These are documented risks and unanswered questions—not accusations. Open time updates automatically, and recommendations are labeled separately from official findings.
Correction and change log
When the public record changes—or the math does not match
We preserve the published claim, show the calculation, and keep the issue open until it is corrected or explained.
PUBLISHED MATH CONFLICTOPEN — CORRECTED CITY SLIDE NOT FOUND
The response-time values may be right, but the percentage printed beside them does not match the usual calculation.
Prior time11.12 min
−
Current time8.62 min
=
Faster by2.50 min
City slide prints29.00%
Values calculate to22.48%
Difference6.52 percentage points
(11.12 − 8.62) ÷ 11.12 × 100 = 22.48% improvement
SOURCE COVERAGE CHANGEDDallas's live vendor-payment file dropped an older fiscal yearOPEN — LIVE FILE DOES NOT MATCH ITS TITLE
The live download rolled forward from 180,324 rows covering October 2024–September 2026 to 93,790 rows covering October 2025–October 2026. The smaller row count and dollar total are a coverage change—not evidence that prior payments vanished or were reversed.
What would close this: Dallas restores the historical rows, publishes an archive link, or changes the dataset title and description to match the live coverage.
A logged discrepancy is not evidence of fraud. It is a reproducible difference that should be corrected, explained, or reconciled. Checked Oct. 31, 2026.
Checks against official City records
Red flags found in official records
Open time updates automatically. Each item comes from an official audit or a documented comparison of City records. A red flag means a documented risk or unanswered public question—not an accusation.
Executive summary
What matters most today
Dallas says its Flock cameras keep records for 365 days; the published police order says 30 days. Dallas has not explained which rule controls.
Dallas estimates at least $2.05M in City costs for the September 9–10 convention. The final cost and reimbursement are not known yet.
Current police and fire overtime forecasts total about $8.01M above their adopted overtime budgets; that is a budget warning, not proof of abuse.
A 2026 audit found property-control problems similar to issues documented in 2005.
August 19 meetingTRANSCRIPT RETRIEVED — REVIEW REQUIRED
Dallas posted an unreviewed closed-caption transcript. Speaker claims are still hidden until each one is checked against the video.
Automatically calculated through September 8, 2026
RED FLAGCONFLICTING OFFICIAL RECORDSDallas publishes two different Flock retention periodsDallas Police · Public Safety Committee
Unresolved since latest briefing0 days
30 DAYS OR 365 DAYS?
Dallas's September presentation says camera records are kept for 365 days. The published Dallas Police order says 30 days. Both cannot describe the same current practice without an explanation.
What the record shows
Dallas reported 684 Flock cameras and 1,917 police users as of September 8.
The presentation says every search is logged and weekly compliance audits are performed.
Dallas Police said 321 state-grant-supported cameras will be canceled effective September 15; more than 300 will remain.
The public record does not yet state the final camera count, contract credit, refund, or replacement funding after cancellation.
Proof needed to close it
Publish the controlling retention rule, effective date, deletion test, final camera count, revised contract obligation, audit results, and every approved sharing category.
Council should ask
Which retention period is actually enforced today, and what changes financially when 321 cameras are canceled?
NEEDS ANSWERCURRENT CITY ESTIMATEConvention cost is estimated; final resident cost is not knownDallas Police · Fire-Rescue · Emergency Management · Transportation
Since City cost estimate5 days
FINAL COST PENDING
Dallas estimated $2,054,935.30 in City costs for the September 9–10 Republican National Committee convention. That is a planning estimate, not the final cost residents will bear.
What the record shows
Dallas Police estimate: $1,804,935.30.
Dallas Fire-Rescue estimate: $200,000.
Emergency Management estimate: $25,000; Transportation and Public Works estimate: $25,000.
Dallas says some expenses may already be budgeted or reimbursed, but no new grant or reimbursement item was scheduled for Council as of September 3.
Proof needed to close it
After the event, publish actual overtime, equipment and department costs, every reimbursement or credit, and the net amount paid by Dallas taxpayers.
Council should ask
What is the final gross cost, what was reimbursed, and what net amount remained with Dallas?
