Dallas County Web Site

Texas County government is generally an extension of state government, focusing on the judicial system, health and welfare service delivery, law enforcement, and road construction. In contrast to other parts of the country, Texas counties seldom have responsibility for schools, water and sewer systems, electric utilities, and commercial airports. County governments in Texas have no ordinance-making powers other than those explicitly and narrowly granted by state law. Dallas County shares organizational features with the state's other 253 counties: its governing body (the Commissioner's Court) consists of one member elected at large (the county judge) and four members (County Commissioners) elected from districts. In Dallas County, the County Judge is an executive and administrator in addition to his duties as presiding officer of the Commissioners Court. The County Judge is also the Judge of the County Truancy Courts, supervising three Magistrates who preside over these Dallas County Courts.

The Commissioners Court sets the County tax rate, adopts the budget, appoints boards and commissions, approves grants and personnel actions, and oversees the administration of county government. Each commissioner also supervises a Road and Bridge District. The Commissioners Court also approves the budget and sets the tax rate for the hospital district, which is charged with the responsibility for providing acute medical care for citizens who otherwise would not receive adequate medical services.

The Commissioners Court recently adopted the County’s first strategic plan. This plan, which covers the period of 2007-2017, has been developed so that the County can establish priorities and objectives and properly allocate resources during that time-frame. The Commissioners Court chose to undertake this project as the County has increasingly been asked to undertake activities like operating a city zoo and building a football stadium that are outside the traditional role of a Texas county at the same time that the County’s population is significantly changing and the State Legislature is considering limiting the method by which local governments are funded.

For more information about the County’s new strategic plan, please click here.