Fort Worth City Council (District 9) Candidate Questionnaires

Yes.

Yes, it is important that an independent commission does not take into account where current board members live. It is vital that a variety of areas are considered to make sure that we redistrict in a way that prepares Fort Worth for the future for the next 20 years. There are multiple things that we must consider- balanced districts that provide diverse representation, core city versus growing areas outside the loop, expected growth areas over the next 10 years, and traditional neighborhoods that have worked together not being districted out from each other.

Yes, I support having an independent redistricting commission in charge of redrawing our council district maps.

I definitely do! 

I believe that it is short sighted for elected officials to believe that they know what is better for their constituents than the people themselves. A democratic government is one where the voters select their elected representatives, not the other way around. Additionally, having an independent redistricting commission gives our communities the opportunity to have their voices by taken seriously without the distraction of self-serving or partisan political interest. 

District 9 is a perfect example of exactly why independent redistricting is necessary. This district was originally drawn in the 1970s after the city council went to single member districts. Just a few years later in 1981 District 9 was re-drawn with the intention of creating a Latino opportunity district. Here we are 40 years later, and the residents of District 9 have still never elected a Latino City Council member despite having had many qualified options throughout the years. 

There has been a resounding rallying cry in recent years that representation matters. We feel the effects of this everyday in the districts most densely populated neighborhoods like South Hills, Rosemont, Worth Heights, and Riverside. These neighborhoods are rarely benefit from investments in infrastructure improvements, utility upgrades, and economic development. These communities can’t wait another 40 years in hopes that an ally might come along and throw us a bone so that we might experience some of the same prosperity that our neighbors in the Near Southside, Downtown, and on the Western side of the district have. 

I am in support of having an independent redistricting commission in charge of re-drawing the district maps. I believe this with give everyone the security they need in knowing that the districts are being handled fairly. I do believe the council should have the final say in the district map to make sure the districts do in fact meet the needs of the city. 

Yes, I do, for a simple reason: The City’s own Race & Culture Task Force recommended it, and our residents agree. An IRC is essential to removing the direct influence and potential bias of council members from the process of designing new districts. 

A healthy city requires diverse housing stock, in both form and cost. It’s important that the city supports efforts to ensure that affordable housing is available for our workforce. 

I think sometimes hitting pause to evaluate if the City is growing in the right way is prudent. We currently don’t have enough quality affordable housing, so multifamily provides density; however, we must make sure that we are providing a variety of types of housing, not just large multifamily. There are a lot of options including duplex, row housing, condo units, etc that can provide affordable housing. I think the first step in providing affordable housing is to lower the tax rate. It is a huge burden on both homeowners and renters.

We need to prevent luxury development in high-risk neighborhoods that disproportionately impacts working class families. We need to promote small and medium-scale development including mixed-income development. We also need to implement community benefit agreements to have legal contracts with developers and investors and the community to allow the community to have a voice in shaping projects and enforce the promises made by developers. The redevelopment of single-family homes into more homes increases affordability.

Actually, what council members have discussed is not slowing down multi-family development. Rather, this conversation emerged after Councilwoman Zadeh made the comment that future multi-family developments need to be consistent with the city’s development plan to include permanent affordable housing.

Our city has a proliferation of apartment buildings that are priced outside of what the average worker in our city can afford. There are also many apartment buildings that have been divested and contribute to blight in disenfranchised communities.  Development needs to be intentional and align with the needs in specific communities. 

I might not have a degree in city planning, but luckily for us all that isn’t a requirement to serve on city council. Fort Worth has a team of planners who do that planning and are accountable for the outcomes. However, we do have a large gap between the people who make these decisions and the impacted communities. I have seen this firsthand in zoning and development issues that I have helped my neighborhood navigate as President of Las Familias De Rosemont. 

Many people are aware of controversy over proposed zoning changes along Hemphill St. As President of my neighborhood association and a member of the Hemphill Corridor Task Force this was an opportunity for me to see exactly where the disconnect exists. Leaders in our city can not continue to make assumptions about the values of different communities, or to make decisions without very intentionally engaging the community to ensure that there is a clear understanding of what is happening. In that situation specifically there was a lot of ambiguity and misinformation that perpetuated the already existing fear of displacement along the corridor. Ultimately, the politics behind that effort are a byproduct of unstable housing and unclear communication. 

