Learn about Fort Worth Bonds including our News & Press Releases and Team.
Have questions? Reach out to us directly.
Learn about Fort Worth Bonds including our News & Press Releases and Team.
The City of Fort Worth is a political subdivision and municipal corporation of the State, duly organized and existing under the laws of the State, including the City's Home Rule Charter. The City was incorporated in 1873, and first adopted its Home Rule Charter in 1924.
The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government with a City Council comprised of the Mayor and eight Councilmembers. The term of office for the Mayor and the eight Councilmembers is two years. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer for the City.
Some of the services that the City provides are public safety (police and fire protection), streets, water and sanitary sewer utilities, culture-recreation, public transportation, public improvements, planning and zoning, and general administrative services. The City covers approximately 345 square miles.
Please click the below link to view all the news articles and press releases that are available on the City of Fort Worth's government website.
In October 2023, City Council approved a 15% Stormwater utility fee increase for FY24, effective January 2024. Along with the Stormwater utility fee increases in FY20, FY24 and the recently approved FY25 increase, the Stormwater rate has increased seven times since the utility’s inception.
What’s been accomplished so far for the capital improvement projects portion? This portion is funding the initial delivery phase for three large flood mitigation projects over a 15-year timeframe: Upper Lebow, Linwood/W. Seventh Street and the Berry/McCart area.
Over the last fiscal year, the program has advanced these projects in the following ways:
Began project development phase working on preliminary channel design, utility coordination and property acquisition.
Submitted two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant applications.
Submitted a state grant application to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Flood Infrastructure Fund.
Began property acquisition needed to construct future improvements.
Updated the existing drainage system model to better understand the current flood risk and allow for accurate evaluation and project development of flood mitigation alternatives.
Held meetings with the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD) to understand the impacts of potential outfall improvements to the Trinity River water levels and water quality regulations.
Evaluated potential detention and conveyance improvements to identify alternatives to advance into project development.
Began project development phase on future drainage improvements along Sandage Avenue.
Collaborated with Texas Christian University regarding potential partnership opportunities.
What’s been accomplished so far for the maintenance portion? As mentioned above, half of the FY24 Stormwater utility fee increase is going toward maintenance service level improvements. Implementation of a five-year plan for these improvements is underway.
During FY24, Stormwater Field Operations kicked off a proactive citywide culvert inspection program to improve the prioritization of culvert cleaning needs. The City is responsible for approximately 4,000 culverts. This new program is the outcome of previously unidentified culvert maintenance concerns creating flood risks.
Five new staff were hired for this program in FY24 and as of December 2024, 666 culverts have now been inspected and 586 culverts have been cleaned, exceeding the City’s initial projections for the program’s first year.
The table below shows the estimated annual culvert inspection and cleaning capacity before and after the recent service level improvements.
The second Stormwater maintenance program service level improvement in FY24 focused on the drainage pipe condition assessment program. A new seven-person team was created to inspect, clean and proactively plan ahead for drainage pipe condition assessments. This program accelerates the condition assessment process, enabling the City to more quickly identify and prioritize locations in need of rehabilitation, keeping the community safer from sinkholes. The work also accelerates the removal of trash and debris from the City’s drainage pipe system, which improves stormwater conveyance, mitigating the risk of flooding due to debris build-up in the storm drain system.
The table below shows the estimated annual pipe inspection and cleaning capacity before and after the recent service level improvements.
During FY24, in addition to the expanded service levels in the above two programs, Stormwater Field Operations:
What’s the benefit to taxpayers? As a crucial step in safeguarding the community from future flood-related risks, the FY24 Stormwater fee increase funded multiyear phasing for three capital improvement projects, as well as enhanced service levels for maintenance of culverts and pipes. The funds from the increase were to be divided between capital flood mitigation projects and maintenance service level improvements.
Brief background: Fort Worth’s Stormwater utility launched in 2006 after five fatalities due to flooded roadways and significant flooding to 300 homes and businesses in 2004. The program’s mission: To protect people and property from harmful stormwater runoff.
To provide your feedback about the Stormwater program’s future priorities for funding and work efforts, please fill out the Stormwater Strategic Plan survey:
City councilmembers on Tuesday got an early look at a proposed 2026 bond program with congestion mitigation, economic development, leveraging funding opportunities and capital replacement initially becoming the focus.
