FORT WORTH, TX (1080 KRLD) - Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker delivered her first State of the City address during a luncheon in front of a sellout audience at Dickies Arena.
Mayor Parker started by reflecting on the year-plus since being elected mayor in June of 2021, stating that the state of Fort Worth is "strong, prosperous and growing."
"Congresswoman Granger and Congressman Veasey helped secure over $400 million in federal funding for the Panther Island Central City flood control project," Mayor Parker noted in her prepared remarks. "And I'm so proud to tell you that this project is absolutely happening and will transform the north end of downtown."
Parker noted that Fort Worth is a city of nearly one-million people of all racial, ethnic and political backgrounds.
"Our strength as a city lies in those differences," says Parker. "And remember in Fort Worth, we attack problems and not people."
Parker touted some of her accomplishments and some of her objectives moving forward.
Those objectives include increasing funding for early childhood education.
"Current Texas public education funding looks like this: just under $1,500 per child zero to five, and then over $12,000 per student K through 12," noted Parker. "But I'm telling you, the future of education in this state depends on better investments in quality early childhood education and, importantly, support for our families across Fort Worth."
Parker said there remains a skills gap in Fort Worth, noting that only 23% of students are graduating and attaining a credential.
So the city established the Mayor's Council on Education and Workforce Development to influence and enhance educational programs and career pathways to help prepare public school students for their future careers.
Parker says it's not rocket science.
"In 2022, when someone like Jeff Bezos can build a spacecraft and fly to space in a terrible cowboy hat (we may need to take into the Stockyards), cars can self-park, and a guy like Pete Davidson can land Kim Kardashian, I think we can figure this out," Parker said to laughter from the audience.
Parker touted the just-passed city budget of $2.3 billion, which includes an increase in police funding.
"We have 53 additional sworn officers that are all dedicated to neighborhood patrol, traditional patrol and our crisis intervention team," says Parker.
One goal that Parker laid out was for Fort Worth to be the cleanest city in the country.
"This includes addressing code compliance in our waterways, homeless camp clean-up and litter abatement," says Parker. "The city of nearly one-million people currently has two street sweepers. Because of this budget (that the council just passed), we'll move from two to 12."
The budget also boosts litter abatement teams from three to ten.
Parker also addressed how the city deals with the issue of homelessness.
"In Fort Worth, we're not just investing in city-sanctioned homeless camps.
That's the wrong policy, and you're seeing it pop up across the country," says Parker. "Instead, we're focused on investing in housing and services for homeless individuals.
"We've committed to nearly 500 units thanks to our partnership with Tarrant County and an additional 100 units to serve homeless families right here in our community."
Parker listed some of the main transportation projects the city is undertaking.
"One is the East Lancaster corridor redesign project," Parker says. "Two is the Trinity Lake Station in East Fort Worth. It's set to open in October of 2023. And third is the important extension of TEXrail that takes you from the airport into downtown and soon to be into the Medical District."
All these objectives are designed to keep Fort Worth a world-class city.
"Our world-class facilities in this city, destinations like the Fort Worth Stockyards, the Cultural District, the Fort Worth Zoo, the soon to be renovated convention center and, of course, this beautiful Dickies Arena are welcoming more than 9.4 million visitors per year from all over the world."
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