Our city is growing, and housing options are limited. We need to take a hard look at multi-family housing developments to ensure that they are affordable and beneficial to the neighborhoods and communities where they are being built. As the councilperson for District 9, I will always make sure that we have equitable & community centered development. 

This city cannot continue on its current trajectory in regards to housing. We are losing valuable Fort Worth families to outside areas as residents are being priced out of their own neighborhoods. Residents are also unable to find another home or relocate to another location within the city, because affordable housing options are so limited. To achieve this goal, we need to allocate additional funds to several parts of the city to incentivize developers to bring this project to our local neighborhoods.

Affordable housing is a crucial piece of the housing puzzle in district 9–especially because of the diverse workforce that’s needed to have a thriving medical district. As a Councilmember, I’ll promote new affordable housing options by leaning on the Fort Worth Housing Finance Corporation’s successes, engaging new developers, and finding new ways to offset the cost of developing affordable housing in the urban core.

It’s also vital that neighbors throughout the district understand why affordable housing benefits all of us and I’ll seek every opportunity to have that conversation with stakeholders in the district.  Affordable housing strengthens our neighborhoods, keeps money in our district, optimizes infrastructure, and provides stable housing for families. We can build on district 9 successes to do even better.

Fort Worth has a history of failing to prioritize building a robust transit system, which is essential for economic development and quality of life for residents. As a former transportation planner for our regional planning agency, I’ve seen first-hand how transit improves congestion, provides residents access to jobs and educational opportunities, attracts business, and improves air quality. 

Every great City has a good transit system. Transit is needed to help reduce emissions, help reduce congestion, and move people around that don’t have the means to or prefer not to have a car. Companies that are looking to relocate look at transit as one of their criteria. However, Fort Worth is a sprawling City and traditional transit that you see in compact cities doesn’t work here, and Covid has caused a massive shift away from in-person offices to remote work. Does this mean that Fort Worth should abandon transit? Absolutely Not, but we are so far behind on transit, and the current plan calls for $2.8 billion in funding. To cover half of that, the City would have to raise taxes 15 cents on top of our already high .75 cent tax rate. No City Council person is going to raise taxes that much. Something you’ll hear me repeat about every problem- what is the solution? The same way you eat an elephant, a little at a time. Having worked with other Municipalities on transit and seen their best practices, we must adapt our approach. Together, we can build a better Fort Worth for all.

1. Focus on a few corridors that need it the most and make it efficient and convenient. People only use transit if it is close to where they live and they can get there faster than walking or riding a bike.
2. Bring the trolley to Fort Worth. It helps with economic development, and people love to use it. We could use it to connect downtown to convenient areas that both visitors and locals want to go to: Downtown to the Stockyards and Downtown to the Near Southside for example.

I would invest in public transportation by increasing funding for the Tarrant County Transportation Authority for alternative and viable options (e.g., light rail system, trains, additional bus stops, electric motor scooters).

I am proud that my Transit platform has received the maximum five stars in each priority area as voted on by members of the Tarrant Transit Alliance. More than the former transportation planner in this race. These categories included understanding and awareness of transit related issues, support of transit and related issues, and vision for transit and related issues.  

As a community leader in one of Fort Worth’s historically divested neighborhoods and long-time homeless outreach specialist, the need for transit equity resonates with me deeply. I have and continue to pledge to provide communities with the transportation resources that they need to successfully navigate their region to access jobs and community amenities sustainably and efficiently.

I know that our communities would thrive from light rail along the Hemphill Corridor, or even a rapid bus system (which I believe is in the works). However, those amenities can’t just stop at Magnolia Avenue. They should extend all the way to La Gran Plaza which is a major economic center for our Latino community.

Because of my work with Fort Worth’s unsheltered community, I understand the impact that a high-quality transit system can have on a community. It is not only imperative for growing jobs and economic development, but affordable and efficient transit can be the difference in someone keeping their job and having a pathway out of poverty. In a city where over 15% of the residents live below the poverty line and the median wage is dropping this is more important to keep in mind than ever. 

I will always be a strong advocate for a robust multi-module public transportation system.  I believe we need to give our transportation system the funding that they have been asking for years. 

