From street maintenance to library services, Fort Worth residents have just over three weeks to voice how city dollars should be earmarked for next year’s budget.
About $3 billion is on the table with $1.11 billion — or just over a third of it — allocated toward the general fund that’s used to pay for most public-facing city services.
City Manager Jay Chapa is proposing a lower tax rate, but increased service fees would ultimately result in higher charges for Fort Worth homeowners. City Council members meet Sept. 16 to adopt the budget and tax rate for the next fiscal year, which runs October through September 2026.
City officials have a series of town hall meetings planned for residents to learn about the proposed budget, ask questions and share priorities for city spending. The first is in far north Fort Worth Aug. 21.
Public input helps officials plan how to use funds to support city services, programs and projects that matter to communities across Fort Worth, city officials have said.
Leading up to their vote, council members posted flyers on social media, urging their constituents to participate in the budget planning process. One town hall will be hosted in each council district.
“Your input is valuable, so please mark your calendar and be part of the conversation,” council member Chris Nettles wrote on Facebook.
Fort Worth residents can find what district they live in here. As of Aug. 21, the schedule for community budget meetings is as follows:
- District 10: 6 p.m. Aug. 21 at Truett Wilson Middle School
- District 7: 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at Boswell High School
- District 6: 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at Southwest High School Library
- District 3: 6 p.m. Sept. 3 at LVTRise Community Center
- District 4: 10 a.m. Sept. 6 at Basswood Elementary School
- District 11: 2 p.m. Sept. 6 at Eugene McCray Community Center
- District 9: 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at University Christian Church
- District 5: 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Fort Worth East Regional Library
- District 2: 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at Northside Community Center
- District 8: 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at the William M. McDonald YMCA
Residents may attend any district town hall. The meetings will be livestreamed on YouTube and the city’s TV stream.
Questions and comments about the budget can be submitted through an online portal.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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