Fort Worth voters on May 7 will decide whether to increase the salaries of their mayor and city council members by more than 200%.
On Tuesday, February 8, council members voted unanimously to add the proposed salary increase to a May 7 special election ballot. Also on the ballot will be twelve other city amendments and five bond proposals, mostly related to street improvements.
If voters approve the salary increase, the mayor will receive a new annual salary of $99,653, up from $29,000, a 244% increase. The pay for council members would go up to $76,727, from $25,000, an increase of 207%. Combined, the increase in salaries would cost taxpayers $484,469 more per year.
The salaries could increase or decrease in the future, as the proposal ties the mayor’s salary to half of what city department heads currently receive. Council members’ pay will be connected to half of what assistant city department heads receive. The salary increase would not kick in until October 1, 2022.
The May 7 special election was initially called to fill the seat of outgoing District 4 council member Cary Moon, who is running in the Republican primary for state representative in House District 93.
“We’re going to the voters and letting you all decide that wage increase,” said Moon, who will not be a council member by the time the new salary kicks in.
“I’m willing to bet you that none of you have had that chance to vote on a wage increase for your U.S. congressperson or your statehouse representative,” Moon added.
Council members’ main argument for the salary increase was that the current pay is too low relative to the workload of managing the nation’s twelfth largest city. Also, they argued the income prohibits regular everyday working people from running to represent the city.
“So many others of my friends who are just as capable, just as brilliant, just as sharp, just as compassionate and passionate about the city of Fort Worth chose not to do it, frankly, because they can’t raise a family and kids off of $25,000 a year,” Councilman Jared Williams said.
“For me, it’s less about a pay raise, and it’s more about creating opportunities, opportunities for working folks who are just as passionate about the city of Fort Worth,” Williams added.
Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck shared a similar sentiment about the low pay.
“That only leaves a couple of groups of people that have the privilege to sit on this dais and represent you,” Beck said. “And those are folks that are independently wealthy or retired or have jobs that allow them immense flexibility.”
“This is far more than a full-time job,” Council Member Beck added.
Councilman Chris Nettles explained his heavy workload.
“Sometimes I wake up at 8 o’clock in the morning and don’t leave here until 9 or 10 o’clock at night, and that’s representing the city of Fort Worth,” Councilman Nettles said.
Still, Councilman Nettles vowed to remain committed to his job regardless of the proposal’s outcome.
“Whether this is voted up or down, I plan to come back to council and represent the city of Fort Worth at $25,000 or at $70,000,” he said.
Some residents of Fort Worth shared their opposition to the proposed salary increase.
“If you’re going to index it to the pay raises of the city staff, you should also index it … to job performance,” said resident Thomas Torlincasi. “Some of you have only been here eight months.”
Council members pushed back on this, saying their job security is already tied to performance, as they have to run for reelection every two years.
In 2016, Fort Worth voters denied a proposal that would have increased the mayor’s annual salary to $60,000 and council members’ yearly salaries to $45,000. More than 15,000 residents voted and rejected the pay raise by a two-to-one margin.
Fort Worth trails far behind other Texas cities regarding mayoral pay and city council salaries. In Dallas, the mayor earns $80,000, while council members receive $60,000 annually. San Antonio pays its mayor $61,725 annually and its council members $45,722 annually.
However, Fort Worth is ahead of Arlington, which only pays its mayor $3,000 a year and its council members $2,400.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker supports the proposed pay increase.
“You get to decide whether or not you want a council that gets paid more than $29,000 a year to be the mayor of Fort Worth, Texas,” Parker said. “I think we’re worth it, frankly, but you get to decide that as voters.”