Tarrant County judge cuts road crew jobs after Democrats skip tax-rate vote
With over 175 more miles of roads and a dozen more bridges in her purview, Democrat Alisa Simmons said more crew members is a need, not a want.
Because she didn’t show up to vote on levying taxes on Tuesday, County Judge Tim O’Hare, a Southlake Republican, amended her budget to keep those additions from happening. O’Hare said Simmons “reprehensibly” ignored her obligation to taxpayers when she skipped the meeting.
Simmons inherited 176 miles of roads and 14 bridges to maintain after the county redrew the commissioners’ precincts in June. She previously had 21 road miles and two bridges. To keep up with the work, she wanted to double her road and bridge staff of 36.
“Stevie Wonder can see that’s more work,” Simmons said.
With more crew members, the team could maintain road and bridge projects as planned while also answering the needs of constituents in a timely manner, Simmons said. Their responsibilities range from mowing the grass along streets to mending cracks or holes in the road.
“Retaliation is not leadership,” Simmons said. “It’s bullying. O’Hare’s cuts don’t punish me. They punish the constituents of Tarrant County. When politicians play games, taxpayers pay the price. And that’s what will happen with regard to these roads, with regard to the community engagement and responsiveness for my administrative staff. These people didn’t do one thing to him.”
O’Hare said on Tuesday that he would be happy to amend the budget if the Democrats attend the Commissioners Court meeting on Sept. 22 to levy taxes. Neither Miles nor Simmons has said if they will attend.
The Republicans want a rate of 18.62 cents. The Democrats 18.66 cents, the number that would bring in the same amount on revenue from property that was on the tax rolls a year ago. The difference is about a dollar for the owner of a single family home at the average value of $358,000.
“Elected officials have every right to oppose tax cuts and fight to take more money from taxpayers, but that’s not the side of the argument I’ll ever be on,” O’Hare said in a statement.
If the Democrats continue to be absent for tax rate votes, the no new revenue rate of 18.66 cents will automatically go into effect on Oct. 1.
“Because the Court adopted a county operating budget yesterday, the unbudgeted funds collected from the no-new-revenue rate rather than the proposed rate will just sit in the general fund with no specific purpose,” O’Hare said. “Taxing residents and businesses with the no-new-revenue rate does not enhance County services, it just results in bloated government.”
At the Tuesday meeting, O’Hare verified that the approved budget can be amended at any time.
The special called meeting on Monday will be at 10 a.m. in the commissioners court room. The short budget includes the tax rate for Tarrant County and the county hospital district as well as the Precinct 1 and 2 budgets.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM.