Letters to the Editor: Fort Worth mayor and District 5 rumoffs, Arlington runoff

FW council runoff

I have known Dennis Shingleton for more than 20 years and worked with him in our homeowners association.

As chairman of the Plan Commission, he ensured the issue at hand was presented by both sides and that the commission was prepared to make the best decision for the city.

He has experience as to how the city functions; there will be no learning curve when he takes office.

He is a dedicated family man with high integrity and well respected in the community. His values and ethics are above reproach.

He served our country for more than 20 years in the Army. He is a great communicator and will listen to our concerns.

He respects the will of the people he serves as well as the best interests of the city of Fort Worth.

I encourage District 7 voters to elect Dennis Shingleton.

-- Richard O. Fish, Fort Worth

Mayor's runoff

When the Price is right, why venture down the wrong Lane? Case closed.

-- Clyde Womack, Fort Worth

June 2 letter writer Brian Singleton's support of Betsy Price is off the mark. Yes, SMART goals to achieve high performance make sense. Yes, Price appeared to perform well as tax assessor. However, if you read the city charter you'll find that we have a strong city manager form of government where the mayor's job, along with the council, is to set policy, not to manage city departments. It seems to me that Price should be applying for the open city manager job with her experience.

Jim Lane has policy experience. I met with him for a couple of hours to discuss our issues in far north Fort Worth along with a couple other folks, and one thing he said struck me as important. He said that having spent six terms on the council and now six years looking at it from the outside, he's learned from his mistakes. He wasn't my first choice, but of what's left he's the best choice for mayor.

-- Rob Beauseau, Fort Worth

Fort Worth is fortunate to have a person of the character, commitment and business acumen of Betsy Price as a candidate for mayor. She has given selflessly to her community, church and Fort Worth public schools for many years. She is a successful businesswoman and has applied needed business principles to our local government.

As Tarrant County tax assessor, she has demonstrated not only the understanding of the fiscal issues we face but the willingness to take decisive action. Betsy combines the leadership skills necessary to serve as mayor with a deep passion for her hometown of Fort Worth. I urge you to get to the polls and vote for Betsy Price.

-- Stewart Henderson, Fort Worth

News flash to Betsy Price: The position of mayor of Fort Worth is not a full-time job. The city has a council-manager, not a strong mayor, form of government. Chapter III, Section 2 of the city charter indicates that the mayor is to serve as the presiding officer, represent the city on all ceremonial occasions and be known as the head of the city government. The mayor has only one vote among nine.

Chapter V, Sections 1 and 2 indicate that the city manager is the chief administrative and executive officer and exercises control over all departments and subdivisions, acts as the budget commissioner and, as such, prepares and submits to the council the annual budget and sees that the city lives within its budget. These are not the duties of the mayor.

Vote for Jim Lane.

-- Ruth Howard, Fort Worth

Keller school funding

The budget the Legislature passed cuts $15 billion from current spending. However, we actually appropriated over $3 billion more in state funding for public education. What this means for the Keller school district, according to the Texas Education Agency, is a $2.7 million increase in funding for the 2011-12 school year. It's true, the school district isn't getting as much as they expected, but only in government is lowering a projected increase called a budget cut. According to Keller ISD, the district also maintains a $52 million reserve -- $8 million more than required.

Each district has the discretion to ask voters to raise local school property taxes, and Keller ISD residents should exercise that discretion thoughtfully. We all know tightening the belt is never easy. But even with projected enrollment growth over the next two years, Keller ISD should have the money it needs to keep good teachers in the classroom without raising property taxes.

-- David Dewhurst, lieutenant governor, Austin

Arlington runoff

Arlington District 5 voters have a choice to make in the current runoff election. A past track record is important in considering who should lead District 5 and Arlington for the next two years. I've had the good fortune to work with Mayor Pro-Tem Lana Wolff on many projects during the past 11 years. I find it rare to see the level of commitment and dedication to her district and our city that she exhibits. Her list of community engagement, while extensive, pales next to the many organizations she has served over the years.

Our taxes are low and we are in good financial condition due to her efforts. Downtown is beginning a time of rebirth and revitalization. Lana has been instrumental in seeing the vision for downtown start to become downtown! It's important that we keep Lana Wolff working for us at City Hall.

-- Robert S. "Bob" Johnson, Arlington

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