RED FLAGOFFICIAL AUDITCity property controls keep returningPark & Recreation · Aviation · City Controller
Time between public audits21y 3m
REPEATED FINDING
A 2005 audit found weak controls for lower-value City property. The newest audit again found incomplete inventories and an outdated directive last revised in January 2000.
What the record shows
2024 budget year: 3 of 53 Park locations submitted self-audits; 1 was complete.
2025 budget year: 29 of 53 submitted; 6 were complete.
Aviation did not complete an annual inventory during the audit period.
The 2026 audit has 3 high-risk and 5 moderate recommendations; management agreed to all 8.
Proof needed to close it
All locations counted annually; missing assets resolved; directive updated; follow-up evidence due beginning June 30, 2027.
Council should ask
Why did a control theme documented in 2005 return, and who verifies every location before the 2027 follow-up?
RED FLAGOFFICIAL AUDITRoad-paving test procedures are still not usableTransportation & Public Works
Open since audit release4y 6m
NOT IMPLEMENTED
Dallas revised its paving quality-control procedure, but the Auditor found it was not readily accessible and the replacement project system did not reproduce the needed function.
What the record shows
The original audit was released February 11, 2022.
The recommendation covers the frequency, timing, and location of tests for pavement maintenance and resurfacing.
The 2026 budget-year follow-up still says it has not been put in place.
Proof needed to close it
Field staff can retrieve the procedure; every project records required tests; failed tests and corrective work are visible; Auditor verifies closure.
Council should ask
Which active paving jobs lack required test records today, and will Dallas pay any invoice before the test evidence is attached?
RED FLAGAUDIT + CURRENT BRIEFINGPolice overtime still lacks proven closed-loop recordsDallas Police · Information Technology · Procurement · City Controller
Since audit release4 years
PUBLIC CLOSURE NOT FOUND
The 2022 audit did not find unusual use showing waste or abuse, but 36.2% of tested entries lacked supporting justification and 65% used manual cards. The Dallas Police Department accepted the risk of not setting a date for one centralized electronic record.
What the record shows
149 of 412 tested entries lacked supporting justification.
268 of 412 used manual overtime cards.
The current briefing says patrol reporting is being modernized, but that is not proof that the overtime-record recommendation is closed.
Dallas Police expects $49.80M in overtime during the 2026 budget year against a $47.05M budget.
Proof needed to close it
Publish the current manual-entry share, approval exceptions, duplicate-hour tests, corrective actions, and an Auditor-verified disposition of the 2022 recommendation.
Council should ask
Is every police overtime hour now tied to a schedule, reason, approver, correction history, and payment in one auditable system?
RED FLAGINDEPENDENT RECORD CHECK260 City applications overlap in functionInformation & Technology Services · 44 departments
Since public inventory3 months
93 SYSTEMS NEED UPGRADES
Dallas reports 582 active software systems. Its inventory identified 260 that do work overlapping with another system and 93 that need an upgrade.
What the record shows
The 260 overlaps span financial, case, document, communication, human-capital, analytics and data-management functions.
Dallas says 93 applications are at risk because they need an upgrade; several touch public safety and financial operations.
Information and Technology Services reported $48.9M in software licenses and upkeep during the 2025 budget year.
The City says every new system should now pass a written request, technical review, and approval decision.
Proof needed to close it
Publish the full 582-system inventory, the 260 overlap decisions, the 93 upgrade or retirement dates, the owner and annual cost of each system, and verified savings after removal.
Council should ask
Which systems will Dallas retire first, when will each payment stop, and what service and security test must pass before removal?
WATCHOFFICIAL AUDIT311 can reset the clock when a request transfers311 · Code · Sanitation · Transportation & Public Works
Since first recent audit1y 5m
REPEATED IN 2026
Two recent audits show that internal request handling can hide the resident's full wait. One audited 10-business-day request took 25 business days after four transfers.
What the record shows
The 2025 call-center audit and 2026 service-level audit both identified accountability gaps.
The transfer process can close one request and start a new target.
Dallas agreed to document transfer reasons and tell residents that a new timeframe begins.
Proof needed to close it
One resident-facing ID and one end-to-end clock across transfers, with owner, target, completion proof, and reopen history.