On the table: City staff is considering a $800 million bond program, but requests for funding from departments far exceed that amount.
Fort Worth is on a four-year cycle for bond programs, with the most recent being approved by voters in 2022. Fort Worth continues its practice of developing the 2026 bond program with no property tax increase.
An early and evolving list of proposed projects for the 2026 bond program has been created by City staff for the purpose of gaining City Council input.
The list shows the bulk of bond funds going toward streets and mobility infrastructure improvements (59.6% of the $800 million total), followed by parks and open space improvements (23.1%). Other proposals include public safety improvements, primarily for the Fire Department and 911, 8%; animal shelter facility improvements, 7.5%; and public library improvements, 1.8%.
“In addition to this initial list of proposed projects that City staff has offered based on the available funding constraints, we know residents have interest in numerous other projects,” City Manager Jay Chapa said. “So besides the current recommended list, there is an additional menu of options that were just below the funding line that will be put forward for public comment. That list of projects totals $125 million.”
$13.7 million for the expansion projects at Southwest Library, East Berry Library and Diamond Hill Library.
Public art: $300,000
Community engagement meetings will be held across the city starting this spring, and there will be online engagement tools available. Residents will be able to comment on the proposed projects as discussions progress.
This fall, City staff will finalize the project list based on public input. Final adjustments will be made to project costs, and the City Council will approve the list.
In January 2026, City Council will vote on calling the bond election. A public education meeting will be conducted in every council district ahead of the May 2026 bond election.
General Purpose Credit:
The City of Fort Worth is a political subdivision and municipal corporation of the State, duly organized and existing under the laws of the State, including the City's Home Rule Charter. The City was incorporated in 1873, and first adopted its Home Rule Charter in 1924.
The City operates under a Council/Manager form of government with a City Council comprised of the Mayor and ten Councilmembers. The term of office for the Mayor and the eight Councilmembers is two years. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer for the City.
Some of the services that the City provides are public safety (police and fire protection), streets, water and sanitary sewer utilities, culture-recreation, public transportation, public improvements, planning and zoning, and general administrative services. The 2020 Census population for the City was 909,585, while the estimated 2024 population is 812,238. The City covers approximately 358 square miles.
Drainage Utility Credit:
The system is an enterprise fund of the city of Fort Worth, Texas established in fiscal 2006 in response to flash flood problems and federally mandated stormwater-runoff and treatment requirements. All owners of developed property in Fort Worth are charged a user fee for drainage service, except those exempted by state law. This includes residential property owners, businesses, apartment complexes, public facilities, city owned facilities and churches. As of fiscal 2024, the system has over 779,920 billable storm water units.
Special Tax Revenue Credit:
Pledged revenues, related to the City of Fort Worth’s 2017A, 2017B, 2023A, and 2023B Special Tax Revenue Bonds, consist of the city's combined 9% hotel occupancy tax (HOT), incremental state hotel occupancy and sales and use taxes collected within a specified project financing zone, and airport shared revenues. The bonds are also payable from certain anticipated venue-generated tax revenues, the pledge in relation to the Series 2017A and 2023A bonds limited to 5% of debt service in a given year.
The project financed with bond proceeds is a multipurpose arena with seating capacity of 14,000 to be used for Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo, concerts, basketball tournaments and other events. The facility, Dickies Arena, opened in November 2019.
Water & Sewer Credit:
The Water and Sewer Department is responsible for providing safe and reliable water and wastewater service with environmental integrity. Five water treatment plants and one reclamation facility can deliver a peak day production of 512 million gallons per day. There are more than 4,040 miles of pipe in the water distribution system and 3,926 miles in the collection system. The system serves more than 1.4 million people in Fort Worth and surrounding areas, which include 33 water wholesale customers, 23 wastewater wholesale wastewater customers and three wholesale reclaimed water customers.
Special Assessment/Public Improvement Districts Credit:
Public Improvement Districts (PIDs), per the Texas Local Government Code Chapter 372, provide the City of Fort Worth an economic development tool that permits the financing of qualified public improvements which provide a special benefit on a definable part of the City, including both within the city limits and the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). A PID can finance capital costs and fund supplemental services to meet community needs which could not otherwise be constructed or provided. The costs of the capital improvements and/or supplemental services are paid entirely by special assessment revenues from property owners within the PID who receive special benefits from the capital improvements or services.
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