We need to really take a look at what those options are. We need to have a real conversation about what public transportation in Fort Worth actually means. We are a community that loves its vehicles and the ability to travel at will with ease. We need to find a means of transportation that works for our unique lifestyle and allows us to connect the many incredible communities, villages and developments that make up our great city. Funding for this is essential however we need to come up with better options that the large corporations and bus systems that we have now. 

The question is a great example of how interconnected our city’s issues really are. We need affordable housing or more effective transportation or both for our district’s low-income yet essential workforce. On council, I’ll back funding for our public transportation system, which has for several years had the public’s support. I’ll also work to enhance coordination with regional leaders and transit experts to optimize our existing system to focus on enhancing transit system outcomes. We need to fund the right system for our city to debunk our city’s perception of transit, and we need to encourage ridership by so-called “choice” riders to broaden acceptance in our city. Furthermore, I’ll seek out new opportunities to fund transportation, such as through transportation revitalization investment districts, and to encourage choice ridership through incentives. 

First, Fort Worth should work to bring a minor league baseball team back to LaGrave field.

N/A (Editor’s note – initially this question was sent worded only for Mayoral candidates)

It is not my top priority.

I personally believe that it would be cool for Fort Worth to have a professional sports team. This would be an incredible economic driver for Fort Worth. 

However, I believe that we have a lot more pressing issues that require the focus of our City Council at this time.  I would specifically be focusing my energy on creating sustainable jobs that provide livable wages for the residents who need them the most and supporting existing businesses through the pandemic. If this is a strategy to meet those ends that Visit Fort Worth and our city’s Economic Development team wanted to pursue, then they would have my support as long as there is a robust piece of that plan that supports community benefits for our residents.

Absolutely. We cannot begin to tackle the property tax situation that is plaguing our city without an adequate resource to combat this problem. We cannot lower property taxes until we can bring more corporations and community involved companies to the city and give us the relief our housing market needs. The caveat to this is that the team needs to fit our community standards, understand our values and build their home here based on our specific needs. This sports brand will need to value the quality of life that Fort Worth residents know and love. This needs to be carefully examined to make sure we are attracting the right brand. 

N/A (Editor’s note – initially this question was sent worded only for Mayoral candidates)

I am a product of FWISD and my children both attend FWISD. I have organized parents to push back on proposed changes that would negatively impact diverse student bodies. 

I have worked as a volunteer in FWISD reading to kids since graduation. I coached elementary school kids in football, soccer, and baseball. I have served on the Read Fort Worth Executive Council for the last two years to help improve FWISD and our public schools. I have worked with the FWISD Administration. I have volunteered and donated to our local schools that my children attend in FWISD.

I also sit on the UTA Dean’s Leadership Council and have been working to look at how we bring a larger UT Fort Worth campus here.

I worked for three years in an after-school program (2014-2017) in District 8 for the Clayton Youth Enrichment program. I taught science and art through two-hour instruction and developed lesson plans for the programming.

As President of Las Familias de Rosemont NA I have worked on helping build relationships with the schools in and around our neighborhood. We, as an association, believe that it is extremely important to have the neighborhood in the schools and the schools in the neighborhood. 

I have partnered with our local schools to do several events such as a drive-by food distribution and COVID-19 vaccine registration events. I am also currently on 3 site-based decision-making committees for Rosemont Elementary, Rosemont 6^th and Richard J. Wilson Elementary. My son is only a few months old, but I feel that it is important for me as a leader to model the type of engagement for my community that our schools need. 

I am also a fellow with Leadership ISD, which is an organization that helps educate their cohort of education partners on the issues that impact our school systems locally such as racial inequities, governance, advocacy, and improving student outcomes.  I have watched city leaders spend too much time talking about how bad our schools are, but very few of them know what student outcomes look like in FWISD. I look forward to bringing this experience to the city council so that we can start to be part of the solution, rather than contributing to the problem.

I am very involved with the public school program, as I have 2 small children who both currently attend public school. I have a Pre-K student at North Hi Mount and a 6^th grade student at McLean 6^th Campus. We are in definite need of facility upgrades and more teacher help in classrooms as the size of our city continues to grow and flourish.

While I recognize this question may be directed to school board candidates, I’ll point out my experience volunteering for Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail within the ISD. I have seen first hand the short comings of our public education system, but also the potential of our future workforce.

