The file cabinets in Joe Bob Betzel's barn tell a story. It’s the two-decade story of a legal battle contending the City of Dallas underpaid its cops and firefighters.
“It’s been over 25 years for me, so that’s like a career,” said Betzel, the retired Dallas firefighter who led the fight.
On Tuesday, the Dallas City Council unanimously approved a nearly $62 million settlement. It covered 1,700 current and former police and firefighters. The city will issue bonds to pay the judgment.
“The city of Dallas did nothing wrong,” Mayor Mike Rawlings said just before voting to approve the settlement. “I've looked at this every which way and we did what that referendum said we were going to do.”
But in settling, the city avoided going to trial next month. A loss could have bankrupted the city.