Municipal elections in Fort Worth, Texas (2017)
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| 2017 Fort Worth elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: February 17, 2017 |
| General election: May 6, 2017 Runoff election: June 10, 2017 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor and city council |
| Total seats up: 9 |
| Election type: Nonpartisan |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2017 |
The city of Fort Worth, Texas, held a general election for mayor and city council on May 6, 2017. A runoff election was held on June 10, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 17, 2017.
The open race in District 2, where incumbent Sal Espino opted not to run for re-election, advanced to a runoff between the general election's top two vote-getters, Carlos Flores and Steve Thornton. Flores defeated Thornton to claim the seat.
Challenger Brian Byrd defeated District 3 Councilman Zim Zimmerman in the general election. Incumbents prevailed in the general election in the remaining races. Mayor Betsy Price, District 4 Councilman Cary Moon, District 5 Councilwoman Gyna Bivens, District 7 Councilman Dennis Shingleton, and District 9 Councilwoman Ann Zadeh each defeated one opponent to retain their seats. District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan defeated three challengers in the general election, and District 8 Councilwoman Kelly Allen Gray defeated two.[1][2][3]
Elections[edit]
Runoff election[edit]
District 2[edit]
Incumbent Sal Espino opted not to run for re-election.[1]
☑ Carlos Flores
☐ Steve Thornton
General election[edit]
Mayor[edit]☑ Betsy Price (i) District 2[edit]Incumbent Sal Espino opted District 3[edit]☐ W.B. "Zim" Zimmerman (i) |
District 4[edit]☑ Cary Moon (i) District 5[edit]☑ Gyna Bivens (i) District 6[edit]☑ Jungus Jordan (i) |
District 7[edit]☑ Dennis Shingleton (i) District 8[edit]☑ Kelly Allen Gray (i) District 9[edit]☑ Ann Zadeh (i) |
Campaign finance[edit]
The figures in the tables below are from the most recent report submitted by each candidate as of June 22, 2017. They are reproduced as presented by the candidates in their report summaries.[4]
Mayor[edit]
District 2[edit]
Incumbent Sal Espino opted not to run for re-election.[1]
District 3[edit]
District 4[edit]
District 5[edit]
District 6[edit]
District 7[edit]
District 8[edit]
District 9[edit]
Additional elections on the ballot[edit]
- See also: Texas elections, 2017
The Tarrant County College District, the Tarrant Regional Water District, and the Fort Worth Independent School District held elections on May 6, 2017. Click on the following links to read about their elections:
Issues[edit]
Runoff election[edit]
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According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, District 2 runoff contenders Carlos Flores and Steve Thornton held similar positions on the most important challenges facing the city. Both considered public safety, infrastructure, and economic development top priorities. They also shared the goal of ensuring that the north and south sides of the district were unified rather than divided.[5]
Flores, who has served on a number of city boards and commissions, had incumbent Espino's backing in the race. He also had endorsements from general election opponent Jennifer Trevino, Mayor Betsy Price, former Mayor Mike Moncrief, former Councilman Jim Lane, Fort Worth school board president Jacinto Ramos Jr., the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.[6] Former firefighter Thornton, who came within 26 votes of defeating Espino in 2015, received support for his 2017 bid from the Fort Worth Fire Fighters. [6] [7]
General election[edit]
The Star-Telegram surveyed the 2017 candidates about the most critical problems facing the city and the candidates' top priorities if elected. Click "show" on the bars below to view the candidates' responses. To view the Star-Telegram's full candidate profiles, click here.[8][9][10]
| In 100 words or less, What are the three most critical problems facing the public office you are seeking and the solutions you propose to address them? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Candidate | Response |
| Mayor | Betsy Price (i) | "We are blessed to live in a wonderful city, and that's why people are moving here in droves. But the growth also is the most serious threat to our quality of life. Understanding this growth, the three most critical challenges are 1. Transportation 2. Maintaining a strong central core by raising the vitality of our neighborhoods and 3. Ensuring a competitive workforce to fuel the growing local economy. We tackle these challenges by working together through thoughtful strategies, which are outlined on BetsyPriceforMayor.com, and by ensuring we have the best managed urban city in the country." |
| Mayor | Chris Nettles | "First, Police and Communities Relations. Over the last year our city has struggle with policing our neighborhoods and ensuring the trust of our residents. I am proposing a Citizens Review Board, tasked with conducting reviews and investigations into the Police Department's use of force policies, practices and procedures in the wake of several high profiled police-involved accidents. Secondly, our infrastructure must continue to improve if we expect to bring more business to our city. As Mayor of Fort Worth I will work with every agency that has a hand in our roads, streets and highways. Third critical issue is our homelessness. Homelessness has grown since 2011 and there is currently no solid plan to decrease it." |
| City Council District 2 |
