Fort Worth’s new mayor, council pledge unity for the city in first speeches
With an excitement for fresh ideas, five new Fort Worth City Council members took oaths Tuesday evening, including Mattie Parker, one of the youngest mayors to lead a major city.
This year’s election saw the most turnover on council in about a decade thanks in part to Betsy Price’s decision not to seek a sixth term as mayor. Of the council’s nine members, six have never held office.
In speeches, the newly elected members committed to finding common ground, working with neighborhoods, striving for inclusion and raising the city’s quality of life. They were sworn in at the Fort Worth Convention Center rather than City Hall to accommodate a large crowd of supporters who often applauded or cheered loudly.
Estrus Tucker, a Como native, civic leader and diversity consultant, advocated for the newcomers to find unity in the city and on the council. He told them to “lead the city to a place of well being and equity for all our people.”
“May your collective leadership ever be in service of we, the people,” Tucker said in a speech before the swearing in.
Parker, 37, beat Deborah Peoples, 68, in the June runoff after neither was able to muster the necessary 50% plus one needed to win the general election outright. That election featured 10 candidates vying for mayor.
In her speech, Parker said the council should move past partisan politics and find commonalities, arguing the question is not “if we move right or left, but how we move Fort Worth forward?”
“We all have a fierce love and desire to leave Fort Worth better than we found it,” she said later of the council colleagues.
Parker’s father, Robin Pearcy, a Methodist minister in Yorktown, issued her ceremonial oath. She spent much of her time at the podium talking about her family. She campaigned heavily and making the Fort Worth better for working families.
“It’s worth repeating this evening that Fort Worth will demonstrate that we are a world class city, capable of being a premiere destination for people of every race, of every religion, of every background and every age, as one of the best places in this country to live, work, play, or raise a family,” she said.
Parker was joined by four new council members.
In District 7, Leonard Firestone, 54, replaces Dennis Shingleton, 74, who decided to retire from the council this year. The district contains the Cultural District in central Fort Worth and stretches north into Denton County.
Despite the sprawling nature of the district, Firestone said he heard commonalities from everyone he spoke to: focus on quality of life issues like exceptional city services, lower taxes and improved streets and sidewalks.
“And lastly, work to protect and responsibly enhance our neighborhoods,” he said. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Elizabeth Beck, 38, replaces Ann Zadeh, 54, in south Fort Worth’s District 9. Zadeh ran for mayor.
“What Fort Worth has tonight is a council made of work horses, not show horses,” Beck said, saying there had been a lot of discussion about the council’s younger age and possible partisanship. “The truth is, we are all here because we want to work together.”
This council is significantly younger with an average of 45.6, down from 60 years old.
Two incumbents were also ousted in the runoff.
Jared Williams, 31, beat Jungus Jordan, 72, in District 6 in south and southwest Fort Worth. Jordan had been the longest serving council member. In District 8, Chris Nettles, 33, ousted Kelly Allen Gray, 50. The district is mostly east of Interstate 35 and south of I-30.
“Just days before Juneteenth, I’m reminded of those who have fought and continue to fight for liberty and justice for all right here in Fort Worth,” Williams said.
Michael Crain, 49, District 3, took his oath of office in May after the general election. He replaced Brian Byrd, who had run for mayor, in Fort Worth’s western district.
Nettles, in his speech, said he had drafted a letter he wanted other council members to sign asking the state and and a district court judge to expedite the trial of Aaron Dean. Dean, a former Fort Worth police officer, is charged in the October 2019 murder of Atatiana Jefferson. Dean shot her through a bedroom window while responding to a non-emergency call.
Nettles acknowledged that the trial was a state issue, not a city matter, but said the council should show leadership.
“This will be a showing of unity, a showing of understanding that her life did matter and was taken from her,” he said.
Before Parker spoke, a group from United Fort Worth, some in shirts that read “let’s elect a brand new city council for us,” began chanting loudly: “What do we want? Justice.” and “Atatiana Jefferson. Say her name.”
Parker, apparently unfazed, said she appreciated the group attending the ceremony.
“My goal is unity,” Parker said later in her speech. “My purpose for the future and my approach is working together.”
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 7:57 PM.
