The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) recognized the City of Carrollton, among four others, with a General Assembly honor for its innovative work in the Electronic Warrants Payment program.
The Regional Cooperation Award was given to the cities of Arlington, Carrollton, Euless, Grand Prairie, and Plano to recognize their governments’ cooperative and coordinated efforts on the project. The Electronic Warrants Payment program enables police officers to take credit card payments on the street when they encounter an individual with an outstanding warrant from one of the other participating cities.
“This is a huge productivity and time-saving tool,” said Carrollton City Manager Leonard Martin. He went on to say that the number of cities involved in the program is sure to grow. “I have worked with six councils of government in my career. NCTCOG is the only one that actively promotes shared regional services.”
Monte Mercer, Deputy Executive Director for the NCTCOG nominated the five cities for the award.
“This is a prime example of how participating cities can work together to maximize efficiencies and achieve a common goal,” Mercer said. “We’re fortunate in this region that cities are willing to come together; this allows them to stretch limited regional resources. The jail, the court, the finance department, and dispatch: all these functions within each city had to work together to find a common solution that would be effective. [The success] is a real credit to these departments and these cities. It’s imperative in the public sector that we continue to look at these endeavors wherever possible.”
The NCTCOG is a voluntary association that serves a 16-county region in north central Texas. It assists local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefits, and coordinating for regional development. The council’s main purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments.
For more information on the NCTCOG, visit nctcog.org. For more information on the City of Carrollton Police Department, visit cityofcarrollton.com/police.
