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Residents press Fort Worth on transparency in CCPD mission-partner spending
Summary
Public speakers asked council to increase oversight of Crime Control & Prevention District grants after questions about mission-partner outcomes and a past $800,000 award; staff described an application, scoring, advisory board review process and posted reporting requirements.
At a public hearing on June 9, Fort Worth residents raised questions about transparency and outcomes tied to the Crime Control & Prevention District (CCPD) budget amendments totaling $9,720,521.
Speakers including Bob Willoughby alleged misuse and opaque accounting for mission-partner funds and pointed to a program that previously received roughly $800,000 that, in their view, produced limited measurable results. "If we do an audit, I think there's going to be some major stuff coming loose," Willoughby said.
City staff responded in the meeting: applications are submitted through a multi-page portal, evaluated with technical scoring, reviewed by an appointed advisory board, and then recommended to the CCPD board of directors. On the reporting side, staff said awardees must submit both financial and programmatic reports that are posted on the CCPD website.
Council member questioning focused on where additional transparency could be provided and how the advisory and board-review steps are structured. Council encouraged public participation in CCPD work sessions to review applicants and supporting materials.
Outcome: Council approved the budget amendments during the meeting after staff explained the review and reporting framework. The meeting record does not include a new independent audit directive; advocates requested one.
