Growth, infrastructure are issues in this City Council race. Here’s our recommendation | Opinion
Northwest Fort Worth presents a unique set of challenges to the city because of rapid growth and ongoing infrastructure challenges along Boat Club Road and other areas. It will take a strong City Council member to address these needs.
Of the three candidates running in District 7, Macy Hill, head of a philanthropic advisory company, is the best choice to hit the ground running. She’s a well-connected, stable candidate who shows promise to become a leader for northwest Fort Worth and beyond.
That said, in our interview with the candidates, it was difficult to nail down Hill’s policy positions. Hill, who turns 43 in May and lives in the Northcrest neighborhood, promises to be a voice for every neighborhood in the sprawling district.
Infrastructure is the major, ongoing issue for District 7, and she seems well aware of the problems. In the part of the district that’s quickly developing — a bevy of new townhomes is slated next — she wants to push developers to be responsible and advocate for what neighborhoods need.
Hill also says she wants to focus on public safety, improving slow response times in an area where law enforcement is often fighting traffic as much as the bad guys.
Hill’s extensive background in community service, including vice president of the Cowtown Marathon and on the advisory board of the Tarrant County Salvation Army, should help her start quickly as a council member.
Some have questioned whether it’s a conflict for Hill to serve, when her husband, James Hill, is a Tarrant Regional Water District board member. It is not a conflict for spouses to both hold office, and it is unfair (and perhaps sexist) to insinuate that it’s a problem for Macy Hill in this election. But the Hills should be careful and transparent about how they handle any business between the city and water district.
Candidate Jason Ellis, a 35-year-old veteran and vice president of operations for a plumbing company, is passionate about improving things in the northwest portion of the district, where he lives. But he seemed most eager to debate and couldn’t articulate how he’d get things done as a council member. A third candidate, Caleb Backholm, could not attend our interview.
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 for two years and earn $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.