Carlos Flores | "Public safety is first and foremost. Our city has a growing population of more than 833,319 and a police force of about 1510 officers. That's about 1 officer for 551 people. To ensure our city remains one of the safest in the country, I will work to ensure our police department is staffed and equipped appropriately. Fort Worth attracts people and development. If elected, I would rely on my experience on the Zoning Commission and the Blue Ribbon Infrastructure Committee to foster 'smarter development' and public-private partnerships that will make existing and new infrastructure truly sustainable." |
| City Council District 2 |
Miguel Perez | "Public Safety Image – Establish an incident review program designed by members of the Fire and Police Departments, city officials, and citizen representatives to protect the rights of all involved and focus on the legitimate evidence. Infrastructure funding – Enhanced communication to educate the public on the funding needs for new infrastructure to respond to resident perception that the city is improperly managing existing revenue streams. Transportation – In addition to critical road repairs, more bus routes and bike routes to under serviced areas appealing to those living in outlying areas and people of all ages. It would also increase desirability to many environmentally conscious visitors." |
| City Council District 2 |
Steve Thornton | No response |
| City Council District 2 |
Jennifer Trevino | "Infrastructure – We need to backfill services to our residents north of 820 while shoring up the aging infrastructure inside the loop. The upcoming bond program will provide an additional opportunity to invest in our city’s infrastructure. Job Growth/Economic Development – District 2 is positioned to grow significantly in the next few years. We need to revisit the establishment of a development organization to bring stakeholders together to coordinate development in a cohesive manner and to balance our historical heritage in a modern world. Education/Workforce Talent – We need to work smarter to ensure that our city has the qualified workforce needed by our current and prospective employers." |
| City Council District 3 |
Zim Zimmerman (i) | "Our biggest challenge is that property values are rising causing high tax bills. That's why I helped lower the City's tax rate last year and am pushing for another cut. While the vast majority of property taxes go to schools, the city must set the standard in providing tax relief. Additionally, I am pushing contractors to complete road projects on time and on budget. My experience at Lockheed prepared me to ensure these projects stay on schedule so infrastructure investments lessen traffic. Finally, I am proud crime dropped 8 percent, but not satisfied. There's more to do to keep families safe." |
| City Council District 3 |
Brian Byrd | "Crippling Property Taxes: People are being forced out of their homes because of crippling property taxes. The incumbent claims to be in favor of lowering taxes, but he has had plenty of time to do that during his 8 years in office. Poor street maintenance: There are too many street repair projects lasting multiple years. We must do a better job of managing our contractors. Ensure Public Safety: Safety is our number one priority. We need to ensure our fire, police, and EMS have the resources they need." |
| City Council District 4 |
Cary Moon (i) | "Protecting our Neighborhoods, Transportation, and City Budgets are the top 3 problems facing the City. Protecting our neighborhoods, is two-fold. First we must get more resources to our first-responders (fire and police). Secondly, as a city we must protect our neighborhoods against bad development. Development where the uses are not compatible with our single-family homes must be better controlled by city standards. Further, development must be coordinated with transportation infrastructure. Transportation dollars from county and state need to more aggressively sought along with increasing the city's ability to complete a higher volume of road projects annually." |
| City Council District 4 |
Max Striker | "Maximize Fort Worth. The cities infrastructure needs to be upgraded, the streets should be safe for cyclists, Fort Worth should be a place where people want to be seen, schools should be top grade and we need to create an environment where businesses can thrive. Maximize Fort Worth's Character. We should ensure new developments increase community value, promote the image of the City of Fort Worth, and support solutions for neighborhood involvement. Maximize Public Safety. We should address code issues and crime by enhancing community communication and using new ideas and new solutions." |
| City Council District 6 |
Jungus Jordan (i) | "As Councilman, I strive daily to listen, work hard and get results. Neighborhood quality of life, public safety and keeping property taxes low are the top issues. For neighborhood quality of life, we need to continue our strong support for code enforcement and our focus on replacing worn out infrastructure including filling street potholes. For public safety, we need to ensure quick response times which includes improving neighborhood streets and traffic flow. Finally, I am proud to have led the charge to reduce the city's property tax rate and will continue the fight to lower it even more." |
| City Council District 6 |
Paul Hicks | "1. Infrastructure : We need to fix streets, water service, all parts of city services. 2. Waste of tax dollars: No TIFs. This is a great town but we are and have over grown our boundaries. 3. City Services: Citizens need to get answers to questions they have about services and changes instead going to a website." |
| City Council District 6 |