In January of this year, Fort Worth Housing Solutions received 20,000 applications. Of those, 5,000 were selected via lottery to be placed on a waitlist. Currently, FWHS is processing vouchers from the 2017 waitlist. These numbers are unacceptable, and the city must do better to ensure the housing needs of its residents are met. This includes expanding the number of mixed-income rental properties and requiring city-subsidized developments to designate units for affordable housing. 

We currently are partnering with developers to provide a variety of incentives to provide different affordable housing, but primarily in larger apartment complexes. We also have RAD’s that are distributed through the Fort Worth Housing Solutions, however there is a long wait list as there are not enough vouchers that are received through the federal government. The best example I have found to provide additional affordable housing was the fourth iteration of MAP’s program that Oklahoma City has done focused on affordable housing, permanent housing, mental health, and addiction help.

We need to stop gentrification and the displacement of low to moderate income residents who are disproportionately Black and Brown residents. We need to implement zoning reform to build units in high-opportunity areas within the city. There needs to be local zoning regulations that allow for affordable multi-family housing and not luxury developments.

We always need to keep in mind that fear of displacement for many in our communities is a real fear and is something that I have more experience in working with than any other candidate on this ballot. As mentioned in previous answers, I worry about the availability of affordable housing across our city. We need to incentivize developers to commit to developing affordable housing and create policies that ensure sustainable access to permanent supportive housing and access to affordable housing. 

In communities like the one where I live there is a belief that we have to sacrifice the quality of our infrastructure and neighborhood improvements if we don’t want to experience displacement. Also, there is a fear that investing in our homes, the biggest asset for those of us who are privileged enough to own our homes, will cause our property taxes to increase which might be the difference in having to sell prematurely or allowing our investments to grow. This should not be the case. 

We need to provide resources that can help our neighbors to stay in the homes and the communities they live in now. This can be done through an equitable approach to zoning and development. Neighborhood Empowerment Zones, artisan zoning, and community benefits requirements for new developments are some of the ways that the city council can address housing stability for low to moderate income households and provide opportunities to end the cycle of poverty and benefit from the city’s investments in our neighborhoods. 

Finally, we cannot ignore the tax burden that has become almost insurmountable for many homeowners. Smart economic development is the single most impactful method to reduce the tax burden on our homeowners. Our city and city council has to be more aggressive in creating an environment that will attract businesses and make entrepreneurship more accessible for more people. 

Our offerings for low to moderate income residents are in dire need of upgrades and additional resources, this again, falls back into securing funding to attract these developers and housing options. 

Fort Worth Housing Solutions has dozens of properties around the city, with several in the district, that are focused on providing mixed income housing options. More properties have to be developed. The city must continue to focus on building more options by leaning on past successful partnerships with FWHFC, FWHS, state and federal level agencies and developers.

Historic Preservation is a vital tool used to protect historically significant structures and neighborhoods, and should be seen as a tool to ensure our city maintains its rich character. The department, like any other department in the city, should seek to provide timely responses and act as a resource to help residents, not as a roadblock in their efforts. 

When we bought our house almost ten years ago, we worked to get our house designated historical as Berkeley doesn’t have a historic overlay. We worked with Historic Preservation significantly during this time, and I also have worked with them when I was the chair of the Board of Adjustment- Residential. I have also done research and worked with the Historic Fort Worth. I think it is vitally important to do everything we can to keep and restore the old homes that make up such a large portion of District 9. The Historic Preservation Department at the City does not have enough staff, especially compared to other cities of equal or less size. We basically have two employees or less, and have had a hard time keeping them due to the lack of support and resources. I think it is important to look at how we can improve and increase the resources available for Historic Preservation.

I would work closely with committees that are in charge of historic preservation and supporting the preservation of Fort Worth history within our neighborhoods and infrastructure.

Let me start off by saying that I love this city and history behind it. That’s why I think it’s extremely important to preserve the many homes, buildings and history that has been part of our city’s history. I haven’t had the opportunity to live in a historic neighborhood, but absolutely value the efforts of the individuals who have worked hard to preserve the integrity of our city’s historical architecture. I do strongly believe that we need more educational opportunities to help the community understand the importance of historical preservation, and how historical designations can lend to the quality of life for our residents without restricting flexibility for property owners.  It will take working side by side with all our communities to help preserve the many treasures that make up our history as a city. As our city grows and more development occurs, we need to ensure that the landmarks commission and city staff have the resources to support preservation of historic neighborhoods, so they are empowered to take on the responsibility and care for our culturally significant landmarks.