Council should ask
How long did the resident wait from the first report—not from the latest department transfer?
RED FLAGINDEPENDENT RECORD CHECKThe $8.71M jail agreement still needs a scorecardDallas Police · Dallas County · City Attorney
Since City memo4 months
MEASURES OUTSTANDING
Dallas can pay Dallas County up to $8.71M for jail services during the 2026 budget year. A City memo says prisoner intake declined while salary and operating costs increased. The City still needed performance measures, final cost adjustments, supporting data, and regular meetings.
What the record shows
The current term runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.
The interlocal arrangement began in 1978 and was most recently updated in 2022.
The City memo asks for measurable expectations and stronger cost accountability.
This Dallas County jail agreement is separate from the citywide private security-guard contract.
Proof needed to close it
Publish bookings, jail days, invoice components, staffing and overtime share, cost true-ups, service targets, exceptions, and meeting results.
Council should ask
What did Dallas receive for $8.71M, how did the unit cost change as intake fell, and what amount will be corrected at true-up?
NEEDS ANSWERINDEPENDENT RECORD CHECKThe 911 and dispatch cutover has no simple public cost mapDallas Police · Fire-Rescue · Information & Technology Services
Since replacement approval8 months
CUTOVER DATE UNKNOWN
Dallas approved new police dispatch and records software while the current dispatch software remains supported through July 2028. The overlap may be necessary, but the reviewed approvals do not give residents one launch date, overlap cost, or verified savings from retiring the old system.
What the record shows
$47.19M maximum for the new Freeit police dispatch and records system, including a five-year renewal option.
$998,929 maximum for separate implementation oversight by Federal Engineering.
$27.17M is the total maximum authorized over time for the existing CentralSquare dispatch contract after an April 2026 increase—not a new $27.17M charge.
$28.24M maximum for separate AT&T 911 software and network support over five years plus up to three renewals.
Proof needed to close it
Publish the go-live date, old-system shutdown date, overlap cost by month, migration tests, outage plan, location-accuracy baseline, and applications actually retired.
Council should ask
What is the complete transition cost, which old systems stop being paid for, and what safety test must pass before cutover?
Bar length compares elapsed calendar days. Open a row for the official evidence, owner, closing proof, and next Council question.
8 questions every major Council item should answer
What is the full cost through the final renewal—not only today's increase?
What current contract, system, or position ends when this begins?
What result is measured now, what is the target, and when will residents see it?
Who owns the result, who independently verifies it, and what is the due date?
What happens if the vendor misses the target—credit, correction, termination, or nothing?
What did a prior audit, contract, or resident complaint already warn about?
What data is collected, who can access it, how long is it kept, and how is misuse detected?
What lower-cost alternative was tested, and why was it rejected?
A red flag means verified risk, a repeated finding, an overdue answer, or missing public evidence. It does not mean fraud or misconduct. The 2005 and 2026 property audits show a repeated control theme; they do not prove one recommendation remained continuously open for 21 years. Contract ceilings are maximum authorizations, not proof that every dollar was spent.
Independent accountability check
Where Dallas can improve now
Recent audits and Council briefings point to five immediate checks. The goal is fewer hidden costs, faster service, and proof before staffing changes.
Fire now0
The public records reviewed do not measure any individual employee well enough to justify termination.
Proposed police hires360
$17.42M is proposed for the 2026–27 budget year; 171 full-time-equivalent jobs reflects hiring throughout the year, not 360 full-year salaries.
Cuts to review first8.63 full-time-equivalent jobs
6.50 audit and data jobs plus 2.13 full-time-equivalent 311 trainee jobs in the proposed budget.
Drone evaluators2 roles
Assign an operations owner and an independent data evaluator; redeploy before adding headcount.
Plain answer: These are position-level budget decisions—not judgments about named employees. No incumbent firing target is supported by the evidence.
Audit follow-up
35 closed · 2 still open
The two open high-impact recommendations concern AT&T service-level reporting and road-paving quality-control testing.
Implemented 35Open 2No longer relevant 1
1. Immediate check
Close Transportation & Public Works control gaps
FIX IN PROGRESS
The 2024 consolidation reduced some overhead, but the June 2026 audit found that operational efficiencies were generally not realized.
