The primary purpose of Dallas County government is assuring that it is responsive and diligent in meeting the needs of its citizens.

Over the years, the Tax Office staff has significantly improved its quality of service to you:

1. Since 1989, we have been frugal:
   1. We have reduced staff from 234 to 230, despite our workload doubling.
   2. Annual budget growth of 3.3%, less than inflation and cost of living. Two other comparable county departments have had an average budget growth of 10.92% and 11.47%.
2. We are doing more with less:
   1. Attendance has improved from 90.63% to 97%.
   2. In the Telephone Unit:
      1. Availability improved from 81.2% to 90.4%
      2. Staff exceeding exemplary performance standards has gone from 5 in 2003 to 78 in 2007, which equate to ½ employee per month to 6 ½ employees per month.
      3. Wait time in peak season has dropped from over 8 minutes to just over 3 minutes.
   3. In Tax Collections:
      1. The same number of staff is collecting for 45 additional entities.
      2. Processing time in peak season has gone from 2 weeks to next day and increasing interest earnings by $12 million.
      3. In a survey of counties nationwide, we rank 2nd nationally in accounts processed per employee.
   4. In Motor Vehicle:
      1. In 1998, 199 employees (16 per month) exceeded exemplary performance standards. In 2007, 646 employees (54 per month) exceeded standards.
      2. In 2001, we produced 4,382 titles per employee. In 2007, each employee produced 5,378.
      3. In 2001, we produced 12,554 registrations per employee. In 2007, each employee produced 16, 221.
      4. We do the most titles and registrations per employee in the State.
      5. The average wait time in the Registration line is down from 48 minutes to 8 minutes.
      6. The average process time for mailed in registrations is down from 2 weeks to 2 days.
3. Not only are we doing more with less, but we are doing it with a smile.
   1. Personal complaints to the Tax Collector are down from 5 per day to 1 per week.
   2. Unsolicited written compliments have increased from 24 in 1998 (2 per month) to 221 (18.5 per month) in 2007.

My staff and I are dedicated to finding ways to improve our level of service to you, and these online services provide yet another tool we can use to achieve that goal.

David Childs, Ph.D.
Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector