All Fort Worth alleyways could be maintained if the council approves carving out $2.3 million for the services in next year’s budget, officials said Tuesday.
The funding would allow the city’s park and recreation department to mow all 2,300 unpaved or partially paved alleyways in Fort Worth, closing a gap in coverage as the city currently maintains only half that many.
Fort Worth’s Unpaved Alleyway Mowing Program provides service to 1,235 alleyways, costing a little more than $800,000 per year. City Manager Jay Chapa’s initial 2026 budget proposal recommended continuing that funding, but council member Elizabeth Beck wanted enough funding to maintain each of the city’s alleyways.
“They’re ours to maintain,” Beck said during a staff presentation on the updated proposal.
The $2.3 million would total 0.21% of the recommended $1.1 billion general fund, which is the city’s primary operating budget used to pay for most public-facing services. The total proposed budget for 2026 is $3.09 billion.
The additional dollars for maintaining the alleys were reallocated from funding initially set aside for the city’s far northwest library branch, slated to open by the end of 2026. FWLab Director Christianne Simmons, whose department leads the budget planning process, told council members the library’s delayed opening freed up about $250,000.
The rest of the alleyway maintenance funding will come from the budget’s nondepartmental fund, which covers expenditures not tied to a specific department.
Chapa said finding money to maintain Fort Worth’s alleys has been a struggle since the ’90s, when he worked as a budget analyst for the city. The maintenance was previously financed with funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which the city no longer receives.
“There’s always been, ‘Well, what about the rest of the alleys?’ — almost every year,” Chapa said. “If nothing else, next year, hopefully that question won’t come up.”
After 2026, the funding needed for alleyway maintenance would decrease to $868,400 per year, according to the staff presentation. Simmons said the extra dollars in 2026 are necessary for an “initial investment” that includes 22% inflation, hiring a contract compliance specialist, purchasing a vehicle for inspections, and increased maintenance for alleyways that will be mowed for the first time.
The updated budget proposal comes two weeks after city staff briefed council members on what it would cost to pave all city alleyways with gravel. That effort would cost $58 million annually, an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars, staff said, as gravel doesn’t eliminate the need for ongoing grass and weed control.
During the Aug. 19 presentation, council member Carlos Flores asked staff about using recycled asphalt for paving alleyways and whether that would be an effective maintenance tactic.
Park and recreation director Dave Lewis said his department is reviewing peer cities that used such methods and researching best practices.
Chapa said it’s unlikely that money for recycled asphalt would be included in the 2026 budget.
Council members are tentatively planning to meet for their next budget workshops Aug. 26 and Sept. 9. They’re expected to adopt the budget and city tax rate Sept. 16.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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