Fort Worth District 4 FY 2027 Budget Town Hall Meeting - September 2, 2026

City Manager Jay Chapa and Fort Worth Lab Director Christiane Simmons presented the proposed FY 2027 budget to District 4 residents. The meeting highlighted a $94 million budget gap driven by flat property tax values due to Tarrant Appraisal District's reappraisal plan, and detailed the recommended cuts, tax rate increase, and investments in public safety. The council is scheduled to vote on the budget and tax rate on September 15, 2026, with a public hearing on September 1.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Resident (regarding code ranger program): Questioned why the volunteer program was cut, expressing concern about lost community engagement.
• Resident (revenue from code violations): Asked how much revenue code compliance generates and criticized the use of liens on rental properties, noting that absentee owners avoid payment.
• Resident (CCPD funding): Stated that the CCPD (Crime Control and Prevention District) sales tax was sold to voters as funding for police, but a portion ($11 million in 2025) goes to nonprofits with little accountability. She called for transparency and for the money to be used for police equipment and salaries.
• Resident (homelessness funding): Noted that despite millions in funding to homeless service providers, homelessness has increased, and questioned the effectiveness of permanent supportive housing and lack of accountability.
• Resident (pavement management fee): Expressed concern that the fee could be raised in the future without a public vote, as seen in Austin.
• Resident (public art funding): Argued that the 1% for public art bond set-aside should be redirected to police or fire, and that wealthy donors could fund art instead.
• Resident (remote participation): Asked if the city would reinstate remote call-in for council meetings to improve accessibility.

Discussion Items

• Budget Overview: City Manager Jay Chapa explained that the $3.32 billion operating budget must be balanced by state law. The general fund is $1.1 billion, only one-third of the total, and the gap must be closed within the general fund. He emphasized that public safety investments were prioritized, forcing cuts elsewhere.
• Property Tax Revenue Shortfall: Christiane Simmons showed that Tarrant County's average taxable value has flattened and fallen due to the appraisal district's reappraisal plan, while Collin and Dallas counties grew. The city initially projected a $49 million gap, which grew to $94 million after adding contractual police and fire costs and mid-year value losses.
• Budget Balancing Measures: Departments initially cut 1% and submitted 3% reduction packages ($22 million). Deeper cuts of $28 million eliminated vacant positions and frozen pay. Revenue increases and a proposed tax rate increase of 3.2 cents per $100 valuation (from 67 to 70.2 cents) closed the remaining gap. After council feedback, the rate was adjusted to 70.565 cents to restore the PetSmart Alliance adoption center, some park and library positions, and increase general employee pay-for-performance from 1.5% to 3% (mid-year).
• Public Safety Investments: The budget adds 76 patrol officers, 30 corporal positions for a promotional path in patrol, funding for fire overtime and fleet, and a 911 assistive call-taking technology pilot. The Fire HOPE program will shift to a mobile integrated health team to save overtime.
• Cuts and Service Level Impacts: Cuts include a 90% reduction in general fund transfer to economic development initiatives ($5M to $500K), smoothing of the neighborhood improvement program (from $4M to $1M in year one), a 25% reduction in the mobile tool shed program (reducing staff from 4 to 3), and a 3% cut to the priority repair program. The code ranger program was eliminated because it was no longer effective.
• Enterprise Funds: Water, solid waste, stormwater, and other enterprise funds are funded by user fees. Water rates increase $7.09/month for typical usage to support capital projects. The pavement management fee (formerly street maintenance fee) is proposed to supplement existing maintenance funding, with rates proportional to property use.
• CCPD and Nonprofit Funding: In response to resident concerns, Chief Garcia stated that the police department will use criminologists to evaluate all CCPD-funded programs for effectiveness and return on investment. The councilman acknowledged the need for better transparency and promised to publish CCPD board meeting information.
• Public Art Policy: The 1% for art bond policy was discussed. The councilman said he has asked staff to explore putting the policy to a public vote. The city manager noted that the policy can only be changed by the city council.

Key Outcomes

• Proposed Tax Rate: The city manager recommended a tax rate of 70.2 cents per $100 valuation, later adjusted to 70.565 cents after council feedback. The council will vote on the final rate on September 15.
• No Furloughs or Layoffs: The budget does not include furloughs or layoffs. The city manager indicated that if the council chose not to raise the tax rate, those would be the next options.
• Next Steps: A public hearing on the budget will be held on September 1, 2026, at 2:00 PM at City Hall. The city council will adopt the budget and set the tax rate on September 15. Residents can sign up to speak at the hearing or provide feedback via Connect Fort Worth.
• CCPD Program Evaluation: Chief Garcia committed to a data-driven review of all CCPD-funded programs, using criminologists, with results expected to inform the FY 2028 budget process starting April 2027.
• Better Communication Promised: The district councilman pledged to improve communication of CCPD board meetings and other public information, and to investigate feasibility of clawing back Trinity Metro sales tax for road repairs.