ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Already the home of a vibrant, well-educated population; nationally-recognized research institutions like UT-Southwestern and UT-Dallas; Fortune 500 firms like Texas Instruments, Kimberly-Clark, and Southwest Airlines (Dallas County has the fourth-largest concentration of Fortune 500 corporate headquarters among counties in the U.S. and actually has more of these headquarters than 39 states); the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank; operations centers for JP Morgan Chase, Citicorp, and Capital One; major distribution centers for Amazon, Frito-Lay, Whirlpool, and Wal-Mart; famous restaurants, shops, and boutiques; and an active and innovative small business community, Dallas County is committed to ensuring that the phenomenal economic growth that has occurred over the past several decades continues into the future.
Fiscal Responsibility Dallas County has one of the lowest property tax rates in the State. Its fiscal policies and management practices have allowed it to be regarded as one of the best run counties in the country by Governing Magazine, and it is one of only a few counties in the United States to have a "AAA" bond rating from both Moody's and Standard & Poors.
Transportation Dallas County is a leader in regional transportation with a program that provides about $30 million a year in thoroughfare improvement funding. It was also responsible for helping create the North Texas Tollway Authority and DART, which is the Dallas area's transit authority and whose light rail system is larger than either Boston's or Philadelphia's.
Parks and Open Space The County has established one of the largest county open space systems in the state with the system now containing 3,500 acres of environmentally unique land, offering a variety of topographical, geological, and environmental experiences. Some are hilly and rocky, some are broad meadows, some include wetlands, some are heavily wooded, and some are historically significant to both Texas and Dallas County. In addition, the preserves set aside natural habitats where native plants, reptiles, birds and mammals can continue to thrive.
Economic Development Tools
- PACE - Dallas County is proud to offer the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program through two providers the Texas Pace Authority and Lone Star Pace as an economic development and environmental quality tool. The PACE program is a voluntary program that allows commercial real estate owners (including non-profits) to lower their operating costs through permanent ‘green’ improvements that decrease water or energy consumption or demand and provides low-cost long-term financing not otherwise available.
- TIF Districts - To help further facilitate economic development, Dallas County participates in certain tax increment finance (TIF) districts. In coordination with cities, the districts redirect some of the ad valorem tax from property to pay for improvements that generate new development in the zone.
- Tax Abatements - Dallas County provides strategic tax abatements, in accordance with its tax abatement policy. The policy, updated biannually, is used to provide tax abatements for historic preservation, housing, and economic development projects. You can see tax abatements approved by Dallas County at the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts website. (https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/development/search-tools/sb1340/search.php)
- EZP Projects - Dallas County nominates projects to the Texas Enterprise Zone Program (EZP). More information on this program can be found at the Texas Economic Development website on the Texas Enterprise Zone Program.
- Foreign Trade Zones - The County supports the formation of foreign trade zones, and in addition, it, along with the Dallas County Hospital District, also offers the freeport tax exemption on goods that leave the State within 175 days.
- CDBG - Dallas County operates a community development block grant (CDBG) program in fifteen of its smaller cities so that these cities can have sound infrastructure and housing.
- Job Training - In conjunction with the City of Dallas, Dallas County was instrumental in creating the first consolidated city-county job training program in Texas. Contact Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas to see how this unique program can benefit you.
- Dallas County is committed to increasing business opportunities for small businesses and to continuing to provide economic opportunity to the Dallas business community. Contact the Office of Small Business Enterprise at the County.
Information about the County's history, people and economy as well as copies of the County's tax abatement policy, TIF policy, and foreign trade zone policy and prior abatement project and TIF district status reports are available below. Additional information about the County's economic development activities and incentives can also be obtained by contacting the County's Director of Planning & Development, Luis Tamayo, at (214) 653-7627 or at luis.tamayo@dallascounty.org.
As required by Local Government Code sections 380.004(c) and 381.005(c), Dallas County publishes a direct link to the Online Public Database of its Chapter 381 agreements. You may access that database here : https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/local/ch380-381/reporting-search.php
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