Commissioners approve agreement with Fort Worth to allow plaza garage work to continue; judge asks staff to review TIF options
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Summary
The court approved a community‑facilities agreement with the city of Fort Worth to avoid construction delays on a county plaza garage project; the judge asked staff to explore whether tax‑increment financing (TIF) arrangements could be adjusted to offset fees the city is charging the county.
Tarrant County commissioners voted to approve a community facilities agreement with the City of Fort Worth to allow ongoing construction of a county plaza parking garage to proceed. County staff said failing to approve the agreement would likely trigger a stop‑work order and could expose the county to added contractor delay costs.
During discussion, commissioners raised longstanding questions about the county’s financial relationship with Fort Worth, including the distribution and use of downtown tax‑increment financing (TIF) funds. County Judge Tim O’Hare said he has scheduled a meeting with Fort Worth’s mayor and asked county staff to prepare options to revisit or amend the downtown TIF terms so that the county can evaluate whether some TIF proceeds might offset city charges tied to the garage construction.
County and city attorneys previously estimated the city’s inspection and utility‑permit charges at roughly $76,000 for work tied to public‑right‑of‑way improvements within the garage footprint. Commissioners debated alternatives but voted to approve the agreement to avoid immediate construction delays.
Why it matters: the garage is a major county capital project; halting construction for a negotiation could increase costs and delay the facility. The judge’s request for TIF options signals a potential next stage of intergovernmental negotiation about cost sharing and downtown development subsidies.
Next steps: staff will pursue the judge’s direction and return options to the court about TIF amendments, revocations or other fiscal measures the county could pursue to offset costs.