Nicholas St. John | "Community: Fort Worth has always had an amazing sense of community. The beautiful scene of decency, friendliness, and acceptance that we experience is at stake. I will stop at nothing to mend the wounds between our public servants and people. Infrastructure: We face a plethora of potholes and dangerous red light camera intersections. I will do everything I can to ensure the next budget has enough money to fix all the potholes in our city, and improve our infrastructure. Economics: Emergency services, public transportation, infrastructure maintenance and construction, water, trash, and all other operating costs go up with population, but when you maintain a smart balanced budget you do not stagnate due to growth." |
| City Council District 6 |
Roderick Smith | No response |
| City Council District 7 |
Dennis Shingleton (i) | "Public safety, prudent financial management (including low property taxes), and quality of life in our neighborhoods. Public safety includes not only providing adequate police and fire protection, but also ensuring timely emergency services. We must be prudent stewards of our citizens' tax dollars by responsibly managing the city budget and continuing to reduce our property tax rate whenever possible. We must provide adequate streets and city services in Fort Worth's new neighborhoods to help connect them to the rest of the city, while keeping up with the infrastructure needs of our established neighborhoods, including street repairs and flood control." |
| City Council District 7 |
Michael Matos | "The three most critical issues facing my district are – infrastructure, police/fire response times and drainage issues. The roads are falling apart; drainage issues are plaguing areas of the district. I plan to conduct comprehensive analyses of road projects and traffic issues throughout the district. I would do the same for the drainage issues. We must seek innovation and new ways to fix this issue. As for police/fire -- I plan on working with high-ranking officials within the local police force to find ways to ensure the safety of our citizens. I'll be Looking to implement more resources for both fire and police." |
| City Council District 8 |
Kelly Allen Gray (i) | "The creation of quality, safe affordable housing including single-family home ownership, mixed income multifamily work force projects, and permanent supportive housing to further our efforts in making homelessness short term and non-recurring. The revitalization of the East Lancaster Corridor and marketing and promoting the East Berry Street Corridor and all of the District 8 Urban Villages. We must focus on transportation that allows for access to job centers in the far north and southern sectors of our city." |
| City Council District 8 |
Kevin Johnson | "Fort Worth is in desperate need of development in District 8. There is commercial land in many parts that can be used to bring jobs into the community. These jobs can not only employ our neighborhood but give needed products and services within a reasonable distance. We also so require a council person who will speak for the people and not who can donate the most money. Regarding the recent events, the people of this city need someone who will stand up for what's right and make uncomfortable stances because it is the correct thing to do." |
| City Council District 9 |
Ann Zadeh (i) | "Strong safe neighborhoods: Maintain and improve strong neighborhoods where people want to live and work by assisting residents in accessing services and encouraging residential involvement. Supporting and cooperating with leaders in education and transportation. Growth: Make thoughtful decisions about growth and development. Encourage public input. Work for thoughtful, reasoned, transparent decision making including funding and implement a comprehensive transportation plan. Equality and Equal Opportunity: The city needs to ensure we have equitable policies that address inequalities to ensure opportunities for all citizens. Any disparity in access to city services and/or representation is unacceptable." |
| City Council District 9 |
John Fitzgerald | "Protect neighborhoods: When reviewing zoning changes we need to communicate effectively with all parties involved to ensure the change does not negatively affect the quality of life of residents. I will communicate directly with homeowners, neighborhoods and developers to reach mutually agreeable solutions. Traffic, Parking and Storm-water: Fast city growth has made traffic, parking and storm-water problems worse. To fix the flooding issues in Fort Worth it could cost over $1 billion. We need careful analysis of traffic, parking and storm-water studies. Taxes: Due to rising property appraisals, the city needs to lower the property tax rate to give relief to homeowners and business." |
| In 100 words or less, What is your top priority if elected to office? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Candidate | Response |
| Mayor | Betsy Price (i) | "If re-elected, I'll continue to follow the vision set by the citizens I encounter each day across this great city. Like me, they envision a city that is world renowned as safe, friendly, active and innovative. They see a Fort Worth that is stronger because of the diversity of its people, its neighborhoods and its industry. They believe in a strong urban core and a diverse transportation network. They expect their city to make optimal use of its infrastructure and its financial and natural resources. They also envision a strong public school system. Realizing this vision is my top priority." |
| Mayor | Chris Nettles | "Education is at the top of my platform for our city. I believe that all students should have access to a quality education. My goal is to utilize our resources effectively, assuring that college and career readiness is within reach for all students. We will organize and promote literacy for all students and their families regardless of their socioeconomic status. Homelessness has continuously increased over the last six years. Addressing this crisis will take the entire Fort Worth community to collaborate in efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Establish an ongoing collaboration meeting to discuss progress and updates towards our initiatives." |
