Editor’s note: Transcript provided by CoverGov.
Fort Worth City Council members and staff went on a road show in October and November to talk about the city’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan and the 2026 bond package. On Nov. 15, they held a town hall in District 5, which represents parts of southeast, east and northeast Fort Worth.
2050 Comprehensive Plan overview
Staff presented an update to the city’s work on its 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
Timeline: The current phase (2025-26) focuses on goals, strategy and actions, with adoption anticipated in 2027.
Community engagement: The public can participate via the Connect Fort Worth website.
2026 Bond Program presentation
Staff presented details of the proposed 2026 Bond Program, designed to fund public works projects and dovetail with the comprehensive plan. The proposed bond package is for $840 million. City Council members are expected to choose the final project list by the end of December and send it to voters in January for a May election.
- Tax rate impact: The proposed package fits within the city’s existing 15 cents of the 67-cent tax rate for debt, meaning the tax rate will not rise.
- Need: The city’s total identified need for infrastructure is about $2.7 billion, highlighting the prioritization required for the bond.
- Allocation breakdown:
- Streets and mobility (60.9% of the proposed package, or $511.5 million): Includes expanding major roadways, rebuilding minor ones, upgrading traffic signals and intersections, bridge safety, sidewalks and school safety. Federal money and regional partnerships with the Texas Department of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments and Tarrant County will stretch the city money.
- Parks and open space (22%, or $185.1 million): Focuses on upgrading metropolitan and community parks (e.g., Gateway Park at $25 million); rebuilding the Atatiana Carr-Jefferson Community Center at Hillside ($30 million); open space land conservation ($25 million); aquatic centers and Fort Worth Botanic Garden upgrades ($10.5 million); Fort Worth Water Gardens upgrades ($10 million); and Fort Worth Zoo infrastructure ($4 million).
- Public safety (7.6%, or $63.9 million): Includes a new Fire Station 46 ($19.4 million), rebuilding Fire Station 40 ($15 million), and a new 911 call center ($28.3 million).
- Animal care and shelter (7.1%, or $59.9 million): Proposed for building a new animal control shelter with increased space, replacing the current Chuck & Brenda Silcox Animal Care Adoption Center (built in 1998, expanded three times, and now outdated for a doubled population).
- Public library (1.7%, or $14.6 million): Includes relocation of the Fort Worth History Center and renovation of Southwest Regional and Diamond Hill/Jarvis libraries, based on the public library master plan.
- Affordable single-family housing (0.6%, or $5 million): Allocated for acquiring vacant or blighted properties ($1 million) and funding public infrastructure costs ($4 million) to develop affordable single-owner occupied housing, leveraging contributions from the development community.
- Public art: An additional 1% of the streets and mobility proposition and 2% of other propositions (totaling over $10 million) is allocated for public art, as per city ordinance.
- Engagement: Residents are encouraged to use the interactive Balancing Act tool to explore projects, provide input on priorities, and suggest project swaps.
- Timeline: The City Council will call the election in January or February 2026, with a final list presented in early 2026 and the election in May.
Questions and answers highlight
- Prior bonds (2018, 2022): Some projects from previous bond programs are still ongoing, particularly those involving federal components or right-of-way acquisition.
- Bond numbers: The proposed allocations are not final and can increase or decrease based on public feedback and council decisions, as long as the overall $840 million bond capacity is maintained.
- Affordable housing funding: The $5 million for affordable single-family housing is entirely from local bond dollars. $1 million is for land acquisition, and $4 million is for public infrastructure including water, wastewater and sidewalks, which leverages additional funds from private developers.
- Mass transit: Mass transit is primarily funded by the separate Trinity Metro through sales tax, Federal Transit Administration, and North Central Texas Council of Governments dollars, not directly by the city’s bond program. The city supports transit indirectly through sidewalks and development access.
- Gateway Park: The proposed $25 million for Gateway Park would first complete the portion west of Beach Street, with subsequent phases determined by community input.
- Public comments: Suggestions included preserving the Cowtown Inn property as green space, expanding the Meadowbrook Library, and supporting the newly renovated Meadowbrook Golf Course, including a potential full-service restaurant. Strong support was voiced for the new animal shelter due to critical needs.
To learn more about how the transcript that informed this report was created, visit covergov.com.
Scott Nishimura is a senior editor at the Fort Worth Report.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at news@fortworthreport.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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