East/north Fort Worth council district has range of needs. Here’s our recommendation
City Council District 4 is an unusual connection of parts of north and east Fort Worth. It demands a representative who can serve a wide variety of neighborhood needs and constituents.
Incumbent Cary Moon has shown that he can strike the balance. With his deep knowledge of city operations and how to spur development, he’s earned another term — with one significant caveat.
Moon might be best known recently for his driving while intoxicated arrest in October in Burleson. For some, it’s a complete disqualification. We take Moon at his word that he recognizes his mistake and has made changes to address it, and he deserves a chance at redemption. Should it ever happen again, though, he should resign.
Moon, a 51-year-old business owner, is prepared to help address the transportation issues plaguing each end of the district. Inside Loop 820, there’s a need for public transit that can deliver for underserved communities. We’d prefer more investment in mass transit, but barring that, improving bus routes and exploring rideshare models, similar to Arlington’s Via service, strike us as good steps.
In the northern part of District 4, traffic congestion borne of rapid growth and a failure to adequately plan infrastructure in advance. Moon wants the private sector more involved in preparing infrastructure, not just neighborhoods. If the city holds developers accountable, the idea could help.
One of Moon’s chief opponents, emergency room nurse Tara Wilson, is a formidable candidate with a platform for sweeping change on economic development, transit and other issues.
Like many municipal candidates, Wilson, 36, said she got in the race in part because of a perceived lack of transparency and citizen input. We hope she’ll step up for service on city boards and commissions and perhaps run again.
Also on the ballot are risk analyst Jorge L. Chavez, business owner Kristie Hanhart and attorney Max Striker.
Early voting begins Monday and runs through April 27. Election Day is May 1. To win, a candidate needs more than half the ballots cast; otherwise, the top two will compete in a June 5 runoff. It’s a two-year term with a $25,000 annual salary.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 3:12 PM.