Layoffs Come to Dallas County IT in Reorganization

Tribune News Service — Thirty-one Dallas County information technology employees will be laid off next month in a sweeping restructuring of the department.

While 49 positions are being eliminated — 31 of which had people in them — the reorganization will create 52 new jobs for different “skills IT needs as the department moves forward,” according to assistant county administrator Charles Reed.

The overhaul comes nearly two years after Dallas County hired Chief Information Officer Justine Tran to transform the department following a period of leadership turnover and cybersecurity failures.

The changes, effective Oct. 2 as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, will save $376,659 by offering lower salaries for most of the new jobs and reclassified existing roles.

Because artificial intelligence has displaced some skilled IT workers in various industries, market rate salaries for them in governments like Dallas County still using legacy systems are lower, said county Commissioner Andrew Sommerman.

Tran did not respond to requests for comment, including questions about what she’s trying to achieve with the reorganization.

While most of the IT jobs posted this month do not mention AI, Tran has spoken publicly about her desire to incorporate AI companions into employee roles. Dallas County is currently working with a consultant to develop its first AI policy.

“It is meant to modernize and update jobs and the processes that go with it,” County Commissioner Theresa Daniel said of the IT reorganization.

Affected employees have been on paid leave since Sept. 2. Reed said all have been encouraged to apply for the new jobs, which have different requirements than the eliminated roles.

Tran previously directed technology strategy for the city of Dallas and held technology roles in the automotive and financial industries.

Before she joined Dallas County in November 2024, the department had been run by two interim chiefs for almost a year and a half.

The county had just come through a period of technology turmoil.

Amid an October 2023 ransomware attack on Dallas County, more than 200,000 people had their Social Security numbers, medical information and other data exposed. A hacker group called Play claimed responsibility and demanded a ransom before releasing the data.

Then, in November 2023, county officials learned an employee wired $2.4 million to scammers who used a fake business email address to impersonate a contractor asking for payment.

In an interview with CEO Magazine last year, Tran said “closing the gap” on cybersecurity was the first completed aspect in her strategic plan. Her other goals are expanding and innovating the department, she told the magazine.

Last month, county commissioners approved the second phase of a contract with Gartner consultants to develop an artificial intelligence policy and code of ethics. Tran told CEO Magazine her vision “is to have an AI companion for every role that is possible” to increase productivity and efficiency.

The county’s AI adoption “is currently constrained” due to the absence of a formal policy, according to Gartner’s proposal.

Since joining Dallas County, Tran has also worked with the sheriff’s office to integrate the jail software with the county’s court case management system, a disconnect that has caused delays in moving documents and releasing incarcerated people on time.

© 2026 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.