Candidate brings experience — and spunk — to council. Our pick for east Fort Worth seat | Opinion
It’s always good to have someone on the City Council who probably loves — or at least knows — Fort Worth as much, if not more, than you do. In District 5, that person is Gyna Bivens.
The 68-year-old’s experience as the longest-serving current council member and her eagerness to see projects through make her the right choice for what she says would be one final term.
Bivens, a nonprofit human resources executive who lives in Ramey Place, is currently serving as mayor pro tem. Through extensive communication with residents of the southeast and far east Fort Worth district, Bivens sees the city’s needs and diligently works on them. In an interview, she explained that she wants to improve infrastructure to better attract businesses and help the city communicate better, including through its app.
She supports a community advisory board for police oversight on the grounds that the council should follow the Race and Culture Task Force recommendations of a few years ago.
And she has spunk. Bivens said she’ll support Fort Worth as long as the city doesn’t turn into Austin. Asked what that meant, she replied: “I don’t think Austin has a personality anymore.”
McKinley Jackson, a pastor in east Fort Worth, is also running, but questions have been raised about whether he legally resides in the district. Also running is perpetual candidate Bob Willoughby, who has criticized Bivens and the council over changes to its meeting structure.
District 5 covers Stop Six and Handley east to the city boundary with Dallas County. Early voting starts April 24 and ends May 2. Election day is May 6. If no candidate receives an outright majority of the votes, the top two will advance to a runoff. Council members are elected to two-year terms and are paid $25,000 annually.
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 19, 2023 at 5:29 AM.