FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth is now the nation’s 12th largest city, with nearly a million residents according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Fort Worth is the nation’s fastest-growing city by percentage among those with populations over 50,000, with an average of 59 people moving there daily.
And for Mayor Mattie Parker, that means opportunity.
The Republican thinks city government is on a good path heading into 2025, and her priorities include transportation improvements to ease congestion. That includes thinking about transit differently in the future.
“We’re going to be expanding TEXRail from downtown into the medical district. We’re working on finalizing those plans and fully funding that project which is significant for us because TEXRail has been incredibly successful,” Mayor Parker told us on Inside Texas Politics. “But you also have to think about the legacy system of the TRE (Trinity Railway Express). Let’s double-track it. Put new vehicles on that system.”
Other priorities for the mayor include a smooth transition between city managers with Jay Chapa taking over for David Cooke, who is retiring.
She also wants city leaders to have a good idea of how the upcoming legislative session will impact a city like Fort Worth.
And Parker is adamant the city can continue to keep its portion of the property tax rate flat in 2025, remaining below the no-new-revenue rate.
“We really focus hard on how do you hold that property tax rate as low as possible to also deliver excellent city services on behalf of residents. I’m hopeful we can do that again. Year-over-year that’s always the goal, to keep it compressed as much as possible,” she said.
One eventuality the Mayor says the city must be prepared for is school choice, and lawmakers passing an education savings account, or ESA program.
And she says she’s encouraging everyone in Fort Worth, from city leaders to superintendents, to stop worrying about school vouchers and focus on what matters, which could soon mean trying to secure even more adequate funding for public education, a message she admits not all districts agree with.
“I do think school vouchers, ESAs, will pass this session. All the writing is on the wall,” the mayor argued. “So, I want to work with leadership at Fort Worth ISD, all 12 districts across the city of Fort Worth, to advocate on what they need to be successful as a traditional public school.”