A study by the Economic Innovation Group found that Dallas was the only county in North Texas to see the total income produced by its residents drop during the era of COVID lockdowns.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins received substantial criticism during the COVID-19 pandemic as he closed businesses, mandated lockdowns, and set punishments for violations of those policies.
From 2020 to 2021, the migration out of Dallas County and away from Judge Jenkins’ mandates saw the relocation of $565,426,000 to other surrounding counties that did not enforce restrictions to the same degree.
Every single neighboring county saw massive boosts in total income as people moving out of Dallas County brought their high salaries with them.
Kaufman County gained $259,004,000 from net migration, while Rockwall County saw an increase of $253,466,000, according to the Economic Innovation Group’s report. To the north, Collin County secured a $1,276,712,000 boost which paled in comparison to Denton County’s $1,339,509,000 haul.
Tarrant County, Dallas’ direct competitor, gained a more modest $119,229,000, but rural Ellis County to the south brought in $245,418,000 positive resident income growth from migration during COVID lockdowns.
The Economic Innovation Group also noted that the people fleeing the shrinking big counties during COVID lockdowns were generally the higher earners while those moving into the same counties had lower incomes.
“Income flows out of urban areas and towards these growth regions [appear] to have been driven by upper-income households,” the organization explained. “In growing counties, in-migrants were on average higher earners than out-migrants, while in shrinking counties, out-migrants earned more than newcomers.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) highlighted the study, noting, “Dallas was the only North Texas County to force extended COVID lockdowns because Judge Clay Jenkins was more interested in exerting power and control than the interests of Dallas residents.”
“Comes as no surprise Dallas is also the only NTX county to lose hundreds of millions of dollars as people migrated to other counties,” the former Irving mayor added.
Lauren Davis, who challenged Jenkins for his seat in 2022, told The Dallas Express, “Clay Jenkins is bad for business and bad for families.”
“He manipulated and twisted a very clear fact. The County Judge derives its power from the state. He never had the authority to defy Governor Abbott,” she added, referring to the lawsuit Jenkins filed against Greg Abbott after the governor ordered an end to mask mandates.
The Texas Supreme Court recently sided with Abbott, noting that Jenkins unlawfully exceeded his authority in forcing Dallas County residents to remain under a mask mandate, as reported by The Dallas Express.
“He deserves to be held liable for all the economic and emotional damage he caused Dallas County residents,” Davis continued. “He shows zero remorse for his unlawful actions.”
During the lockdowns, Jenkins defended his policies by claiming he had “determined that extraordinary emergency measures must be taken to try and mitigate the effects of this public health emergency and facilitate a response to the public health threat.”
The Dallas Express reached out to Judge Jenkins for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.
