Read the room, Fort Worth council: This is not the time for a property tax increase | Opinion
Is City Hall doing a good job of controlling costs? Let’s take a look at its proposed 2024 budget for Fort Worth.
The good news is that the largest budget increases go toward more police officers and an additional 76 firefighters.
The city gets an A for transparency. The detailed proposed budget is available online. So is the city manager’s presentation on the details.
Furthermore, the budget allocates more to pay down infrastructure debt, and 17% more towards the construction of new streets and roads. This work is all commendable.
But don’t start doing cartwheels yet.
The average homeowner will pay $115 more in city property taxes this year compared to last, a 7.5% bump. That’s too much, particularly since the inflation rate is only 4.8% so far this year.
Last year, Fort Worth increased taxes on homeowners by more than 10%. So, this is the second year in a row the city would raise real homeowner tax payments more than inflation.
The Tarrant County government, on the other hand, adopted a tax rate that’s below what we know as the “no new revenue” rate. That’s good work and will put pressure on elected officials at City Hall.
Water bill fees that pay for our sewer, stormwater and tap water systems will increase. It’s OK to have periodic increases in these fees. The city experiences increased costs just like any corporation.
But we have to be careful raising property taxes and then raising water bill fees. It is like buying an iPhone and then being told you need a $45 case and $15 a month to insure it.
The budget recommends significant increases in the Parks Department — there will be more litter, abatement and mowing teams. All of this work is positive, but it is too much.
For example, the city is adding a second neighborhood to the successful neighborhood improvement plan that has lowered crime and elevated living standards in disaffected neighborhoods such as Las Vegas Trail. These spending increases must be balanced against the average homeowner’s ability to pay for them.
Elected officials should also raise their eyebrows at the expansion of the economic development department. These increases should be offset by asking elected officials and city managers to help out with this important work.
The budget calls for expanding the number of police officers from 1,816 to 1,922. That is only a 6% increase in a budget that is rising by more than 11% overall. We need more than an additional 106 police officers given our remarkable population growth.
The city is also expanding its total maternity leave from six weeks to three months so it can remain competitive in the workforce marketplace. That’s a good move. We need high caliber individuals leading our city services.
But the city offers a pension plan that allows employees to retire just 30 years or less after they start. It is a powerful hiring tool and must be considered when evaluating benefit packages.
Pension liability continues to be a tremendous burden to taxpayers. This year, the city will pay 27.5% of payroll into the pension system. Historical pension fixes have put too much burden on the taxpayer.
Council member Alan Blaylock has stated publicly that he is in favor of a “no new revenue” tax rate. He is on the right track. and that sort of appropriate pressure will help the city management figure out how to do more with less.
The rest of the council should follow his lead.
Council members should know better than to approve a 7.5% increase in our property tax bill this coming year. They have until the Sept. 19 vote to correct course.
