Accomplishments

Justice / Legal / Ethics Issues

• In 2006 Judge Jim Foster pledged to restore harmony in the commissioners court, improve treatment of mentally ill inmates along with general over-all jail conditions, improve Parkland Hospital and promote cleaner air. As a result, commissioners court members are now working together, Parkland Hospital is on its way to building a new world class hospital, mentally ill inmates are receiving proper care, jail conditions have greatly improved and the clean air taskforce is now considered a model program by state officials.

Other progress and accomplishments follow:

• (2007) Led effort to have Sheriff and Constables create Targeted Offender Program, which allows constable deputies to serve felony arrest warrants creating the largest warrant force in the state.
• (June 2007) Approved creation of the Integrity Unit in the District Attorney's office to examine post-conviction cases where DNA testing was previously denied, study allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and seeks the actual perpetrator of someone was wrongfully convicted.
• (April 2008) County initiated a plan to combine the five county constable's individual dispatch and communication centers under the county's Office of Security & Emergency Management increasing response time and saving the county money by eliminating duplicate work while providing a 24 hour dispatch operation. This imitative is now in the planning stage.
• (May 2008) The Traffic Enforcement Unit of the Sheriff's Department opened in the South Dallas Government Center, which works with other police forces in Dallas County allowing cities to direct their personnel from highway traffic to other public safety responsibilities.
• (June 2008) Criminal Justice Forum convened federal, state, and local leaders in an Advisory Council to provide a forum for local officials to collaborate on solutions to criminal justice challenges facing the community.
• (July 2008) With millions of dollars in unpaid tickets and $36M County Budget shortfall, Judge Foster has chosen to ensure traffic ticket collection in the 11 JP courts. This initiative has the potential to collect approximately 600,000 tickets representing $200,000,000 in fines and fees.
• (August 2009) Increased the number of truancy magistrates to help alleviate crowded dockets in Dallas County.
• (December 2009) Passed imitative that will bring Comprehensive Ethics Reform.

Environmental and Health

• (January 2008) County Clean Air Board's initiative to solve the problem of the 300,000 fraudulently inspected vehicles of the 1.3 million vehicles registered annually in Dallas County. Texas Environmental Quality Commission has made this model for all other Texas counties.
• (January 2009) Dallas County now allows providing condoms to combat the spread of STD and HIV/AIDS through the HHS Dept.
• (2009) Led the campaign that passed Parkland Hospital District Bond package.
• (July 2009) Approves discount prescription program that reduced cost of some laboratory and imaging services for those without insurance.

Economic Issues

• (2007) Passed senior Homestead Tax Freeze (over 65) which "freezes the amount of county taxes seniors pay for as long as they own their homes regardless of valuation increases or tax rate increases."