Is this the best way to spend your money?
Voters go ballistic when they think government bodies are spending tax money — their money — for unnecessary projects. But they often don’t educate themselves on the big ticket items before the spending decisions are made.
Here’s a chance to turn that around if you live in Fort Worth or Tarrant County. And now’s the time to dig in by attending public hearings or going online to get the details.
The city of Fort Worth and the Tarrant Regional Water District combined are asking voters to approve borrowing $649.5 million. Public hearings for the May 5 election are under way right now and early voting is less than two weeks away.
Fort Worth’s $399.5 million bond package includes money for streets, community centers and parks. Most of the money, $261.6 million, would be spent on streets and transportation improvements. Another $17.7 million would pay for a new police station in south Fort Worth. There’s $9.7 million for a regional library near Tarleton State University.
Voters in much of Fort Worth and and five suburbs in western Tarrant County will decide whether to spend another $250 million more to help pay for the $1.16 billion Panther Island project. The Tarrant Regional Water District’s board said it needs more money to keep the sweeping flood control and economic development project on schedule. Panther Island, when done, will create an area similar to the San Antonio Riverwalk on the city’s near north side.
The city and the water district are doing their part, holding public meetings to explain why they want taxpayers to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars. But what do they hear from the public?
Nada. Almost zilch.
Only about 20 people attended the first six meetings the water district held on the Panther Island bond issue. There were more public officials there than citizens.
Attendance at the first two of the city’s public bond meetings was equally dismal. Only six people came to the event at Temple Baptist Church on March 29 while a meager 22 came out to Saturday’s municipal bond explainer at the Chisholm Trail Community Center.
One man attending the UNT water board meeting grumbled: “There should be a 100 people here.”
We couldn’t agree more. But we’re also not surprised.
Tarrant County voter turnout for municipal and school district elections since 2013 is an embarrassing low 5 to 9 percent. And this is for elections that hit closest to home.
The city of Fort Worth and the water district have posted a lot of information about the bond packages on their websites. But showing up at the hearings matters. You can’t ask your computer why the city is adding $5.3 million to the bond package for public art or $7.7 million for a club house at the Rockwood Golf Course. Are those things really necessary, you might wonder?
Same thing goes for the Panther Island bond issue. Without going to a public meeting, you can’t quiz anyone about the original $200 million loan the water district made to the project? How will that be paid off? Is it worth spending more money on a project with a price tag that continues to go up? How does it impact my water bill?
The water district has two more public meetings and the city is taking its show on the road five more times.
Voters: get involved if you care how your money would be spent.
Water District
April 10 - University Christian Church in Fort Worth - 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
April 12 - Tarrant County College Opportunity Center - 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
City Bond Election
All of the meetings start at 6:30
April 12 - Fort Worth Botanic Garden
April 16 - Heritage Church of Christ
April 19 - R.D. Evans Community Center
April 23 - UCC Polytechnic Center
April 26 - Northside Community Center
This story was originally published April 9, 2018 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Is this the best way to spend your money?."