North Fort Worth needs instantly effective council rep. Here’s our pick | Opinion
Residents of north Fort Worth’s City Council District 10 need a new representative for about a year, now that Alan Blaylock has left the council to run for Texas House. Fortunately, they have two good options in Chris Jamieson and Alicia Ortiz.
We give a slight edge to Ortiz, a 50-year-old real estate investor, because of her experience at City Hall and knowledge of how city government works. She’ll be able to step right into the job as if she were a council veteran, a valuable trait for constituents who have long felt underserved by the city.
Ortiz, a Heritage neighborhood resident, served as district director for former council member Cary Moon. That leaves connections she can quickly activate and a deep understanding of City Hall. She was skilled enough to be able to do the job for several years while living in Japan, where her husband was working for Lockheed Martin. Moon has endorsed her.
Residents of District 10, which includes the crucial Alliance area, have borne the brunt of past planning that didn’t fully anticipate development. Now, infrastructure needs are piling up and costly, and getting city management and the rest of the council to pay sustained attention will be a priority.
Jamieson shows promise as a city leader, too. The 47-year-old owns construction, manufacturing and property management businesses. He lives in SK Willow Ridge Estates near US 287, and brings experience serving on a county water district and as president of his homeowners association.
He won’t lack for connections, as he enjoys the backing of Mayor Mattie Parker and County Commissioner Manny Ramirez, among others. Jamieson vowed to use his business experience help scrub the city budget to solve projected shortfalls without raising taxes.
In a joint interview, the two candidates largely agreed on issues, including the need for better east-west mobility and improved emergency response times in the district. So, the race largely comes down to style and experience and there, we believe Ortiz will be more effective.
Early voting is available April 20-28. Election Day is May 2. The winner will finish Blaylock’s term, with the seat on the ballot again in 2027, when all council seats are up for election.
About our campaign endorsements
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; and Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor.
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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.