The Fort Worth City Council is the eleven-member legislative body that governs the city, made up of a mayor elected citywide and ten members elected from individual districts numbered 2 through 11. It sets policy, passes ordinances, adopts the annual budget, decides zoning cases, and hires the city manager who runs day-to-day operations.
Current Members
As of 2026, these officials hold seats on the council:
- Mayor (citywide): Mattie Parker
- District 2: Carlos Flores
- District 3: Michael D. Crain
- District 4: Charles Lauersdorf
- District 5: Deborah Peoples
- District 6: Dr. Mia Hall
- District 7: Macy Hill
- District 8: Chris Nettles
- District 9: Elizabeth M. Beck
- District 10: Chris Jamieson
- District 11: Jeanette Martinez
The mayor presides over meetings and votes on every matter, the same as any other member. Each district representative is chosen only by voters living inside that district.1City of Fort Worth. Elected Officials
How the Council Is Organized
Fort Worth uses the council-manager model that most large Texas cities have adopted. The council handles legislation, budgets, and policy direction. A professional city manager, hired by and answerable to the council, runs the departments.2Texas City Management Association. Council-Manager Form of Government
The body grew from nine seats to eleven after the 2020 census showed significant population growth, with the new configuration taking effect for the 2023 elections. Under the city charter, the mayor holds Place No. 1, and the remaining ten seats correspond to the geographic districts.3American Legal Publishing. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter III – The City Council
What the Council Decides
The charter gives the council authority to pass ordinances for the “peace, good government and welfare of the city.”4City of Fort Worth. Charter of the City of Fort Worth In practice, that covers zoning and land use, the property tax rate, city contracts, building codes, and local regulations on everything from noise to animal control.
The biggest vote each year is the budget. For fiscal year 2026, the council adopted a citywide budget of approximately $3.09 billion across all funds.5City of Fort Worth. Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Annual Budget Setting the property tax rate is part of the same process; for FY2026, the council reduced the rate to about $0.67 per $100 of assessed value. Voters approved an $845 million bond package in May 2026 covering streets, parks, libraries, public safety facilities, affordable housing, and animal shelter improvements, but the council decides how and when those dollars get spent.6City of Fort Worth. 2026 Bond Program
Zoning is another area where the council has final say. When a property owner or developer asks to change how a piece of land can be used, the council votes after a public hearing.
The council also directly hires three officials: the city manager, the city attorney, and the city secretary. Everyone else in city administration reports through the manager. Residents who want to serve on advisory boards and commissions are appointed by the council through the City Secretary’s Office.7City of Fort Worth. Boards, Committees and Commissions
Terms, Elections, and Who Can Run
General city elections happen on the first Saturday of May in odd-numbered years.8City of Fort Worth. City Elections The mayor and every council member serve two-year terms, and if no candidate wins a majority, a runoff follows.9American Legal Publishing. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter III – Section 2, Election, Powers, Duties, Term of Mayor The charter sets no term limits, so incumbents can run again as often as they like.
To run for a council seat, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on the first day of the term, and a qualified Texas voter. A final felony conviction disqualifies a candidate unless they have been pardoned or had their rights restored. District candidates must have lived inside the city for at least twelve months and inside their specific district for at least six months before the filing deadline. Mayoral candidates need the same twelve months of city residency. A sitting member who moves out of their district, or out of Fort Worth, forfeits the seat automatically.
Council Pay
Under the FY2025 salary schedule, the mayor earns $29,000 a year and each council member earns $25,000.10City of Fort Worth. FY2025 Salary Schedule Voters approved a raise in the May 2026 charter election, taking the mayor’s pay to $60,000 and council pay to $50,000. The new rates begin in October 2027.
Vacancies and Recall
When a council seat opens between elections, the charter requires a special election in that district on the next available uniform election date under the Texas Election Code, and the winner finishes the original term. If the vacancy happens less than 90 days before a regular general election, the remaining members can appoint someone from that district instead. When the mayor’s seat opens, the mayor pro tem serves until a special election fills it.11American Legal Publishing. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter III – Section 4, Vacancies in the City Council, How Filled
Voters can also force a recall. It starts with a petition signed by at least 20 percent of the qualified voters entitled to vote for that seat. The city secretary has 25 days to verify signatures. If the petition is certified and the member does not resign, the council schedules a recall election. No petition can be filed within six months of a member taking office, and no member can face more than two recall elections in a single term.12American Legal Publishing. Fort Worth City Charter – Section 1, Recall of Councilpersons, Procedure, Election
Speaking at a Council Meeting
The council usually meets twice a month on Tuesdays. Evening meetings generally start at 6:00 PM, and work sessions and special meetings are often scheduled earlier in the day.13City of Fort Worth. Meeting Calendar Agendas post online the Thursday before.
If you want to speak, you have to register no later than two hours before the meeting begins. You can submit a speaker card online through the city’s Legistar portal, call the City Secretary’s Office, or fill one out in person at City Hall. Individual speakers get three minutes, whether the item is on consent, non-consent, a public hearing, or the open public comment period. A designated speaker for a group of ten or more who are all present at the meeting gets six minutes, but the rest of that group cannot speak separately.14City of Fort Worth. How to Appear or Speak Before City Council The open comment period at the end of the meeting is the place to raise topics that are not on the agenda.