The Dallas City Council approved on Oct. 22 an interlocal payment to Dallas County for processing and maintaining city prisoners at the Lew Sterrett Criminal Justice Center for the fiscal-year period Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $8,705,882.

The item had been deferred from the Sept. 24 meeting and was the subject of a later motion to reconsider during the Oct. 22 session. A motion to reconsider passed on a recorded roll call (12 in favor, 2 opposed), returning the item to the council floor for final action.

Discussion during the reconsideration and final vote focused on oversight and committee process. Councilmembers who supported the reconsideration and final approval said they had questions about the contract’s performance measures and recommended that County–City meetings and accountability measures be formalized. City staff and the director of court and detention services told the council that if approved that day, no interest would be owed to Dallas County because the payment would be processed within the 30-day window staff identified.

Opponents of the item’s immediate reconsideration said the item had already been vetted and that remanding it to committee earlier had been disruptive. Supporters of the committee review said the committee discussion clarified the need for additional performance metrics and scheduled follow-up.

Following debate, the council approved the payment. Staff committed to pursue the additional performance and oversight items discussed in public-safety committee and to continue regular meetings between the city and Dallas County as spelled out in addenda to the contract.