| City Council District 2 |
Carlos Flores | "My top priority is ensuring the safety of our families by protecting our neighborhoods from crime. As leader of our Crime Control and Prevention District, I worked closely with our law enforcement to increase patrols and response times in our neighborhoods. I am committed to ensuring our kids have a safe place to live and play. Additionally, our city must deliver high quality services and quickly repair the roads in our area. I carried the torch for our community on the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Infrastructure. On the City Council, I'll ensure we get our fair share of resources." |
| City Council District 2 |
Miguel Perez | "There is a current perception crisis when it comes to public safety and city government officials. I support the development of an incident review board comprising of members of our public safety departments, city officials, and citizen representatives. The team would be allowed to independently investigate major incidents that cause unrest in the city. This system, if properly managed, would encourage trust on all sides because all possible perspectives could be discussed in a calm manner and the public would be more likely to wait a few days to hear actual facts over acting immediately based on rumor and rhetoric." |
| City Council District 2 |
Steve Thornton | No response |
| City Council District 2 |
Jennifer Trevino | "It's difficult to separate these three challenges because I see them as being intertwined and co-dependent. An educated workforce supports strong families and a healthy economy which spurs business and development. Re-development increases property values which generates taxes and revenues to in turn support infrastructure and city services such as code compliance and public safety. All of these are key components to ensure our residents and city are more prosperous than they are today." |
| City Council District 3 |
Zim Zimmerman (i) | "I am known as a tax watchdog. They said we couldn't lower the tax rate and lower crime while investing millions in roads. But we did! It proves what is possible when you apply private industry ideas to government. My top priorities are fixing roads, keeping our homes and neighborhoods safe, and doing it with the least tax dollars possible. We must make City Hall better at providing effective service at the lowest cost possible. When we cut waste and cherish taxpayers' hard earned dollars, we leave more funds in the hands of families which improves our local economy." |
| City Council District 3 |
Brian Byrd | "My top priority will be to lower the property tax rate so that residents don't see an increase in their city taxes even if property values continue to escalate. We can do this and still ensure excellent city services. Fort Worth has the highest tax rate in the state of any major city. I believe in appropriate taxation, not over-taxation. I've met too many people who are being forced to sell their homes because they can't afford to pay their tax bills." |
| City Council District 4 |
Cary Moon (i) | "The Top Priorities are better budgets and smart development. With budgets, the city now has a balance sheet. We adopted a rescission policy which prevents city staff from moving monies from one bond projects unless approved by council. I updated the 22-year-old revenue policy which should increase interest earnings by $18M annually. On healthcare, I was successful in saving the city $5M in costs by adding a third-party surgical administrator. On development, I had success bringing development where it was needed. For the east side, I attracted a $25M educational development. To better control multifamily, I changed zoning on 18 vacant tracts to a more compatible use with single-family." |
| City Council District 4 |
Max Striker | "Fort Worth, like much of Texas, is experiencing high levels of growth. Maximizing the benefits of this growth will be a top priority in the coming years. This growth should create new revenue for Fort Worth. Shouldn't the citizens of Fort Worth benefit from this trend? I say yes. It is the top priority to make sure our Fort Worth tax dollars are spent for the betterment of the people of Fort Worth first. Developers are entitled to make a profit on these developments but let's just make sure the deal is also fair to the Fort Worth Community as well." |
| City Council District 6 |
Jungus Jordan (i) | "The top priority for citizens is public safety and emergency response. We must provide our police and fire as well as MedStar with the proper resources and support to keep our citizens safe. Fundamental to fighting crime is our citizens on patrol and our neighborhood patrol officer programs which I strongly support. Also, a key to quick emergency response is improved traffic mobility, which I address almost weekly including ongoing work to bring regional light rail closer to reality. I support open and respectful lines of communication between the community and our public safety providers." |
| City Council District 6 |
Paul Hicks | "Make sure that the citizens are happy with the answers they receive and get the quality of city services that their tax dollars have paid for." |
| City Council District 6 |
