Water supply, Panther Island: Here are our endorsements for vital Tarrant agency | Opinion
There’s an unusual game of musical chairs afoot in the Tarrant Regional Water District’s board elections. Voters will elect three directors from among four candidates on the May 3 ballot.
All four are deserving candidates. When the music stops, we recommend incumbent Leah King, building inspection company owner Jonathan Killebrew and investment manager Skylar O’Neal. That leaves educator Andrew Brinker without a chair, mostly through no fault of his own.
King, 56, has been crucial to the board’s improved governance and transparency. Just a few years ago, the water district was mired in accusations of conflict of interest, questionable payments and sloppy governance. King and several of her colleagues worked steadily to improve the board’s performance and ensure a smooth transition to district General Manager Dan Buhman.
The district fills a number of roles, including flood control, recreation and ensuring long-term water supply. The board’s primary role is to oversee Buhman and his staff.
King, a Fort Worth resident who is president of the foundation that raises money for the JPS Health Network, has the clout and community connections to ensure the district can serve its varied missions, without losing focus on the most important: securing enough water for the booming Fort Worth area. In our interview with the candidates, she described meeting that need with a long-term focus on conservation and ensuring new supplies.
Killebrew, 43, would put his development experience to good use on the board. He noted that there’s room for much water conservation growth on the user end, not just in bigger water projects. And he advocated for more public transparency and communication on the Panther Island project, primarily to ensure residents understand the long timeline needed to reroute the Trinity River and develop the island that will result.
Killebrew said that some of the lot on which his Benbrook home is in the water district — property ownership makes one eligible to run — and that he’s soon moving fully into the district.
O’Neal, 38, who lives in Fort Worth’s Tanglewood neighborhood, was optimistic about technological developments that will improve water quality and conservation. And she pledged to help the district improve public communication about everything from Panther Island to how the water supply is distributed.
Each of the candidates sounded a note of caution on the proposed Marvin Nichols reservoir, the East Texas project that could be the district’s next major water source. Consensus seems to be developing that conservation, technology and other supply developments might make the project, which local landowners are fighting, unnecessary. Most said it still needed to remain an option, but they seemed willing to wait a little longer before pressing for the lake’s development.
Brinker, 46, is the odd man out here. The Fairmount resident and high school teacher brings a nature enthusiast’s passion and an educator’s perspective, which would be valuable on the board. We’re concerned about whether he can match up politically, though. Brinker has declined all campaign donations, a principled stance but one that makes him unlikely to win and could curtail his influence. Getting elected requires participating in politics.
Board members are elected to four-year terms. Two incumbents, James Hill and Mary Kelleher, chose not to run again. Voters can choose up to three candidates; the top three vote-getters will win the seats.
Voters in parts of Tarrant County cities that are stakeholders in the district can cast ballots. Those cities include significant portions of Fort Worth, Azle, Edgecliff Village, River Oaks, Sansom Park, Westover Hills and Westworth Village, as well as smaller areas of several others. Some unincorporated areas near Eagle Mountain Lake are also included.
The district provides an online lookup tool, or eligible homeowners will find the code “223 Tarrant Regional Water District” on their property tax statements. The district levies taxes for flood control, not water supply.
Early voting runs April 22-29.
Editor’s note: An earlier version used the wrong first name for Jonathan Killebrew.
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; Bradford William Davis, columnist and editorial writer; Bud Kennedy, columnist; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
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 18, 2025 at 5:35 AM.