Two council members are urging their colleagues to pause the process before the Fort Worth City Council votes to hire a new city manager.
Council members Chris Nettles and Jared Williams held a press conference on Monday in Fort Worth, questioning the transparency of the new city manager’s hiring process.
The duo expressed concerns about the rushed process and the lack of sufficient public input. Their call for a delay came just one day before the council is set to vote on the appointment of Jay Chapa, who is slated to take the new city manager position, per the Fort Worth Report.
Chapa, who is expected to succeed current City Manager David Cooke upon his retirement in February 2025, has already signed an offer letter, according to Williams. However, the details of Chapa’s salary, start date, and other key aspects of the hire have not yet been discussed publicly or with the full council, Williams and Nettles pointed out.
If approved by the council this week, the potential new city manager, Chapa, would earn $23,000 more annually than the outgoing city manager, according to the FWR.
“There was an offer letter already sent with negotiated salary and benefits…We haven’t as a council discussed salary, we haven’t discussed a start date, we haven’t discussed an offer letter , but it was signed underneath the city shield by our mayor,” Williams said at the press conference.
Despite the pushback from Nettles and Williams, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker has defended the process, calling it “flawless,” claiming that a national search was conducted to find the right candidate.
Nettles, who has been vocal in his criticism of the hiring process, called the selection of Chapa “baked and unfair.” He stressed that the community deserved a chance to voice their opinions before the council made such an important decision.
In their recent press conference, Nettles and Williams were joined by several local leaders who echoed concerns about the lack of transparency in the process.
Michelle Green-Ford, President of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, also expressed frustration over the lack of communication during the hiring process. She also argued that no business leaders or community representatives had been consulted or kept informed about the city manager search.
While the city moves forward with the vote on Chapa’s appointment, Nettles and Williams remain committed to advocating for more public input in the decision-making process. The duo are now calling on the council to delay the vote, extend the search, and allow Fort Worth residents to have a voice in selecting their next city manager.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Fort Worth City Manager is responsible for overseeing the city’s $2.6 billion budget.
Initial interviews for the city manager position were held privately at the old city hall. Council members interviewed five candidates selected from 154 applicants, though their names were not disclosed.
During the interview process, among the eleven council members, only Chris Nettles raised concerns about the process at the immediate time.
“I am respectfully asking my Council colleagues to consider adding a phase to the hiring process which would allow for Community/Stakeholders/City Staff Leadership to meet and hear from the top 3 candidates so we can all understand their vision to lead Fort Worth,” Nettles said in a recent statement.