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Commissioners Pull Dallas County towing-management contract after public complaints of favoritism
Summary
After multiple speakers alleged a long-running “good‑old‑boys” system and discrimination in awarding a Dallas County contract for emergency and nonemergency towing management, the Commissioners Court pulled the solicitation for at least two weeks for further review.
The Dallas County Commissioners Court paused action on a five‑year, turnkey towing management services agreement after multiple towing companies and their lawyers raised fairness and accuracy concerns during public comment.
Supporters of competing bidders told the court that Traffic Incident Management Solutions (Tim’s), the recommended vendor, and the program that has operated since the 2000s exclude capable operators and favor friends and family. “This program has not been based off of merit,” Jesse Mallister, attorney for HBL Towing, said. “It is the definition of a good‑old‑boys network.”
Why it matters: The contract would give the recommended manager responsibility for dispatching tow operators for emergency and nonemergency incidents across Dallas County, with the manager coordinating subcontractors staged across five zones to meet a 15‑minute response target. Speakers said the program handles thousands of tows a year and that the process for picking the manager and which subcontractors would be used was not transparent.
What speakers said: Several local towers and their representatives recounted being removed from the on‑call rotation or told they could not qualify. Ron’s Towing President Sherry Moody said her firm had been removed from the Sheriff’s rotation in May 2023 and “I feel like I’ve been discriminated against as a woman‑owned business.” Owner Salih Aldahek, representing HBL, said he has invested heavily in equipment and was still excluded from the program, alleging the recommended manager will rely on a narrow set of familiar contractors.
The recommended vendor, represented in court by Steve Smith, told commissioners his operation focuses on management and coordination rather than performing all tows. “Our goal is to get the sheriff’s deputies, the first responders, off the freeways quick as we can,” Smith said, adding that the manager does not receive county payments for each tow and that the program historically relied on a gradation of funding and staffing.
Court action: Commissioners agreed to pull the item from consideration for at least two weeks, directing Purchasing and other county staff to gather documents and answer questions about the solicitation process, the number of tows and revenue involved, and whether the RFP’s qualification language unduly limited which vendors could apply. The court requested copies of procurement materials and company submissions be shared with commissioners and the parties who spoke.
What’s next: Purchasing staff will return with the requested details and answers to questions about who was notified of the solicitation, the evaluation process, the proposed fee structure, and whether any firms were disqualified for cause.
Ending: Commissioners said they want more information before awarding a contract that governs a high‑volume, safety‑sensitive county function.
