FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD)- The two remaining candidates for mayor of Fort Worth met for a forum Wednesday. Mattie Parker and Deborah Peoples will meet in a run-off June 5.
Ten candidates ran for mayor in the election May 1. Betsy Price is not seeking reelection.
Of those ten, Peoples won 33.6% of the vote; Parker won 30.8%. The two met Wednesday for a debate presented by the Fort Worth Chamber, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Fort Worth Black Chamber of Commerce and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Asked about transportation, Peoples said Fort Worth needs to develop a long-term plan.
"We need light rail around this city. It's great we have it to the airport; I've ridden it, but we need to get people to work via light rail," she said. "We can't just piece-part it."
Trinity Metro's TEXRail opened from T&P Station in Downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport in 2019. Trinity Metro plans to expand the line two miles to the Near Southside.
Parker said she would work with DART and the Denton County Transportation Authority to develop a regional transit plan.
"I don't know about you, but when I'm driving from here to Plano, I don't care how many city lines I cross," Parker said. "There's power in regionalism. Look at DFW Airport."
The two also talked about economic development and how to keep Fort Worth growing.
Peoples said the city should work more closely with the school district and businesses to ensure kids graduate high school with a skill they can use.
"It starts with partnering with our school systems and partnering with businesses to talk about what kinds of opportunities they are going to have," she said.
Parker is the chief executive of "Tarrant To & Through" partnership, described as an organization that works to ensure students have training to join the workforce. She says she would "infuse" the business community into the school system.
"I would ask those companies, 'How many engineers, how many floor mechanics do you need?' They will tell you exactly, and you recruit those students from inner-city high schools," she said. "That's how you change generational poverty, and that's how you change workforce training in Tarrant County."
The two said education and workforce training would play a role in Fort Worth's growth.
Peoples said she would also set up forums to help young minorities set up small businesses.
"We have to very deliberately and strategically show these young entrepreneurs of color, whether they're Black or Brown or Asian, that we are going to support them," she said. "We need to have the resources to help them thrive."
Parker said she would set up a "small business liaison" office to help people launch a business more easily.
"You need an incubation system that works. You need innovation that works," she said. "We lose young talent every single day to go to cities like Denver or Miami or Austin because they feel supported."
About 14% of registered voters participated in the May election in Tarrant County.