life Field, as officials said they feared losing the Texas Rangers.
In August, City Manager Trey Yelverton announced Arlington was making its final payment on the debt it accrued to build AT&T Stadium — a decade earlier than projected. The final cost, including interest and fees, was $490 million.
On Tuesday, Yelverton told council members that the city has saved about $350 million because of the early payments, which is where the $273 million for upgrades will come from.
During an Arlington Report candidate forum on April 16, Ross said the August announcement was possible because the taxes netted more funds than initially expected. That is why the city felt comfortable bringing forward more funds for improvements, he added.
Some residents argued that the Dallas Cowboys — the highest valued brand of any sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes — should foot the entire bill.
Resident Etta Ashley said the $273 million was the taxpayers' money and that voters should have a say.
"If this deal truly is good for the public, then it should be strong enough to survive a public vote," Ashley told council members.
Under the agreement, the Cowboys will spend at least $750 million on the improvements. The Cowboys spent roughly $925 million on construction between 2004 and 2009, Yelverton said.
Since the city owns the stadium, the $273 million is an investment in an Arlington asset, Yelverton said.
"Sometimes I hear a lot of conversations about, 'How come the city gave the Cowboys $325 million?'" Yelverton said, referring to the original amount voters approved for construction in 2004. "In my mind, it's almost the opposite because the asset is the city's. We are responsible for it. So it is, how come the Cowboys gave the city $925 million?"
Warren Norred was one of five speakers who opposed the agreement. Norred was a part of Citizens for a Better Arlington, a political action committee that lobbied against the 2016 Texas Rangers stadium deal.
"You guys can extend the lease all day long, that's not a problem. But the idea of giving them another $200-plus million goes beyond that," Norred said.
The city commissioned a third-party study that found the Cowboys brings in roughly $324 million in economic impact for Arlington per year, a point officials in support of the agreement hammered during the meeting.
Business and local economic development officials called on council members to support the agreement.
Constantine Dimas, the chief business officer of Loews Hotels & Co, said the Cowboys were vital to the city and its businesses.
"Were it not the Cowboys, we would not be here," Dimas said.
Chris Moss is a reporter for the Arlington Report. Contact him at chris.moss@arlingtonreport.org.
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