Dallas County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an agreement allowing the county to provide election personnel, verification software, and facilities to help the City of Dallas review citizen petitions seeking charter amendments or recalls. City Hall will pay for the assistance and retain final authority over signature verification.
Commissioners approved the interlocal agreement November 3 by a 5-0 vote under Court Order 2026-1270. Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia made the motion, Commissioner Andrew Sommerman seconded it, and all five court members supported the measure, according to the official meeting minutes.
The agreement authorizes County Judge Clay Jenkins to sign on Dallas County’s behalf. It does not identify the specific petitions requiring review or establish a total project cost.
Under the agreement, the City of Dallas will pay $26.60 per hour for temporary workers during regular hours and $39.90 per hour for overtime. Dallas County will also charge $150 daily for use of its elections warehouse at 1520 Round Table Drive.
The city will reimburse Dallas County for participating county employees’ time at their applicable pay rates.
The county will estimate the cost of each verification project after receiving a kickoff form. Dallas must deposit 50% of that estimate before work begins and pay the remaining balance after the county calculates actual expenses.
The agreement requires the city to submit a kickoff form at least 10 days before each project begins and runs through January 31, 2027, unless the parties terminate it earlier.
Dallas County will provide computers, verification software, temporary workers, and elections personnel to train workers. The city will oversee the process and establish verification standards.
City officials will retain responsibility for determining which signatures qualify and whether petitions satisfy applicable requirements.
The agreement does not transfer final election decisions to Dallas County. It also does not establish that any particular petition has obtained enough valid signatures to qualify for an election.
The arrangement follows a similar decision from June 26, 2024, when the Dallas City Council authorized an interlocal agreement with Dallas County for assistance verifying four proposed charter amendments.
That earlier agreement carried a spending limit of $90,000 from the city’s general fund, according to official City Council records.
The latest agreement takes a different approach, setting labor and facility rates without identifying a fixed overall cost.
The new rates leave a key cost question unanswered: How much will the city spend reviewing petitions under this agreement?
The Dallas County briefing identifies several petitions but does not specify their sponsors, signature counts, or expected verification expenses.
The Dallas Express previously examined disputes involving Proposition S, the voter-approved Dallas charter amendment that provides qualifying residents a mechanism to seek judicial enforcement of certain city obligations. Tuesday’s agreement concerns a separate process involving signature verification for potential future charter amendments and recalls.
The November 3 approval authorizes county participation, but it does not establish that work has begun or that county officials have completed any petition reviews.
Provided by Dallas Express
