Fort Worth Star Telegram Logo

Done bickering, Fort Worth council members now must back May bonds | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters

    • Local
    • Fort Worth
    • Arlington
    • Northeast Tarrant
    • Texas
    • Crime & Courts
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Bud Kennedy
    • Databases
    • Nation and World
    • Cowboys
    • Rangers
    • TCU
    • Mac Engel
    • Colleges
    • Mavericks
    • Motorsports
    • Stars
    • High School Sports
    • Scores & Schedules
    • All Sports
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • Softball
    • Volleyball
    • Boys Basketball
    • Girls Basketball
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Submit a letter
    • Cheers and Jeers
    • Submit a Cheer or Jeer
    • Bud Kennedy
    • Michael Ryan
    • Cynthia M. Allen
    • Other Voices
    • Business
    • Growth
    • Restaurants
    • Arts & Culture
    • Movies
    • Things To Do
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Party Pics
    • Horoscopes
    • Comics
    • Contests
    • Puzzles and Games
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts
    • Health & Fitness
    • Indulge
    • The Keller Magazine
    • Neil Sperry
    • Social Eyes
    • Dear Abby
    • Weddings
    • Arlington Citizen-Journal
    • Keller Citizen
    • Star-Telegram Northeast
    • Mansfield News-Mirror
    • Weatherford Star-Telegram
    • La Estrella
    • Locales
    • Noticias
    • Deportes
    • Entretenimiento
    • Contáctenos
    • Media Kit
    • Today's Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Submit an Obituary

    • All Weddings
    • Announcements
    • Bridal Show
    • Contact Us
    • Inspiration
    • News & Advice
    • Vendors
    • Hispanic Heritage
    • Cancer Awareness
    • Healthy Lifestyle
    • Dining, Entertaining
    • Breast Cancer Awareness
    • Think Green
    • Money Matters
    • All About Pets
    • Careers and Business
    • Health and Wellness
    • How To...
    • Women Today
    • Family and Parenting
    • Easy Living Tips
    • Lawn and Garden
    • Giving Back
    • Men Today
    • On the Road 1
    • On the Road 2
  • Public Notices
  • Local Deals
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Mobile & Apps

Tablet Opinion

Done bickering, Fort Worth council members now must back May bonds

    ORDER REPRINT →

December 12, 2013 06:22 PM

For 25 years, Fort Worth voters have supported city bond elections.

But with statewide campaigns mounting against municipal and local debt, the next election can never be taken for granted.

That is the political lay of the land as the City Council considers a 2014 bond proposal. Basically, the council now has united behind a $292 million May 10 bond package, ending the divide over what’s in or out of the plan.

At a workshop Wednesday, council members first disagreed sharply over what should go before voters.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

South-side council member Joel Burns went so far as to ask, “How do I pitch this? How do I tell them [residents] to go out and vote for this bond package that funds everything in areas outside of District 9 but has nothing but cuts for things inside District 9?”

Council members informally agreed to address Burns’ concerns in part.

They dedicated money to improve the half-century-old McLeland Tennis Center and Rosemont Park along with nearly $30 million in improvements to other long-neglected city parks.

But Burns’ words and other sniping comments among council members reflect the original depth of disagreement about this bond issue, whether the conflict is over cuts to urban village redevelopment, added money for bicycle lanes or the $5.8 million devoted to government-funded public art projects.

If council members expect to sell this proposal to voters — and there are strong arguments for it, particularly to meet needs in newer neighborhoods north and southwest of Loop 820 — they must remain united.

The plan is complete. The selling job now is up to Mayor Betsy Price and the eight City Council members.

Councilman Sal Espino was right when he called the bond plan the “most vetted bond proposal in the history of Fort Worth.”

Comments were collected from 20 public meetings and the website YourFortWorth.org.

But the online comments may have been weighted toward cybersavvy special-interest supporters.

For example, council members were told that commenters strongly support bond-funded public art and also a late-arriving $1.2 million proposal for more bicycle lanes, routes and signage.

After Councilman Danny Scarth expressed concern about lost traffic lanes, Councilman Jungus Jordan started to say bicycling is “near and dear” to Price’s heart.

“Let me just make a comment right here,” Price said, cutting him off in one of the most snappish moments of her tenure.

“Everybody thinks I’m married to this [bicycle infrastructure plan]. This is in response to the public comments. This is in response to the fact that the city has had a bicycle plan in place for five years, long before I was here.”

She’s completely right.

But the exchange reflected the division over parts of the bond proposal.

Overall, council members approved shifting $14.5 million based on public comments.

Much of the shifted money will go toward park and recreation improvements, including an extra $3 million combined toward a new Como Community Center and an expansion of the Handley-Meadowbrook Community Center.

An extra $1.8 million was added toward the now-$3.8 million Chisholm Trail Park in far southwest Fort Worth, and plans for a new far north Fort Worth sports complex were doubled to $3.6 million.

For those who love new-urbanism plans for urban villages and transit-related development, those two projects remain a major part of the bond proposal, with a combined $10.5 million, although that’s down from the original $16 million.

Council members took their time crafting a proposal they could all support.

Their next job is convincing voters.

Related stories from Fort Worth Star Telegram

HOMEPAGE

Fort Worth "urban village" funding cut in bond plan

December 13, 2013 07:40 PM

  Comments  

Videos

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes brings his puppy to offseason training

1999: 3 firefighters killed in Precious Faith Temple fire

View More Video

Trending Stories

Contractor warned JPS to stop repairing elevators themselves week before nurse’s injury

February 21, 2019 01:40 PM

TCU’s Schlossnagle rips new NCAA rule: ‘It’s a dumb rule. It’s dumb. It’s horrible.’

February 22, 2019 10:00 AM

The Cowboys may have the most salary cap space ever. Here’s what they could do with it

February 22, 2019 01:03 PM

Armed, masked robbers continue targeting women in North Texas parking lots, police say

February 21, 2019 04:35 PM

Accused killer needs costly surgery. Texas jail released him on bond to skip the bill

February 21, 2019 01:44 PM

Read Next

Conservatives should lead criminal justice reform efforts

Other Voices

Conservatives should lead criminal justice reform efforts

By Bill Hammond

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 09, 2018 04:57 PM

Punishment standards within the Texas criminal justice system have helped make Texas the country's biggest jailer and its costing taxpayers.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Star-Telegram

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE TABLET OPINION

Editorials

Keep short-term rentals, but get rid of the neighbors from hell

April 27, 2018 04:48 PM

Editorials

Want to reduce your property taxes? Here’s how

April 13, 2018 04:52 PM
When abortion becomes eugenics, we're all unworthy

Cynthia M. Allen

When abortion becomes eugenics, we're all unworthy

March 15, 2018 04:14 PM

Tablet Opinion

The daily STEW

December 15, 2014 05:35 PM
Desecrating the flag protected by the Constitution

Opinion

Desecrating the flag protected by the Constitution

December 13, 2014 05:34 PM

Editorials

Texas must not give up on foster care plan

December 12, 2014 07:45 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story