42recommendations
16high risk
2high-risk items not accepted
Do now
Publish one owner, due date, evidence link, and status for every recommendation. Keep the Senior Procurement Specialist and planned Grant Compliance Specialist focused on centralized contract controls.
Staffing answer
Protect 2 control roles already identified by TPW. Do not reduce contract-monitoring capacity before the high-risk items close.
Proof of improvement
High-risk recommendations closed; contracts in one repository; invoices checked against terms before payment.
Dallas collected $44.49M in FY2024 parking revenue, but the auditor found that Aviation could not prove most electronic revenue was reconciled in the day tested.
$44.49MFY2024 revenue
$96,083payments and upgrade to review
98.46%electronic payment mix in tested day
Do now
Match entry and exit counts, contractor totals, payment processors, bank deposits, and the City ledger every day. Post monthly exceptions and recover contract-ineligible costs when supported.
Staffing answer
Hire 0 for now. Automate the reconciliation and assign one existing Aviation finance owner; measure the workload before requesting staff.
Proof of improvement
100% daily reconciliation; every difference resolved; $49,469 of contract-ineligible reimbursements reviewed for recovery.
A transfer closes one request and starts another clock. Dallas can meet internal targets while the resident waits longer for the original problem.
590,663FY2024 requests
5%transferred in audit period
25 daysone audited 10-day request
Do now
Keep one public request ID and one resident clock across every transfer. Show the current owner, transfer reason, target date, completion proof, and reopen history.
Staffing answer
Pause the proposed cut of 3 trainee positions (2.13 full-time-equivalent jobs; $97,693) until Dallas shows that wait times, abandoned requests, transfers, and reopened cases will not worsen.
Prove what Dallas Police drones save—and what they do not
LIMITED DEPLOYMENT
Drone as First Responder began limited deployment May 20, 2026. Dallas has not published enough results to credit drones for response-time gains or reduce officer staffing.
$277.86Mcurrent Axon agreement ceiling
$120.62MDec. 2025 bundled increase
Unknowndrone-only share
+$120.62MAxon expansion with drones, AI, cameras, training, and other tools
+$10.38Mseparate counter-drone grant expansion
$8.00Mfederal request for the Drone as First Responder program; award not verified
Do now
Publish launches, eligible call types, arrival before officers, calls cleared without dispatch, officer-hours avoided, complaints, flight purpose, retention, downtime, and full program cost by month and division.
Staffing answer
Hire 0 and cut 0 solely because of drones today. Assign 2 roles: an operations owner and an independent evaluator. Revisit staffing only after a full year of verified workload data.
Proof of improvement
Cost per launch; officer-hours actually avoided; response time by division; false alarms; safety and privacy exceptions.
The proposed budget removes audit and analyst capacity while current audits call for better controls, measurement, and follow-up.
−6.50 full-time-equivalent jobsaudit and analyst cuts
+3.00 full-time-equivalent jobscentral data hires
$330,783net proposed savings
Do now
Before the vote, map every eliminated duty to a named remaining owner. The three new enterprise-data positions should have a public work plan tied to audit closure and savings verification.
Staffing answer
Review 6.50 full-time-equivalent jobs proposed for removal: 1.98 internal/performance audit, 3.52 operations research, and 1.00 workforce analytics. After adding three central data jobs, the plan still has 3.50 fewer full-time-equivalent jobs.
Proof of improvement
Recommendation closure time; verified savings; unresolved controls; analyst workload; service impact after consolidation.
Dallas Police said it would replace an old citywide response-time view with patrol-division reporting.
DELIVERED
Dallas Police published response times by patrol division and continued monthly comparisons in 2026.
STILL OPEN
311 transfers, TPW controls, paving quality tests, and AT&T service-level reporting still need verified closure.
Council transcripts are uncorrected captions. They identify promises and questions, not proof. Every factual finding above is supported by an official audit, budget, resolution, or memo.
Improvement audit
What Dallas should prove
Known costs, official findings, open questions, and measurable proof. Projected savings stay labeled until actual results verify them.
