In Tarrant County commissioners race, candidate accuses opponent of running for pay

An exchange between two friends running in the Democratic primary for a Tarrant County commissioner seat became tense Tuesday when one accused her opponent of seeking the job for the money.

Alisa Simmons made the accusation against Ruby Fay Woolridge during the candidates’ interview with the Star-Telegram Editorial Board.

Simmons, the Arlington NAACP president, made the comment when asked how voters could differentiate the candidates given their similar histories. Woolridge, an Arlington City Council member, is a small business owner and was previously the senior associate pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Arlington.

Simmons said the two have been friends for 35 years, were in the same sorority and attended the same church.

“I think I have a different motivation for wanting to serve in this position,” Simmons said. “My interest is not about money or salary.”

In an interview with a Star-Telegram reporter following the editorial board meeting, Woolridge said she was running because she’s committed to service, and said she was “offended” because she believed Simmons knew the comments she made weren’t true.

At the close of the editorial board meeting, Woolridge said she thought Simmons was using what she said in confidence against her.

County commissioners make $188,000 a year. As a standing member of Arlington’s City Council, Woolridge makes $2,400. The two are seeking the Precinct 2 seat, which covers southeast Tarrant County. Early voting for the March 1 primary is Feb. 14-25.

Simmons said she believed the role of government was to make her constituents’ lives better through accessible and high-quality services and programs.

“I have been, I continue to be boots-on-the-ground, sleeves-rolled-up every single day to where it does affect my business operations,” she said. “I am dealing with citizens on a daily basis.”

Asked if she thought Woolridge was running for the salary, Simmons didn’t hesitate.

“Yes, absolutely so,” she said.

Woolridge responded that she wasn’t there to “throw mud.”

She said she baptized Simmons’ two sons and conducted her sister’s funeral.

“I am not going to speak to the allegations that my opponent has,” Woolridge said. “I’m going to stay on the issues, and the issues that I’m fighting for, that I have been fighting for since 1989, I will continue to fight for regardless of the position that I take.”

Woolridge wrote in an email that she wants to ensure affordable health care, invest in transportation improvements, support affordable housing options and fight to prevent evictions.

Woolridge said she has mentored Simmons. She was “appalled” and “sad” that she would bring up false allegations. She said Simmons hasn’t known her to chase money.

“I am offended, Alisa,” Woolridge said to Simmons on the call. “You’re better than that.”

Simmons wrote in an email Wednesday that Woolridge did not baptize her sons nor give a eulogy at her sister’s funeral. She also said that Woolridge was not her mentor. Simmons wrote that she did not speak up during the editorial board meeting because she did not want to interrupt Woolridge.

Woolridge said she had planned to stay on the Arlington City Council, but urged to run by party and county leaders because she had the experience. She was elected to the council in 2020.

“Bless her heart,” Woolridge said at one point about Simmons.

Woolridge said she could no longer trust Simmons and that it “broke her heart” because they were close.

Woolridge told a Star-Telegram reporter that the frustration she was referring to was about not being selected for a committee at the city level. She has been active in the community for 36 years, and received a community service award from the NAACP in 2019.

In a 2021 interview with the Star-Telegram, Woolridge said the pay for Arlington council members could prevent more people from serving.

It’s up to the citizens, Woolridge said, to decide whether her service was worthy of a vote..

Simmons told a Star-Telegram reporter she was disappointed Woolridge was leaving the council because the NAACP worked to get diverse voices elected. She said she felt there was a lack of commitment from Woolridge.

“Running, spending all that money, all that effort, all those volunteers, all those voters because we believe you will represent us well in our interest on city council, and then you decide to make a change, it’s disheartening,” Simmons said.

She said Woolridge leaving was removing representation they voted for, and that she was voted on to serve two years. Woolridge’s term expires May 2022.

“I’ll be the first to say, elected leaders, these are volunteer positions for the most part, you know?” Simmons said. “Civic leaders, community organizers, all these are volunteer positions, people have a passion to do this work, giving of their time. And if, you know, if we could somehow have the resources to pay every volunteer, that’d be great. But we don’t and that’s not what city council is in Arlington. It’s volunteer, and you knew it was volunteer when you decided to run.”

She said she wouldn’t have said what she did about Woolridge if the question hadn’t come up.

“We’re friends,” Simmons said. “This will be over at March 1.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 11:41 AM.

Abby Church

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Abby Church covered Tarrant County government at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from 2021 to 2023.