The City of Dallas released the first-ever State of the City Attorney’s Office (CAO) Report on March 29.
The report is intended to provide transparency to residents, businesses, taxpayers, and other interested parties about the work the city attorney does, including financial records and programs instituted over the previous fiscal year.
The City Attorney’s Office intends to make the report available annually.
“I am pleased to provide our first-ever State of the City Attorney’s Office Report for Fiscal Year 2020-2021,” City Attorney Christopher Caso said of the report. “This report details the work of our office, including financial trends, litigation results, and special initiatives.”
Caso added that while Dallas was dealing with the effects of COVID-19 during the last fiscal year, the City Attorney’s Office worked tirelessly to provide the highest quality and timely legal services to the City.
“We continue to remain dedicated to our mission, doing our part to make the City of Dallas a sustainable, safe, and beautiful place to live and work,” he said.
Caso wrote, “We attribute our success to our employees who have the dedication and heart for public service as well as the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and talent to bring suggestions, initiatives, and approaches to the table, which ultimately helps our office provide the best legal service to the city and its residents.”
The bulk of the report details the financial expenditures and incomes Dallas paid throughout FY20-21, including lawsuits settled against the City. Vehicle accidents involving police vehicles accounted for $840,000, while an additional $255,000 was paid out to people injured by sanitation vehicles. In all, $1.596 million was paid out to settle vehicle accidents involving city vehicles.
The report also shows that Dallas paid $2.6 million to settle employment cases, which is $2.5 million more than the previous two fiscal years combined.
The report enumerates various legal cases involving the City of Dallas, such as filings against Dallas Police Department officers and the City itself; suits mentioned in the report also included breaches of land and lease agreements, among others. In all, the city attorney handled 141 cases in the fiscal year, eighteen less than the previous year.
While much of the report is dry data, it shows the efforts being made at the city level to provide as much transparency to the public as possible. Notably, the report gives Dallas residents one of the first and only opportunities to see a compilation of legal issues addressed by the City.