1Known cost
2Small test
3Measure
4Keep or stop
Public boundary: This page shows verified facts, official findings, open questions, and measurable proof. Unproven product designs are kept out of the public site. A proposal is not counted as savings until real results verify it.
1. Decision still open
Test the health-plan math before approval
NOT APPROVED · SAVINGS UNVERIFIED
August 19 was a briefing—not the final plan vote. The 2027 rates and benefits are proposals. William Roth's exact questions will be added only after the unreviewed transcript is checked against the video.
2025 prescription spending$54.0MUp $14.0M, or 35%, from 2024. This is medicine spending—not the fee paid to the company managing prescription benefits.
Blue Cross contract maximums$44.06MMedical administration plus medicine-benefit management. These maximums are not actual medical claims paid.
Holmes Murphy health consulting paid$285.9KThe complete 2025 budget year plus the 2026 budget year through June 3 in Dallas's payment file.
2027 gap still left$16.2MDallas projection after the proposed changes.
Current Blue Cross contract maximums
+$41,837,527Medical administration, stop-loss and retiree coverage
+$2,221,440Pharmacy-benefit management
$44,058,967Approved maximum—not total health-plan cost
Both were approved June 25, 2025 for three years plus two optional one-year renewals. The public authorization does not give the executed start or end date.
Health consulting payments found
+$190,625.00Complete 2025 budget year
+$95,312.502026 budget year through June 3
$285,937.50Human Resources health-plan consulting
Slides-only price: Unknown. Payment descriptions say consulting services, not which deliverable each invoice bought.
Who handles the health plan
1. Decision makerDallas Human Resources + City Council
Runs the plan and approves benefits and rates
2027 changes still pending2. Direct contractorBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Runs the medical plan and holds Dallas's direct contract for managing medicine benefits; it is part of Health Care Service Corporation
$44.06M combined contract maximums3. Blue Cross subcontractorPrime Therapeutics
Processes prescriptions and manages the covered-medicine list, pharmacy network, and manufacturer rebates for Blue Cross
Direct Dallas payment unknown4. Same firm used since 2014Holmes Murphy
Benefits consultant and medical/prescription-plan auditor; prepared the briefing
$1.14M maximum over five years
Plain-language plan check
What employees have now—and what Dallas approved
Approved Sept. 16 · Starts Jan. 1
Not thisYour medical coverage changes because of your salary.
What was approvedThe same plan has the same total price. Dallas pays a larger share for lower-paid employees.
Primary-care plan · employee-only example: the total is $915.63 a month in every salary band. The employee will pay $38.04, $50.72, or $63.40; Dallas pays the rest. Dallas already uses salary groups for the 2026 primary-care and Copay plans; the approved 2027 design changes the groups and adds them to the health savings account plan.
2026 · CurrentBlue Essentials · primary-care planTexas-only network · $1,500 person/$3,000 family deductible · $25 primary-care visit · $50 specialistBlue Choice CopayBroader doctor network · same deductible and visit charges as the primary-care plan · would be eliminatedBlue Choice · health savings account planBroader doctor network · $3,400 person/$6,800 family deductible · employee pays 20% after the deductible · network would become narrower
2027 · ApprovedBlue Essentials · primary-care planHigher deductible and several higher charges when receiving careBlue Essentials · health savings account planHigher deductible; a required primary-care doctor and narrower network would be addedActive enrollment requiredNo election means no coverage on January 1, 2027.
What the approved plans coverCouncil approved the plan design September 16. Final insurance documents control detailed exclusions and advance-approval rules.
APPROVED 2027
Blue Essentials · primary-care doctor plan
Lower deductible; fixed copays for common care.
Network
Texas Blue Essentials only
Main doctor and referrals
A primary-care doctor is required; referrals are required for some care
Emergency care covered; routine care generally is not
APPROVED 2027
Blue Essentials · health savings account plan
Higher deductible; most care is paid by the employee until it is met.
