Fort Worth council to vote on budget adding cops, better roads, and 10% tax increase
The Fort Worth City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposed $2.3 billion budget that increases taxes and provides more funding for public safety, street maintenance and more workers in the development services department.
The city is proposing a 2-cent decrease in the property tax rate, but the average homeowner will pay 10.13% more in property taxes, according to city estimates because of increased property values.
The median home price in Fort Worth jumped 25.5% in 2022, according to the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors.
All but District 4 council member Alan Blaylock have voiced support for the 71.25 cents per $100 of value tax rate, arguing it helps the city address the impacts of its explosive growth.
Blaylock, however, made it a centerpiece of his campaign to only vote for the “no-new-revenue” tax rate, which would generate the same revenue in 2023 from properties that were on the tax rolls in 2022.
The budget adds funding for 62 new police officers and 30 civilian employees in the department, with 25 of those roles being supported by roughly $117 million in Crime Control and Prevention District funding.
City manager David Cooke said in August his three priorities with this budget were improving public safety, growth, and cleanliness.
The budget includes a $1 increase on the environmental fee on monthly water bills. This money will be used to purchase 10 street sweepers and increase the number of litter crews.
The city is also adding $3.08 million to the Transportation and Public Works Department budget to improve street light replacement.
Right now, it takes Fort Worth’s 60 days to replace a burned out street light. The city wants to cut that time in half by adding three repair crews and increasing the amount of money it spends on outside contractors for repairs.
The city is also adding 57 positions to its development services department, which it says will improve the department’s ability to process building permits and get new housing and commercial projects off the ground.
The council will vote on the budget and tax rate at 10 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall.
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 4:20 PM.
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