County commissioners on Tuesday faced a jail that was over capacity and an unexpected bill from the Texas Department of Transportation.
Commissioners were told before a tax rate hearing Tuesday morning that the Dallas County jail went over its capacity over the Labor Day weekend.
The jail is state-regulated to hold 7,119 people.
Monday night, it had five people over that.
Facilities staff was rushing to clear mold and update long-ago de-commissioned cells.
County Criminal Justice Director Charlene Randolph told commissioners the courts are getting extra help to process and release eligible people.
"We are in crisis," she said. "We are at a hundred percent, our book-ins are at record levels. And so if people are brought here, we have to find ways to get them out."
A new state law that took effect Sept. 1 makes bailing out of jail more challenging.
The added stress of bills due and trying to budget for higher costs in the coming year made up the bulk of a hearing on Tuesday about proposing a voter-approved property tax rate.
Dallas County already is dealing with budget challenges. Now it also has an unexpected bill from the Texas Department of Transportation for millions.
Safety inspections, repairs and maintenance for local bridges will cost Dallas County more than three million dollars.
County commissioners and administrators thought they had more time, but the state transportation department said that bill is due in about six months.
Commissioner John Wiley Price said the county had hoped to pay later.
"We get hit with TxDOT saying 'OK, now,' by the way, we thought we were going to be able to delay this, but now they're telling us they need within this budget year, in six months, millions of dollars."
Price says a proposed voter-approved property tax rate increase would help.
The proposed tax rate is $0.222188 per $100.
A public hearing to discuss the rate continues at 10 a.m. Sept. 9 at 500 Elm St. in Dallas.
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