Through a boost in the property tax rate, Fort Worth could restore a number of proposed general fund budget cuts, increase a planned employee pay raise and still give owners of average-valued homes a lower city tax bill next year, city staff said Friday.
That’s because of soft property appraisals, the staff said.
“The average tax bill would still be below the current one,” Jay Chapa, the city manager, told council members during a workshop for the fiscal 2027 budget.
Council members had pushed back against a number of cuts that Chapa proposed Aug. 11 to balance the $1.1 billion 2027 general fund budget and close a $94 million shortfall.
Those included the proposed elimination of a pet adoption center the city runs in the Alliance corridor with PetSmart Charities, the freezing or elimination of vacant job positions in departments including parks and libraries, and cuts to the city’s alleyway mowing schedule.
In Chapa’s responses Friday, he presented data on the financial impact of restoring as much as $2.4 million in pared expense to the general fund, plus a 4.5% midyear pay raise for general employees instead of the 3% previously proposed raise. The raise wouldn’t include police and fire employees; police are budgeted for a 6% raise under their contract, and the budget includes an 8.5% raise for firefighters depending on the outcome of ongoing contract negotiations.
Chapa also included a 4% raise for employees at the level of assistant director and above. The fiscal 2027 budget impact for the 4.5% and 4% pay raises would be half, with the remainder going into 2028’s budget.
The budget restorations would include:
- Code compliance: field operations, PetSmart Alliance.
- Development services: development support, financial compliance and strategic data/workforce.
- Library: branch services.
- Parks and recreation: administration, aquatics, athletic fields, community centers, forestry, nature center, park maintenance.
- Transportation and public works: asphalt maintenance and utility permit.
What’s next with Fort Worth’s city budget
City Council District 2 budget meeting: 6 p.m. Aug. 24, 2026, Northside Community Center, 1100 NW 18th St.
City Council District 4 budget meeting: 6 p.m. Aug. 27, Northpark YMCA, 9100 N. Beach St.
City Council District 5 budget meeting: 6 p.m. Aug. 31, Eastside YMCA, 1500 Sandy Lane
City Council District 3 budget meeting: 6 p.m. Sept. 2, R.D. Evans Community Center, 3242 Lackland Road
City Council District 10 budget meeting: 6 p.m. Sept. 3, Compass Church North Fort Worth, 12512 NW U.S. 287
Learn more about Fort Worth’s fiscal 2027 budget here.
On Aug. 11, Chapa proposed a balanced budget with an increase in the city property tax rate to 70.2 cents per $100 of value appraised for tax purposes. That’s up from 67 cents for this year. However, the average value of a home in Fort Worth dropped to $232,925 from $246,000, meaning that the taxpayer would still pay less in city tax under the 70.2-cent rate.
Counting the budget restorations and increased pay raise, Chapa said the necessary city tax rate would be 70.56 cents per $100 of value. The tax bill on the $232,925 home would be $1,643.62, $8.20 less than this year’s, Chapa told council members.
Friday morning, ahead of the budget workshop, he presented council members with an a la carte menu of budget restorations and the higher pay raise, with their total costs and individual impact on the city tax rate.
Mayor Mattie Parker asked council members to give staff members some direction so they can close out a final budget recommendation.
She repeated Chapa’s point that the restorations and higher pay raise still cost the average taxpayer less than they paid this year in city tax.
Chapa’s budget, with the restorations, contains the “tax increases that are necessary to stabilize our budget and prevent layoffs, furloughs and impacts to services,” she said. “So at this point, the council needs to wrestle with what’s in front of them.”
Council members are holding meetings with constituents. The council is scheduled Sept. 15 to hold a public hearing on the budget and vote on approval after that. The new year’s budget takes effect Oct. 1.
“It’s tough, but reasonably prudent to do,” council member Charlie Lauersdorf told council members.
Lauersdorf, whose Alliance district includes the location of the PetSmart store that hosts the city adoption center, said he had been “hearing a lot from the residents” about that cut and he thanked his council colleagues for raising the issue.
Council member Macy Hill, whose district touches the southern piece of the north I-35E corridor, had raised questions about the PetSmart cut, and Parker earlier this week said it should be restored.
“Long live PetSmart Alliance,” Lauersdorf said.
At the same time, he questioned whether it was a bad look for the city to continue funding public art projects while it combats a budget shortfall, contemplates raising the city tax rate and cuts expenses.
“It’s really hard to justify a lot of that as we continue to pay for public art,” said Lauersdorf, asking whether it was possible to suspend funding for projects that aren’t yet contractually obligated.
Public art projects are paid for with capital funds approved by voters in bond programs.
“It’s capital, so it wouldn’t really help the general fund,” Chapa said. “The dollars just wouldn’t be spent.”
Parker acknowledged some could be concerned about public perception but asked council members to agree to scheduling a work session later to discuss public art so the staff and council could move ahead with the budget.
“Let’s push this conversation to a work session in September or October and talk about it openly,” Parker said. “That way, we’re not derailing this.”
Lauersdorf stressed the budget should be full of needs, not wants.
“It’ll be a black eye for all of us to raise the (tax) rate and then turn around and give a nonprofit or somebody else millions of dollars at the same time,” Lauersdorf said.
That drew a sharp response from council member Mia Hall, who noted council members frequently tout the benefits of partnerships with nonprofits that fill in gaps with social services.
“I don’t think it’s fair to talk out of both sides of our face,” Hall said. “We often try to strike a balance with nonprofits.”
Council member Deborah Peoples, whose southeast Fort Worth budget includes Stop Six, asked Chapa earlier this week to present data on the restorations of cuts with their impacts on the city tax rate, saying her constituents wanted the services.
She has an upcoming meeting scheduled with constituents to present the budget. Pending that, she said Friday, “the things that Jay brought us today were things that my constituents were asking for. Parks, library. Taking care of employees. I think residents want these services. We’re still trying to keep bills manageable, and we did that.”
Council member Elizabeth Beck, whose district includes the Near Southside, downtown and near west, emphasized Friday how nobody wanted a cut in services.
She also lauded the higher pay raise proposal for general employees.
“I have never been comfortable with the fact that we got to this budget solution on the backs of our employees,” she said. “I want to make sure we’re taking care of them. This minor (tax rate) increase gets us to a place where we’re not cutting services and we’re supporting our employees.”
Council member Chris Nettles, whose district includes much of southeast Fort Worth, supported the recommendation.
With respect to the city’s general employees, he said “they are the heartbeat of our community. This budget makes sure they can still put food on the table. I want to make sure our employees know we value you here.”
Council member Carlos Flores, who represents Northside and part of the I-35 north corridor, noted his budget meeting with constituents is upcoming. He said he wanted more clarity from his council colleagues on what their joint priorities are.
“I’m looking forward to that,” he said. “What do our priorities look like?”
Peoples responded, “People don’t want to drop a service.”
Scott Nishimura is senior editor for local government accountability and a Fort Worth City Hall reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Reach him at scott.nishimura@fortworthreport.org.
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Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa, in response to questions from City Council members, presented data Aug. 21, 2027, on the fiscal impact of restoring proposed budget cuts to the 2027 fiscal year budget and what impact they would have on the city property tax rate. In addition to the restorations, Chapa presented data on increasing a proposed 3% mid-year pay raise to 4.5% for general employees and 4% for employees at the assistant director and higher levels. (City of Fort Worth)
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