Dallas County court approves $600,000 interim CFO contract for Metro Care Services in 4–1 vote

The Dallas County Commissioners Court voted 4–1 to engage Gibbons Advisors as an interim chief financial officer for Metro Care Services, approving a contract capped at $600,000 to be paid from the county's general fund.

Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins presided over the special call meeting. After a closed session for legal advice under Chapter 551 of the Government Code, the court took up Court Order F1, which the moderator read as: “It is the desire of the Dallas County Commissioners Court to engage the services of Bridal, Winters of Gibbons, Associates. Gibbons Advisors to serve as interim chief financial officer for Metro Care Services during this leadership transition.” The order states the cost is $600,000, capped, and will come from the general fund.

Committee member (speaker 3) said they would oppose the motion, citing records on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse for recent audits and alleging the agency has overstated its finances. “I will definitely be in opposition,” the member said, raising concerns that Metro Care had repeatedly overstated its position and that the court should insist Metro Care open its books rather than spend on an interim contract.

A presenter who reviewed Metro Care's audited financial statements said their work was an analysis rather than a new audit and that, based on the audited statements, they recommended Metro Care would need roughly $10 million to $15 million to remain viable absent other changes. “I did not do an audit,” the presenter said, clarifying the scope of the review. Committee member (speaker 8) responded that, even without a full audit, the court should act to preserve the agency's mental-health services in North Texas and said they would support the motion.

The court debated the risk to Metro Care's clients if services were disrupted, with the moderator and others noting that some clients include people with histories of suicide attempts and adults with severe developmental disabilities who rely on Metro Care as a lifeline. Following discussion, the court voted; the motion passed by a 4–1 margin, with one member recorded in opposition.

The moderator read the order aloud and confirmed the funding source as the general fund. The court then prepared to return to closed session to address additional posted items and adjourned after noting there was no further action from the second executive session.

The court's action creates a short-term fiscal and management intervention for Metro Care Services; the presenter's recommendation that the organization could need $10 million to $15 million to survive underscores larger financial questions that the court did not resolve at this meeting. The court did not provide a complete audit at the session; the presenter reiterated that their work was an analysis of audited statements, not a comprehensive audit.