Fort Worth City Council adds more public comment meetings to 2026 schedule
The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to increase the number of public comment meetings after previously eliminating some of those.
In September, the council approved a resolution to revise the City Council meeting schedule for 2026, reducing public comment meetings from 15 to 10. That decision proved unpopular with citizens who felt the democratic process was being undermined.
Concerns about city staff workloads and meeting efficiency were cited as reasons for the schedule change.
With the adoption of the Jan. 13 resolution, there will instead be 20 public comment meetings this year. Members of the public will be allowed to speak at all 11 Tuesday evening council meetings and the nine Tuesday morning council meetings.
Prior to the vote Tuesday night, more than two dozen speakers urged the City Council to reinstate public comment meetings. Several also asked council members to ensure at least three minutes per speaker moving forward.
Previously, when public comments exceed one hour based on the number of registered speakers, the allotted time per speaker was reduced from three minutes to two.
However, Council Member Elizabeth Beck requested an amendment to the meeting schedule resolution to strike and revise that provision. After the amended resolution passed, the allotted time for speakers can only be limited by council vote.
Beck said council members made a mistake in the fall when they voted to reduce public comments. She said the latest resolution was an admission of that and an indication the council has listened to its constituents following public outcry over the amended meeting schedule.
This story was originally published January 13, 2026 at 9:05 PM.