This public education meeting, held at the Southwest Community Center, provided an overview of the proposed $845 million 2026 bond program and 10 charter amendment propositions for the May 2, 2026 election. City staff presented details on each proposition, answered questions, and clarified that the bond package is structured to avoid increasing the city's property tax rate. No votes were taken; the session was informational.
All right, so if you haven't had a chance to, uh, we do have a bond detail, some QR codes uh related to the bond book, the bond itself, as well as the charter details. Um, feel free to share that link with your friends, your family. I believe there's also physical copies of the bond book that were handed out, as well as uh just informational as well as for the charter amendments. Um, if we haven't met yet, my name is April Rose Escamia. I'm with the Fort Worth Lab, uh Senior Capital Projects Officer, and I've been really working through the 2026 bond. Uh, we also have Gavin Midgley here who'll be presenting on the charter amendments uh that's coming through on May 2nd. Uh so here we are today. Uh just the purpose of the presentation and kind of give you a big overview as well as dive into the 2026 bond program itself, the development of the bond program, an overall summary, as well as what to what to look forward to when it comes to the sample ballot, different elements uh within the sample, it's the ballot itself, as well as a dive into the bond propositions. Again, moving into charter amendments, the upcoming schedule, and then really have that opportunity for question and answer. Come on through, come on in. Yeah, take your time. There's some seats right here at the front. Um, in any area. No, you're good. Hi, welcome. Come on in, come on in. Perfect. All right. So the purpose of today's presentation is really to uh provide information as it's related to the to the proposed 2026 bond program as well as charter amendments. Uh, feel free to come on take a seat if you'd like right up front. Okay. Um, as well as to offer opportunities to ask questions regarding uh the two, as well as review further opportunities uh for public education and the timing related to the election itself. So we've already mentioned that. Again, we will reiterate this QR code. It's it's uh it's a hot little uh link right here just to continuously share with with people. Um, if you've had a chance to at least open it up, uh know that we do dive into the various project scopes uh as it relates to the propositions um themselves, even some of the dollar amounts associated with each of the propositions. Um, you'll see here today that we'll have some images on here. You can see it both in your bond book, or if not, uh the various tables do have a larger 24 by 36 inch exhibit, very large with more finer detail in that. Uh but before we begin, here's a quick little video. Every four years, the city prepares a bond program. One way of funding large capital projects such as roads, parks, libraries, and public facilities that are appropriate for long-term financing. During this election, you might notice language on the ballot that says this is a tax increase. This is new language mandated statewide for all bond elections. However, here in Fort Worth, we need structured the bond package so that we don't anticipate a tax increase. The City of Fort Worth's 2026 bond program, totaling 845 million, is organized into several propositions. Each proposition outlines a set of projects that could be funded through bonds, pending voter authorization. Proposition A proposes 511 million dollars for streets and mobility infrastructure projects. It represents the largest portion of the 26 bond package and is intended to fund long-term transportation projects. The proposal includes funds for 12 major roadways. The largest amount of money in proposition A, roughly 328 million will go towards rehabilitating our streets. Other funds will go towards intersections, bridges, traffic signals, street lights, adding sidewalks, and improving safety for street crossings around our schools. Proposition B includes 185 million dollars for parks, recreation, and open spaces, including land acquisition, facility improvements, and trail enhancements. Park improvements may include renovations to existing community park areas, as well as development of new outdoor park amenities. Some projects in the proposition include a new outdoor pool, renovations and expansion of some athletic complexes, provide more open space areas throughout the city, and replacement of an aging community center. Proposition C allocates 14 million dollars for public library projects. This will include remodeling three of our existing locations. Proposition D provides 10 million dollars for affordable housing initiatives across the city. This proposition would provide funding aimed at creating new affordable home ownership and rental housing opportunities, specifically for households earning up to 120% of the city's area median income. Activities under this proposition acquisition and construction of affordable housing, construction of infrastructure to support affordable housing, home repair programs, and loans and grants for affordable housing. Proposition E proposes $64 million for police, fire, and emergency communications facilities, including new construction and renovations to existing buildings.