Network
Changes to Texas Blue Essentials only
Main doctor and referrals
A primary-care doctor is required; referrals may be required
Deductible
$3,500 person · $7,000 family
Out-of-pocket limit
$6,350 person · $12,700 family
Preventive care
No charge
Doctor
Employee pays 20% after deductible
Urgent / emergency
Employee pays 20% after deductible
Hospital / surgery
Employee pays 20% after deductible
Prescription
Employee pays 20% after deductible
Outside Texas
Emergency care covered; routine care generally is not
The out-of-pocket limit is the most an employee pays for covered care from participating doctors during the year; it does not include the monthly payroll premium. Final exclusions, rules requiring advance insurer approval, and the City's 2027 health savings account contribution have not been published in the briefing.
See every approved monthly employee premium
The amount below is the employee’s monthly payroll contribution—not the total plan price or the cost paid when receiving care.
Primary-care doctor plan
Coverage
Under $50K
$50K–$75K
Over $75K
Employee only
$38.04
$50.72
$63.40
Employee + spouse
$571.45
$605.63
$639.80
Employee + child(ren)
$166.09
$191.45
$216.81
Employee + family
$626.14
$667.14
$708.16
Health savings account plan
Coverage
Under $50K
$50K–$75K
Over $75K
Employee only
$39.94
$41.67
$43.41
Employee + spouse
$600.02
$638.71
$677.43
Employee + child(ren)
$174.40
$181.98
$189.56
Employee + family
$657.44
$699.83
$742.25
“Should” is not a guarantee
Approved terms
Two plans, listed deductibles and charges when receiving care, required enrollment, and employee payments based on salary groups.
Actual appointments, actual doctors retained, referral time, denied care, employee total cost, and savings after every fee.
What needs attention: Dallas shows estimated savings, but the proposal also narrows the doctor network, changes employee costs, removes coverage of certain medicines used only for weight loss, and changes the wellness reward. The public record does not yet show the signed Blue Cross contracts, Prime's payment and rebate terms, independently verified savings after all costs, or every employee impact.
What to watch before approval
What the records reveal
Blue Cross says Prime Therapeutics performs its prescription-benefit work. Health Care Service Corporation, the company behind Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, has an ownership interest in Prime. That relationship should be disclosed and audited; it is not proof of misconduct.
Dallas awarded both 2025 contracts to Health Care Service Corporation/Blue Cross: $41.84M for medical-plan administration and $2.22M for managing prescription benefits. All 15 Council members present approved the group of routine agenda items containing both contracts.
The pharmacy contract includes administration of drug-rebate programs, but the public award record does not disclose the rebate guarantee, rebate retention, spread-pricing terms, specialty-pharmacy margin, or Prime's compensation.
Dallas reported pharmacy spending rising from $40M in 2024 to $54M in 2025. Weight-loss GLP-1 spending was $8.8M, while the proposed gross savings is $9.4M; Dallas should explain the additional $600K and every trend assumption.
The 94.52% provider-match figure compares directories. It does not prove that 94.52% of members keep their doctors, can obtain appointments, or avoid new referrals and travel.
Salary does not change the plan's total monthly price. The proposal changes the City subsidy: lower-paid employees pay less and higher-paid employees pay more for the same plan and coverage tier.
Statements that the narrower network 'should' lower costs or make care more coordinated are expectations—not guarantees. Dallas has not published contractual guarantees for member access, referral speed, or net savings.
No direct Blue Cross or Prime payment was identified in the current public vendor-payment source. That is missing public information—not evidence that Dallas paid $0.
Holmes Murphy is paid to advise Dallas and audit the medical and pharmacy plans. Dallas's record says the same firm has held this role since 2014; its full compensation and any carrier or vendor relationships should be public.
A visit with a primary-care doctor plus laboratory tests would replace Catapult screening as the activity that earns the wellness reward. Catapult screening would remain covered.
The $451,000 wellness figure is projected gross savings—not proof that medical care will cost less.
A future direct-care option shows $11M of City cost and $11.5M projected savings: about $500K net in year one, assuming 60%+ participation.
The future direct-care, dialysis, and surgery ideas are procurement directions—not awarded vendor contracts.
Questions Dallas should answer
What are the signed start and end dates for both Blue Cross contracts, and where can residents read the complete contracts?
Does Dallas receive 100% of drug rebates and other manufacturer revenue, and who keeps interest, fees, spreads or credits before Dallas receives them?
What does Prime earn from Dallas prescriptions, including administration, network spread, mail-order and specialty-pharmacy revenue?
