Thread by @lukeranker

Guys are you ready? #FortWorth City Council returns from their summer break. I know you've all missed my live tweets filled with typos and jargon.
Work session is getting started.

We're being introduced to Reggie Zeno, the new #FortWorth city finance director. He comes most recently from #Cincinnati but before that he was with the city of New Orleans and the #NOLA school district. He's been here about 6 weeks and is excited to be here, he said.

He was apparently the finance director during Katrina, per city manager David Cooke. Mayor Price says she's a fan of his accent.

Unrelated, I'm going to New Orleans Wednesday. So don't bother me, Twitter.

Anyway, Councilman Jungus Jordan is recognizing some folks from the forestry department specifically about their work during the severe storms at the end of June.

Mayor Price is also recognizing some staff that helped during July storms.

There's a 6:15 p.m. vigil tonight in front of #FortWorth City Hall. @eclarridge will be there, I think. @KaleyAJohnson has a list of all the vigils planned in the area:
star-telegram.com/news/local/cri…

@eclarridge @KaleyAJohnson We're getting a presentation on art work. The art found has about $2.8 million, it sounds like. The priority is downtown, after work at Pioneer Tower is done, followed by the Stockyards and spots on the Trinity River.

@eclarridge @KaleyAJohnson The Pioneer Tower artwork will involve projecting visuals onto the sides of the tower.

@eclarridge @KaleyAJohnson Councilman Dennis Shingleton says he's heard a lot of questions about the scaffolding at Pioneer Tower.
In late January I wrote about efforts to restore the tower.
star-telegram.com/latest-news/ar…
#FortWorth

We're about to get a first look at the 2020 budget.
Mayor Price notes #FortWorth will have cut the tax rate by about 10 cents over the last four years. FW is the only major Texas city to do that.
Of course, people typically still pay more because of higher appraisals

I sat down with David Cooke yesterday to talk about the budget. That conversation yielded a vague understanding and tax rate math written on napkins.

Over the last few years, Cooke says, the city has shifted to using cash for maintenance and bond/debt for new construction.

#FortWorth has seen a nearly 14% increase in assessed values. The city has reduced that tax rate buy about 7 cents over the last three years. Priceand Cooke say that's important for staying competitive.
The recommended tax rate for 2020 drops 3.75 cents

My math says an owner of a $200,000 home will pay about $1,119 to the city in 2020. #FortWorth

Cooke says the city will invest an additional $500,000 a year to street lighting. Specifically in majority minority neighborhoods, which have been neglected. #FortWorth

Side walks are also getting a boost: $750,000 more, or about 8-10 city blocks a years.
Another $500,000 for pavement work.
Transit gets a couple boosts:
$500,000 for app development
$250,000 bus route recognition
$250,000 for a medical district ZIPZONE
$500,000 for initiatives

On the #FortWorth Botanic Garden, which has new user fees that folks weren't happy about, Cooke expects $8M-$10M in debt issuance to address some long put off needs there.

On stormwater, this budget recommends $60M to $70M in work over the next 5 years.
That will require a 6.5% increase in stormwater fees.
Stormwater fees haven't changed since 2012 #FortWorth

The city has ID'd 100 dangerous spots for road over topping during flash floods. This $60 million program would address 40 of those. The current stormwater budget can handle maybe 15.
Also a 100% increase to pipe rehab and I think 80% increase to channel work. #FortWorth

So quick recap on the budget.
Property tax rate will drop by 3.75 cents under the proposed budget but the city will have plenty of new revenue.
That money will go to infrastructure, mostly. #FortWorth

The street lights, side walks, ect in majority minority neighborhoods was a big topic in the Race & Culture task force report.

The budget has to be approved Oct. 1, so this could involve over August and September.

We're done with the work session. I hope you enjoyed that wonderful budget breakdown. #FortWorth