Nicholas St. John | "I will have the peoples' interests as my top priority. Currently, I have been told by numerous people that they want the roads to be in better condition, and the red light cameras gone. As of now, my top priority will be improving our city's roadways, by fixing the potholes and removing red light cameras, but if other issues are brought to the forefront by my constituents between now and the election, then they will be my priority." |
| City Council District 6 |
Roderick Smith | No response |
| City Council District 7 |
Dennis Shingleton (i) | "My top priority is to be responsive to the needs of all residents and neighborhoods in District 7. This includes completing the east-west traffic mobility improvements in far north Fort Worth, working to address to flooding problems in west Fort Worth/Arlington Heights, upgrading of our neighborhood parks and recreation areas, and construction of new police and fire facilities." |
| City Council District 7 |
Michael Matos | "The infrastructure throughout District 7 needs significant improvement and investment. This is one of the many issues that continually surfaces during my conversations with citizens. Properly allocating the funds will be the number one task at hand." |
| City Council District 8 |
Kelly Allen Gray (i) | "My top priority continues to be the creation of quality, safe, affordable housing choices for all in communities where everyone feels connected to each other with unfettered access to all city services." |
| City Council District 8 |
Kevin Johnson | "I will speak for the people of District 8. I will bring business back to the community and help develop a plan to keep money invested in the community. We need education to be a major priority. Our schools have to be properly funded in order for our children to have an equal opportunity post high school. I plan to watch funds for all projects are spent and completed." |
| City Council District 9 |
Ann Zadeh (i) | "Managing growth so efforts to maintain/improve our strong neighborhoods and ability to improve multimodal mobility are not compromised. Growth can be exciting and beneficial. We must continue to focus on quality of life. Work to ensure that development, both new and adapted reuse contribute, to goals of walkable healthy communities where people can live work and play. I will continue to encourage public participation and sound decision making on all levels to achieve the quality city that we all desire and that as we grow we maintains the qualities that are so very important." |
| City Council District 9 |
John Fitzgerald | "Listen to homeowner, neighborhood and resident input: Homeowners and neighborhoods deserve a voice on city council communicating effectively with them about their concerns. Many city issues reported get lost or forgotten. I will work directly with all parties involved towards positive and mutually agreeable solutions. I will also communicate with the city manager on other neighborhood concerns such as repairs and improvements of sidewalks, streets, traffic calming measures, improving public transportation, improving community-police relations and reducing crime in high crime areas." |
About the city[edit]
- See also: Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is a city in Texas that extends into Tarrant County and Denton County. As of 2013, its population was 792,727.[11]
City government[edit]
- See also: Council-manager government
The city of Fort Worth uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.[12]
Demographics[edit]
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic data for Fort Worth, Texas (2015) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | Texas | |
| Total population: | 796,614 | 27,429,639 |
| Land area (square miles): | 340 | 261,232 |
| Race and ethnicity[13] | ||
| White: | 66% | 74.9% |
| Black/African American: | 18.9% | 11.9% |
| Asian: | 3.9% | 4.2% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Two or more: | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 34.3% | 38.4% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 80.8% | 81.9% |
| College graduation rate: | 27.3% | 27.6% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,214 | $53,207 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.8% | 19.9% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) | ||
Recent news[edit]
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Fort Worth Texas election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also[edit]
| Fort Worth, Texas | Texas | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Fort Worth Mayor, Council Members Seeking Re-Election in May," January 18, 2017
- ↑ Tarrant County, Texas, "Unofficial Results," accessed May 6, 2017
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Byrd Unseats Zimmerman for District 3, Price Wins Another Term," May 6, 2017
- ↑ City of Fort Worth, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed June 22, 2017
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Carlos Flores, Ready to Take the Reins of District 2," April 21, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Rosie O’Donnell Showers Cash and Attention on a North Texas Political Newcomer," May 19, 2017
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Sal Espino Wins District 2 Seat, Recount Confirms," May 19, 2015
- ↑ The candidate's answers were reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Write-in candidates Bob Willoughby and Johnnie Sanders and Councilwoman Gyna Bivens, whose only opponent was Willoughby, were not included in the survey.
- ↑ Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "2017 Voters Guide: Fort Worth City Council Candidates On the May 6 Ballot," March 13, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Census, "State and County Quick Facts," accessed August 25, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedgov - ↑ Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
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