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Dallas County Juvenile Board makeup among Texas legislature efforts in 2025

Property flat-dollar homestead exemptions, quality childcare, juvenile board members and keeping uninvited housing finance corporations out of Dallas County are among the issues that Dallas County commissioners want the 89th Texas Legislature to address.
Gabriel Cristóver Pérez
/
KUT News
Property flat-dollar homestead exemptions, quality childcare, juvenile board members and keeping uninvited housing finance corporations out of Dallas County are among the issues that Dallas County commissioners want the 89th Texas Legislature to address.

Dallas County commissioners Tuesday agreed on 10 priorities to support during the state’s next law-making session.

Property flat-dollar homestead exemptions, quality child care, juvenile board members and keeping uninvited housing finance corporations out of Dallas County are among efforts county leaders want to champion during the 89th Texas Legislature.

Commissioner John Wiley Price said more conversations are needed about changing the juvenile board composition.

"Dallas County is unique from other juvenile departments across the state," he said. "That was a special dispensation to create this. If we're not careful, will default and be like every other juvenile department."

Dallas County also wants counties to have the option to offer residents a flat-dollar homestead exemption. They also want to be able to destroy media devices containing sensitive information instead of auctioning them.

Other legislative proposals on the list are Veterans Service Officer reporting to a commissioners court designee, deferred compensation programs opt-out, allowing counsel during magistrate appearances and letting commissioned peace officers to respond to and provide behavioral or mental health services.

Position statements are approved at county legislative briefings and get catalogued into Dallas County’s Policy Platform. Dallas County recommends proposals in the Legislative Agenda for statute changes that make county government better for constituents.

The legislative session begins Jan. 14 in Austin.

County legislative briefings are open to the public and will be held at 11 a.m. on various Fridays through May.

Got a tip? Email Marina Trahan Martinez at mmartinez@kera.org. You can follow Marina at @HisGirlHildy.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

Marina Trahan Martinez is KERA's Dallas County government accountability reporter. She's a veteran journalist who has worked in the Dallas area for many years. Prior to coming to KERA, she was on The Dallas Morning News Watchdog investigative and accountability team with Dave Lieber. She has written for The New York Times since 2001, following the 9/11 attacks. Many of her stories for The Times focused on social justice and law enforcement, including Botham Jean's murder by a Dallas police officer and her subsequent trial, Atatiana Jefferson's shooting death by a Fort Worth police officer, and protests following George Floyd's murder. Marina was part of The News team that a Pulitzer finalist for coverage of the deadly ambush of Dallas police officers in 2016.