Fort Worth (WBAP/KLIF News) – The mayor of Fort Worth wants to launch a task force to study how to grow ridership and funding for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. The city council passed a budget Tuesday night but did not include a proposal to add an extra piece of property tax revenue to fund additional service for the T.
“We had almost two dozen speakers comment to the council for well over an hour and a half and impressed up them the importance of public transportation,” says T President Paul Ballard. “I think the message has been delivered quite clearly by the citizens of Ft. Worth.”
The city’s budget was written with a three cent cut in the property tax rate. Councilwoman Ann Zadeh proposed a two cent cut with the rest of the money going to the T. Two councilmen did not attend a public hearing; without a quorum present, the proposal could not advance.
Mayor Betsy Price now wants the city manager to form a committee to review funding for the T. She is asking for recommendations after three months of study.
Despite the lack of a quorum, Ballard says the mayor’s call for a task force shows the T still has the city’s support.
“That’s pretty aggressive,” he says. “I think 90 days to get a group together and come up with a report is really very timely.”
Ballard says Ft. Worth could not bid on amazon’s second headquarters because the city did not meet the company’s requirement for public transportation.
“In talking with the Chamber [of Commerce] and their economic development efforts, there are other companies that have bypassed Ft. Worth because we do not have enough public transportation,” he says.
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