Fort Worth council hears staff outline roughly $49 million budget gap, proposes early public survey

Summary

City staff told the Fort Worth City Council in a budget work session that the general-fund shortfall is roughly $49 million and outlined target reductions (1% and 3%), major cost drivers including public safety and health insurance, and plans for an early Connect Fort Worth survey to capture resident priorities before the August recommended budget.

Mayor Parker called the Fort Worth City Council to order and opened a budget-focused work session where staff said the city is starting the fiscal year planning facing a substantial shortfall.

Christy Lemon, assistant director at the Fort Worth Lab, said staff is projecting "we're almost $50,000,000 in terms of a gap" in the general fund and that the city has added recurring costs — including a $7,000,000 placeholder to implement a pay study and a planned increase in the EMS subsidy from about $20,000,000 to roughly $26,000,000 — that widen the shortfall. Lemon said the health fund also has been provisionally adjusted with a 40% higher employer contribution plugged in for early development.

The gap is driven by expenses growing faster than revenues, Lemon said, and staff presented how they build department target budgets: start with the prior-year adopted budget, remove one-time costs, include prior commitments (such as new facilities' operating costs), and layer in cost allocations and salary…

Fort Worth council hears staff outline roughly $49 million budget gap, proposes early public survey

Summary

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