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Fort Worth council closes public hearings on FY2026 budget and proposed 2025 tax rate after public comment
Summary
The Fort Worth City Council closed special-called public hearings on the proposed fiscal 2026 budget and the proposed 2025 tax rate after several public commenters raised concerns about transparency, alleged spending, and the upcoming bond proposal. Motions to close both hearings passed without further debate.
The Fort Worth City Council on Monday closed two special-called public hearings — one on the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget and one on the proposed 2025 tax rate — after members of the public urged greater transparency and questioned specific expenditures.
During the hearing on the proposed FY2026 budget, public commenters criticized the city’s outreach and asked for staff to present more detail on the plan. Adrian Smith said the council should “give a presentation” so residents can understand next year’s budget and that the city had not adequately publicized budget meetings. Bob Willoughby urged the city to prioritize seniors, saying residents “ought to be able to own your home for a little while” and criticizing what he characterized as wasteful spending.
Dr. Kimberly Agoro and other commenters raised separate concerns during the budget hearing about how code enforcement citations are assessed and whether the city should fund a qualified assessor to review cases; her request for $100,000 is summarized in a separate public-comment item.
After public comment concluded, a council member moved and a second was offered to close the public hearing on agenda item 25-5439, the fiscal year 2026 proposed budget. The council voted to close the hearing; the meeting record reports that the motion passed without a recorded roll-call tally.
The council then opened a public hearing on agenda item 25-5440, the proposed 2025 tax rate. Commenters again pressed for clearer information about city spending and upcoming bond proposals. Adrian Smith said the city building cost him and other residents concerns and urged elected officials to “do right by the money that’s entrusted to you by the taxpayers.” After public comment, a council member moved to close the tax-rate hearing; the motion carried.
Mayor Maddie Parker presided over the special-called meeting. City staff present and identified during the meeting included Jeanette (staff member). The record does not identify the council members who made or seconded the motions to close each hearing, nor does it include a roll-call vote tally for either motion.
The council did not take additional action on either the budget or the tax rate at the special-called meeting; closing the public hearings is a procedural step that allows the council to move forward in its adoption process at a subsequent meeting.
