Price takes reins at Fort Worth City Hall on Tuesday

By Bill Hanna

billhanna@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH -- In her successful campaign to become Fort Worth's 44th mayor, Betsy Price portrayed herself as a fiscal conservative.

But the 61-year-old grandmother isn't about standing pat.

An avid cyclist, the former Tarrant County tax assessor-collector has been conducting daily rides, dubbed "Tour de Fort Worth," each day of the Tour de France.

She's also a bit of a social media junkie, blogging daily about her bike rides and civic issues.

And she jumped on Facebook and Craigslist last week, seeking help when her dog went missing along the Trinity Trails.

The tactic worked when a woman who found her dog, Dixie, saw the Craigslist ad and called.

"I love technology; I love social media," Price said. "I have to be very careful not getting addicted to it. I'm not going to criticize anybody who doesn't do it, but personally if you're not involved, you're not going to connect with this next generation."

That embrace of new technology and openness was part of her background at the Tarrant County tax office: Taxpayers could pay online or walk directly into her office with a complaint.

After one ride last week, she sat on the patio at the Chat Room pub on Magnolia Avenue on the south side sipping a glass of wine while talking to patrons who were the same age as her grown children, many of whom were surprised or didn't initially realize the next mayor of Fort Worth was in their midst.

She'll need all those skills as she's sworn in as mayor today at City Hall, where leaders face a projected $30 million shortfall as they start the budget process next month and tough issues such as negotiating a new contract with police later this year.

Price must also combat the perception of being a mayor for downtown business interests -- a perception she has maintained is not accurate, saying she had support from throughout the city during her campaign.

Making connections

As she takes over as mayor, Price said it may take a while for the city staff to adjust to her fast-paced style and her desire to be out in public frequently talking to residents.

"I don't want to do the job if I can't connect to people, and that is proving not to be an issue but a challenge for some of the staff here," Price said last week.

Yet she said she won't walk in and try to tell interim City Manager Tom Higgins or city staff what to do.

There will be little wiggle room in setting this year's budget, especially with the city hoping to give employees a pay raise.

Outgoing Mayor Mike Moncrief, who endorsed Price in the runoff, advised her to "be deliberate in your actions" and to listen to city staff and council members.

"She's known for doing her homework, and I encouraged her to continue to do that," Moncrief said. "I think she's prepared and ready. She knows the major challenges, including -- but not limited to -- the pension system and what's necessary to address it. The budget is always a challenge, but I anticipate Tom Higgins along with his staff will present a balanced product."

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, who also endorsed Price, said her experience with the county should help her at City Hall.

"I believe she's going to make a great mayor," Whitley said. "She has the history of growing up in Fort Worth, and from the county perspective she ran a good-sized department and worked with the mayors of other cities. She's a team player. She's not trying to feather her own nest."

Swimming pool push

Price said the city needs to pay more attention to its neighborhoods while also making sure it is business-friendly. Over the next several months, she plans to study the city's operations to determine what is working and what is not.

But while she may have a much greater input on the budget a year from now, Price said she isn't content to just wait on some issues. Take swimming pools, for example.

The city doesn't have the funds to refurbish or build swimming pools, but Price believes some pools can be reopened more quickly with some creative thinking. Her solution is to create private partnerships with foundations to get some pools reopened or new ones built.

"There's already some dialogue going on with some foundations about pools," Price said. "Can we get them all open that way? Probably not. But we can make a dent in it."

Bill Hanna, 817-390-7698

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