News Story

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.”

Staff-recommended projects

Streets and mobility funding

• Major roadways, $227.3 million, 10 projects.
• Neighborhood streets, $101.6 million, 15 projects.
• Intersection, $42.9 million, nine projects.
• Traffic signals, $25 million, 26 projects.
• Bridges, $25.8 million, four projects.
• Sidewalks, $19.2 million, nine projects.
• School safety, $8.3 million, six projects.
• Streetlights, $5.2 million, eight projects.
• Railroad crossings, $3 million, five projects.
• Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, $6.25 million.
• Active transportation, $8 million.
• Public art, $4.6 million.

Park and open space funding

• Community parks, $53 million, six projects.
• Community centers, $30 million to rebuild Atatiana Carr-Jefferson at Hillside Community Center.
• Fort Worth Botanic Garden, a contractual obligation, $10 million.
• Fort Worth Zoo, a contractual obligation, $4 million.
• Fort Worth Water Gardens, $10 million.
• Open space land acquisition, $25 million to be spent on land acquisitions and capital projects to prepare sites for public use.
• Aquatic facilities, $22 million, two new facilities: North Z Boaz and an aquatic and gym expansion of the YMCA.
• Golf courses, $5 million for the Meadowbrook Golf Course clubhouse and cart barn.
• Athletic complexes and infrastructure, $23 million, four projects.
• Public art, $3.1 million.

Library

$13.7 million for the expansion projects at Southwest Library, East Berry Library and Diamond Hill Library.

Public art: $300,000

Public safety

• Fire, $34.4 million to build a new Station 46 in far south Fort Worth near the Tarleton State University campus, and rebuild Station 40, originally built in 1983.
• 911 emergency communication, $28.3 million to renovate a City-owned building into a new 911 Call Center.
• Public art, $1.2 million.

Animal care

• $58.7 million for construction of a new 45,000-square-foot shelter to replace the current Silcox shelter in the southeast part of the city.
• Public art: $1.2 million.

What happens next?

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.