Who independently checked every savings assumption and compared Blue Cross/Prime with an alternative that passes all rebates and discounts back to Dallas?
What will employees pay in premiums, deductibles, copays, prescriptions, referrals, travel and uncovered care?
How many actual members lose a doctor or face a new referral, wait-time or travel burden?
Which presenter statements are contractual guarantees, which are projections, and what happens if a promised result is missed?
How is Holmes Murphy paid beyond the City contract, including commissions, overrides, contingent compensation or vendor-paid revenue?
Will every vendor guarantee independently verified net savings with access, quality and audit-right protections?
How to measure it
Net cost after rebates
Employee cost
Appointment availability
Actual provider disruption
Denied care and appeals
Actual vs. promised savings
Unknowns and official sources
Still unknown
Video-verified August 19 transcript and William Roth's exact questions
2025 budget year paid$90.99MComplete budget year; exact Architecture and Engineering Design categories.
2026 budget year paid so far$93.90MPartial year through July 31; not a full-year comparison.
Largest 2025 recipient41.3%Perkins + Will: $37.54M of the two exact design categories.
2025 budget-year design payments
+$44.55MArchitectural Design
+$46.45MEngineering Design
$90.99MComplete 2025 budget year
Narrow total: only payments coded to these two accounting objects. Other professional services are excluded until they can be classified safely.
2026 budget year so far
+$51.10MArchitectural Design
+$42.80MEngineering Design, net
$93.90MThrough July 31, 2026
Includes six engineering adjustments totaling −$153,552.50. The source year is still incomplete.
What needs attention: Dallas pays tens of millions each year for design work, but the source does not show which work could safely reuse a standard design or which contract produced each payment.
What to watch before approval
What the records reveal
HKS received $10.00M in 2026 budget-year payment rows categorized as Architectural Design. Those rows mention police facilities or tactical operations, but the payment file does not identify the contract number.
Do not call every design payment waste. First compare repeated building types, scope, complexity, and outcomes.
Questions Dallas should answer
Has Dallas built this type before, and can a prior design be reused?
What is the complete design fee as a percent of project cost?
Which deliverables and contract produced each payment?
What change-order and schedule results did the designer achieve on prior City work?
The two Carahsoft agreements also support other City systems, so adding their full ceilings to 311 would be misleading.
What needs attention: Dallas's audit found that the City could not track where residents abandoned the app or website. The complete 311 technology cost is also hidden across a dedicated contract and shared enterprise agreements.
What to watch before approval
What the records reveal
The current public records do not show the full 311 technology cost because shared licenses and integrations are authorized through separate agreements.
The 2025 audit says Dallas could not determine where users abandoned the mobile app or web page.
No replacement award for the current 311 customer-management contract was located as of August 19.
Questions Dallas should answer
What is the 311 share of Salesforce licenses and shared integrations?
Has Dallas released a replacement solicitation before the current contract expires?
Will the next contract publish abandonment, duplicate, completion, reopen, and neighborhood-access measures?
Can Dallas export every request, status change, attachment, and audit log without a vendor fee?
A yearly software cost is different from the maximum allowed over a multi-year contract. Both stay labeled so they are not confused.
Clear answerDallas does not use one shared set of software.
It reports 582 active software systems. Of those, 260 do a job that overlaps with another system and 93 need an upgrade.
2025 software cost$48.9M
Information Technology licenses and upkeep
Active software systems582
Across 44 departments
Systems with overlap260
Some do the same type of work
Need an upgrade93
16% of all City systems
2025 budget year · licenses and maintenance
Where $48.9M went
Microsoft / 365$9.0M
Salesforce$6.0M
Workday$4.6M
Oracle$3.1M
Palo Alto$3.1M
ServiceNow$2.4M
CGI Advantage$1.9M
Adobe$1.5M
Kronos / UKG$1.0M
Other applications$16.2M
The nine named systems are 66.9% of the Information and Technology Services total. Accela's $2.4M and UMAX's $5.0M were paid by other departments and are not added to the $48.9M.
