DFW Municipal Courts Look to Unpaid Tickets in Tight Economic Times

Cities across Dallas, desperate for revenue during these tough economic times, are turning to unpaid parking tickets as a way to help with budget gaps. And they are getting increasingly creative in their methods of pressuring “scofflaws” into paying their fines. Mansfield publishes its top 10 offenders in the local papers. Westlake doesn’t allow those with unpaid tickets to renew driver’s licenses. Arlington publishes the names of its worst offenders on its website and doubles their fines if warrants are issued. And, Fort Worth has turned to collection agencies. Still, many people simply don’t pay for reasons ranging from laziness to a simple lack of money. “We have to do everything we can to make sure the government gets its money. I can imagine that there are a lot of people out there having a hard time getting food in their kids’ mouth and paying rent, and this gets on top of that. It’s a tough balance,” says Carl Reynolds, administrator of the state’s Office of Administration. From January 2008 to March 2010, 125,000 warrants were issued for unpaid tickets – adding up to almost $80 million in uncollected fees, fines and court costs. Arlington has issued more than 100,000 warrants.