My experience with the Historic Preservation is limited however some of the issues I have seen have to do with the stipulations. An example that comes to mind would be that there are only 3 types of front door options for homeowners however you can paint your house any color you like? I think some of the rules should be re-examined and offer more educational forums that explains why the options are what they are.  A definitive guideline for home owners, that gives them the historical significance so they better understand their community history and make choices that bring value to all of the homes on the neighborhoods.  

As past-Chair of the Building Standards Commission, I am well aware of the challenges faced by residents embarking on preservation. Our historic neighborhoods are crucial to the identity of our district, and we owe a great deal of thanks to the neighborhood associations and residents that have championed historic preservation. Because the city understaffs this effort, not only are homeowners burdened with additional risks and costs, but the NAs are left to do much of the community outreach work necessary to promote preservation within the neighborhood. That will be particularly important in the near future, as new residents move into neighborhoods like Fairmount. As a neighborhood association president, I know first-hand how the city takes a passive approach to neighborhood issues. On city council, my top priority is to strengthen our neighborhoods by taking an active role with community leaders. 

During my time at the Council of Governments, I had the opportunity to work directly with city staff to accomplish planning & zoning initiatives, transportation projects, bike lane and trail planning and implementation, and building code updates.

As the former Chair of the Board of Adjustment- Residential, and my work with the City of Fort Worth and working with a variety of other large cities across the United States, as well as municipal experts throughout the country, I have learned about every aspect of the City, every department, budgets, capital improvements, and bonds, etc. I have worked through the process as a business and as a resident. Having knowledge of every department and know all the Directors within the City, I have the ability to know exactly how to work things through the city or help someone navigate it. Additionally, as President of Berkeley, I pulled together six neighborhoods and worked with the city, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the State to push through quiet zones throughout Mistletoe, Berkeley, Fairmount, and Ryan Place due to the feedback of residents. Learning to work through that project with many different people, agencies, and working through the bureaucracy was a huge learning experience.

N/A

Since moving to Rosemont in 2017, I have worked side by side with neighbors to form a new neighborhood association from scratch with the help from the Community Engagement office and Councilwoman Zadeh. I have helped to educate my community and have advocated with neighbors in English and in Spanish about the challenges and benefits to the changes coming to Hemphill. I have also been boots on ground to help inform neighbors about the FWISD school zone changes and have advocated for members in my community who have not been able to, because they do not speak English. I have worked closely with city staff to ensure that communications are translated and have spent many hours knocking on doors in my community to ensure that my neighbors are aware of the issues that impact their quality of life. It is this boots on the ground work that actually spurred my decision to run for City Council in the first place. My experience has shown me where the biggest gaps are in constituent services with the city. We cannot afford to go backwards now by electing someone who believes that they know better than their constituents. The relationships that I have built across District 9, and among city staff will let me hit the ground running on day 1 of my service to the Fort Worth City Council

My experience extends to my time working as an intern in college helping constituents navigate through their local issues as well as my time working on the school zoning issues that we currently face. I have been on the entry level of most processes but I am continually educating myself on processes daily. 

Throughout my service with the Fort Worth Building Standards Commission, I worked with both city staff and property owners to navigate complex code violation cases. In many instances, particularly as chairman, I spoke directly to constituents relating to BSC cases to work the problem with them and deliver a fair outcome. 

Fort Worth must communicate with residents on plans that will directly impact them, both at the neighborhood level and city-wide. Neighborhood Associations should be seen as partners, and efforts should be made to involve residents in the planning and development process.

I was the neighborhood President for Berkeley. I have also worked with council members, the City Managers Office, and almost every single department within the City. I view neighborhoods associations as the best way to represent neighborhoods and constituents. They are vital in understanding what the residents want- having a pulse on the concerns of the people in their neighborhood. District 9 has a variety of neighborhoods that all have different needs. We must continue to support, build, and reach out to help the neighborhoods, engage them and continue to work on communicating better with neighborhoods.

