Editor\u2019s note: Early voting for Fort Worth\u2019s May 2 election opens April 22. In the lead-up, the Report is breaking down each bond proposition and charter amendment on the ballot. Find the other articles here<\/a> as they are published.<\/p>\n Fort Worth\u2019s city manager could create, change and abolish departments without City Council\u2019s permission if voters approve a change to longstanding charter precedent.<\/p>\n The ask is one of nine proposed changes to Fort Worth\u2019s city charter<\/a> on the ballot in the May 2 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n Proposition M\u2019s language:<\/strong><\/p>\n Shall Section 1 of Chapter VIII of the Fort Worth City Charter be amended to allow greater flexibility in creating, abolishing, and reorganizing city departments by eliminating the requirement for ordinances to be adopted?<\/p>\n Currently, only the council can create, discontinue or combine departments. Members do so by voting on ordinances.\u00a0<\/p>\n If Proposition M passes, the city manager also could make such decisions autonomously, without the need for a council-approved ordinance. The City Council would retain the power to create departments using ordinances.\u00a0<\/p>\n Any department established by such an ordinance \u2014 both current and future \u2014 would require another council vote to abolish. A city manager could eliminate only those created by a city manager, city officials told the Report in an email.<\/p>\n The change \u201cis aimed at increasing consistency\u201d within the Fort Worth charter, city officials said. The charter spells out a governance structure that gives the city manager broad authority over the inner workings of City Hall.<\/p>\n Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa, who started his role in January 2025<\/a>, is hired and reviewed annually by the City Council. City officials said that because City Council retains the authority to terminate the city manager, Proposition M does not remove oversight of the city manager.<\/p>\n City Council would be made aware of changes tied to creating or dissolving departments during the budget process, as council members have the authority to approve or deny the city manager\u2019s recommended city budget<\/a>, which is $3 billion this fiscal year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fort Worth splits operations into 27 departments and offices, including transportation and public works, library services and economic development.<\/p>\n Six departments, including the fire and police departments, are required by city charter. Proposition M would not give the city manager the authority to abolish those.<\/p>\n Last summer, the City Council eliminated Fort Worth\u2019s diversity and inclusion department<\/a> to comply with a federal directive by President Donald Trump. Before the vote, council members heard from 62 speakers, including local civil rights activists, business owners and faith leaders, 45 of whom implored council members not to eliminate the department.<\/p>\n Because the diversity and inclusion department was established by ordinance, it would have still required a council vote to dissolve under Proposition M.<\/p>\n However, if the department was recreated by a city manager \u2014 as Proposition M\u2019s changes would allow \u2014 anyone in that role could later remove it without a council vote.<\/p>\n The charter<\/a> serves as the playbook for a city\u2019s government structure as well as the powers and responsibilities of its elected officials. Municipalities can call a charter election<\/a> once every two years to ask residents to authorize or reject amendments.\u00a0<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n