Jay Chapa, former assistant city manager, named finalist for Fort Worth’s top job
Fort Worth’s top choice to be the new city manager will be a familiar face in city hall.
Jay Chapa, who previously served as an assistant city manager, was named the finalist to succeed outgoing city manager David Cooke.
The city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of city government, oversees the budget and carries out the policies approved by the City Council.
Cooke announced in July he would step down from the position in February 2025 after serving as city manager for over 10 years.
The City Council will vote on whether to hire Chapa at its Dec. 10 meeting.
If approved, Chapa would be the first person of Hispanic heritage to hold the city’s top job.
Chapa spent 25 years working for the city of Fort Worth before retiring in January 2022 to open a private consulting business.
During his time with the city he led the development of the 2022 bond program and helped shepherd several economic development projects, such as the city’s partnership with Texas A&M and the development of the Crescent Hotel in the city’s cultural district.
“Jay is a man of brilliant creative thinking, has led most of the public-private partnership efforts in the city over the past 10 years, and has an unmatched ability to hit the ground running,” said Mayor Mattie Parker in a news release.
While the city did not use a national search firm, Fort Worth received over 150 applicants for the position, according to the city’s news release.
That’s triple the number of applicants who applied to the city of Dallas’ open city manager position.
Fort Worth’s process drew criticism from council member Chris Nettles, who advocated that a national search firm would produce a wider array of candidates.
He accused the city of tailoring the process to select Chapa, saying it’s emblematic of the negative view some have of what’s called the “Fort Worth way,” where decisions are made by a small group of insiders.
However, in a phone interview Parker pointed to how Chapa guided city initiatives like the Evans and Rosedale project in the city’s Historic Southside neighborhood, and his experience working both with city staff and the state Legislature.
“Jay is one of the most qualified city managers in the country — and we are the lucky ones because Jay already calls Fort Worth home,” Parker said.
Some of the challenges Chapa will face include addressing the city’s rapid growth, continuing the integration of the MedStar ambulance service under the umbrella of the city, and continued work on economic development, Parker said.
She declined to say how he would be different from David Cooke, but called Chapa an innovator who’s not afraid to make changes to help the city.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 4:47 PM.
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