I don’t have any experience with neighborhood associations but I have a strong willingness to learn from members and effectively work alongside them.

If you haven’t figured it out from my previous responses, I am a huge advocate for neighborhood associations. I truly believe that a well-informed and engaged neighborhood association can be extremely beneficial to neighborhoods and the business around them. I also know that as a city we must do a better job of supporting and strengthening our associations. The city right now relies heavily on neighborhood associations when it comes to feeling the pulse of certain communities and because of that the city needs to ensure that all associations have the resources they need and are doing their best to represent the communities they serve.

Neighborhood Associations give homeowners an outlet and an ability to come together with neighbors and find solutions their current predicaments. These associations tend to have a negative connotation attached and I would love to change that. I would love to bring together the over 20 homeowners associations and groups that currently meet in District 9 and develop a forum where the presidents of these associations can bring their issues together and hopefully come together as a community and fix our issues together. 

As a neighborhood association president, I’m dissatisfied with the city’s passive approach to working with NA’s. We have needs that must be resolved – deteriorating streets, missing sidewalks, and aging pipes. Those needs should not require strong and aggressive NA leadership or years of delay to accomplish. As our city councilmember, I’ll seek an active and engaged city program to find funding solutions and quick resolutions in partnership with neighborhoods for our most pressing needs.

The recent crisis which residents experienced during the winter storm exposed major flaws in the city’s infrastructure, both physical and technological. It’s imperative the city modernize its website and communication methods to allow residents to quickly access information and ensure that the city is communicating urgent situations accurately and effectively. Our city infrastructure crumbled due to an extreme weather condition, and we must ensure our infrastructure can withstand extreme weather brought on by climate change.

First, we need to make sure that the City is doing a better job of working with Oncor so that the city knows when and where power could potentially be cut. Our Water Treatment plan should not lose power without notice. Second, we need to work with our state legislators to make sure that our electric grid is solidified, as most experts agree that we will continue to see events like this more often. Overall, where the City can make the biggest impact is by communicating better and more efficiently. The City had too many issues with botched communication attempts. It is one of the areas that we must improve overall for the City. We must be able to reach out to neighborhoods better, communicate about emergencies better, and provide accurate and timely information.

I would work with the Office of Emergency Management in Tarrant County to create a winter storm disaster plan and ensure infrastructure is up to code to withstand the possibility of another winter storm. We also need to develop a disaster response team to check-in and communicate with citizens.

We make sure we are better prepared by not waiting to see what will happen. We need to be more proactive then reactive. This means learning from our past mistakes and taking immediate action to prevent those things from happening again. There also must be an emergency preparedness plan, and our water treatment facilities need to be declared a priority for our emergency power supply, which caused many of the issues we experienced this winter. 

We also communicate better by already having channels of communication in place. That is why I will be establishing advisory councils that represent neighborhood leadership, small business owners, young people, and the faith-based community. I am not promising to BE the voice of these individuals in city hall. I am promising to BRING these voices into city hall. The best way to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table, is to build a bigger table. This way I can make sure I am always listening to different perspectives and preparing with our communities before another natural disaster occurs.

This is an excellent question. I would start with a complete assessment of our current basic city services by 2 to 3 outside resources. Then bring those reports together to create an action plan that gets us ahead of our current state and allows us to build a better system for the future. Fort Worth is behind the curve on maintaining our original city systems and that is a huge problem.  We need to be proactive instead of reactive.

As a business owner and former volunteer firefighter, I know what it takes to navigate through a crisis, and the answer is great planning. Too often, our elected officials take for granted that our deregulated system provides sufficient financial incentives to prevent the types of failure we recently witnessed. But that’s obviously not true. Great planning seeks to understand all ranges of potential risks and prepare accordingly, based on the likelihood and scale of the incident. Furthermore, my training in firefighting informs my judgement when it comes to leadership and communication through a crisis.  We need a more unified communication system that uses a single official responsible for communication and that utilizes existing community networks like neighborhood associations. Streamlining communications responsibilities and networks before disasters happen is the key to preventing problems later. As a council member, I’ll seek a review of our emergency operations procedures to find enhancements, an audit of our current risk assessments and response preparedness, and an update to our community engagement programs.