Resident cost alert
DallasGo can add 3.15% to a resident's payment
$100 bill + $3.15 fee = $103.15 paid
Paymentus—not Dallas Water Utilities—receives the fee. It applies to one-time DallasGo or automated-phone payments and debit- or credit-card payments.
Free ways to pay
No fee: AutoPay with eCheck, mail, or payment in person at Dallas City Hall.
Dallas says Water Utilities incurred about $7M in payment-processing fees in the 2025 budget year. The public material does not show Paymentus's complete contract price or how much of the new 3.15% residents will pay in a year.
12 major systems foundSee the company, job, department, known cost, and datesOpen map
ACTIVE
Microsoft / 365
Microsoft
Where
Citywide
What it does
Email, documents, meetings and staff collaboration
Known cost
$9.0M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Current contract term not stated in the inventory
REPLACEMENT CHECK DUE
Salesforce
Salesforce · Carahsoft · Accenture
Where
311 and other City customer-service workflows
What it does
Customer requests, case work and shared integrations
Known cost
$6.0M in the 2025 budget year · the 311 share is unknown
Contract dates
311 Accenture support ends Oct. 31, 2026
ACTIVE
Workday
Workday, Inc.
Where
All departments · Human Resources · payroll
What it does
Employee records, payroll, benefits, talent and learning
Known cost
$4.6M in the 2025 budget year · $4.89M maximum for a new one-year approval
Contract dates
Approved Feb. 25, 2026 with two one-year options; executed dates unknown
ACTIVE
Oracle
Oracle
Where
Budget and performance planning
What it does
Builds and tracks the City budget and performance plan
Known cost
$3.1M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Current contract term not stated in the inventory
DETAILS NEEDED
Palo Alto
Palo Alto Networks
Where
Information and Technology Services · security across City departments
What it does
Network and security tools; exact products are not named in the inventory
Known cost
$3.1M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Current contract term unknown
ACTIVE
ServiceNow
ServiceNow
Where
Information and Technology Services and internal support work
What it does
Service requests, incident tracking and internal support tickets
Known cost
$2.4M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Current contract term not stated in the inventory
UPGRADE
CGI Advantage
CGI
Where
Finance, Controller, Procurement and departments
What it does
Accounting, purchasing and core financial records
Known cost
$1.9M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Upgrade is underway; complete transition cost and end date unknown
DETAILS NEEDED
Adobe
Adobe
Where
Citywide
What it does
Documents and creative tools; department allocation is not public here
Known cost
$1.5M in the 2025 budget year
Contract dates
Current contract term unknown
VERIFY COMPLETION
Kronos / UKG TeleStaff
UKG · integration vendors
Where
Fire-Rescue scheduling and City workforce/time workflows
What it does
Staff schedules, work time, leave and overtime; connects with Workday
Known cost
$1.0M in the 2025 budget year · overlapping project amounts must not be added
Contract dates
Phase 2 Workday integration was due May 2026; completion proof not found
LIVE
DallasNow / Accela
Accela · Gartner assurance
Where
Planning & Development
What it does
Permits, planning, platting, inspections and engineering
Known cost
$2.4M department spend · $8.25M implementation and assurance contracts
Contract dates
DallasNow is live; ongoing license and maintenance term needs one public total
LIVE MAY 18, 2026
UMAX
Itineris NA, Inc.
Where
Dallas Water Utilities and participating City billing
What it does
Water, wastewater, sanitation, stormwater and other City billing
Known cost
$34.22M ten-year system + $26.36M five-year managed services
Contract dates
10-year system approved May 2024; 5-year support approved Dec. 2025
RESIDENT FEE
DallasGo
Paymentus
Where
Water Utilities and other City bill payments
What it does
Online and phone bill payment
Known cost
City contract cost not found · resident fee is 3.15% on specified payments
Contract dates
Launched 2024; upgraded with UMAX May 18, 2026
What Dallas still needs to publish
One complete list showing who owns each system, the company, yearly payments, maximum contract amount, start and end dates, renewal dates, resident fees, overlapping systems, replacement plan, and verified savings.
Major systems identified in Dallas's May 2026 application inventory and related official records. This is not yet all 582 active applications. “Overlapping” means two systems may do some of the same work; it does not prove either can be removed safely. A contract maximum is not an actual payment.
