With Fort Worth’s scheduled 2026 bond election 18 months away, city staff have reduced the funding required to make their departments’ key projects a reality.

The list, presented to the city council during an Oct. 22 work session, details more than $2.7 billion in funding requests from nine city departments.

Available capacity for the 2026 bond program is about $800 million, according to a staff report. Voters approved a $560 million 2022 bond.

The largest funding request came from the Department of Transportation and Public Works, which requested more than $1.7 billion to fund projects such as through roads, neighborhood streets and intersections. The Parks and Recreation Department requested $516.5 million for projects including park improvements and community center renovations.

Other notable funding requests include the Department of Neighborhood Services’ request for $40 million, which would be used in part to fund a housing affordability program. If approved, the allocation would mark the first time Fort Worth has included housing affordability in a bond program.

The Department of Neighborhood Services previously proposed considering $100 million to support single-family housing, homeless housing and the city’s community land trust.

In addition to requests from fire, police and code compliance departments, city staff also requested $22.5 million for the acquisition of open space properties. In 2022, voters approved $15 million in bond funding for the city’s open space conservation program – a first for Fort Worth. The program has become a key priority for Mayor Mattie Parker, who announced her Good Natured initiative last year.

The list of requests does not take into account funding gaps on already existing capital projects or potential requests from regional partners for bond-funded contributions on projects such as the TexRail expansion in Fort Worth or the redevelopment at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, according to the staff report. Such projects may be added later during the bond program development process.

This fall, staff will continue to refine their list of requests and reprioritize or eliminate projects. Staff is expected to provide a list of recommended projects for inclusion in the bond program by the end of 2024. This list will be subject to City Council approval.

In early 2025, the city will launch public outreach efforts, which are expected to continue through the summer. The City Council is expected to approve a final list of bond projects by the end of 2025 and formally vote in January 2026 to approve the bond election.

If approved by board members, the bond election will take place in May 2026.

Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at [email protected] Or @bycecilialenzen.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and funders. Learn more about our editorial independence policy here.

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