FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- During Tuesday’s Primary Runoff Election, Fort Worth Voters approved to renew a long standing sales tax that helps fund the Fort Worth Police Department.
This half a cent sales tax will help fund a Crime Control and Prevention District Grant, which funds at least 24% of the department’s budget. This tax will help to generate about $1 billion dollars over the next ten years to help pay for extra police protection in Fort Worth.
“When you have the community’s support that’s a great thing. We know that there are certain people in this area that love the police but we also know there’s people in the area that oppose police and want to de-fund us,” said Officer Tracy Carter. “We want to be able to reach out to those people and see how we can improve our relationships with them,” he said.
Carter said this special sales tax will go through 2030 and said it will not only help the police department but the community as well. “This fights crime prevention and a lot of other programs depend on this money like the Boys and Girls Club, some of the safe havens and neighborhood police officers,” said Carter.
Voters approved the tax with 64.3% of the vote.
“I am pleased that Fort Worth residents voted to continue the Crime Control and Prevention District, as it demonstrates confidence in our City and Police Department. This continues funding for critical community programs that reduce crime and foster positive community-police interactions. As a lifelong resident of Fort Worth, I have seen CCPD in action, decreasing crime and positively impacting our community. However, I understand there are concerns about the governance of the CCPD Board of Directors and spending of allocated funds. In the coming weeks, I will be calling on the City Council to engage in a conversation about the governance structure and CCPD spending. Fort Worth’s population has grown by 93 percent since the establishment of CCPD in 1995 and through these successful prevention program our community’s crime rate has decreased by 63 percent per 100,000 residents. It is evident CCPD is vital to our continued growth and success as one of the nation’s largest and safest cities,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price.
