Page 17 - City of Fort Worth Budget Book

Executive Message City Strategic Vision

October 1, 2023
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
City of Fort Worth, Texas
I am pleased to present to you the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024) Recommended Budget. This budget addresses the
strategic initiatives of the City Council, including the City’s ongoing efforts to invest in a safer, cleaner and greener
community while proactively managing rapid growth and providing exceptional service.
I am presenting you with a balanced $1.0 billion General Fund budget that achieves the following:

• Reflects our consistent growth in population and development
• Continues to emphasize the importance of public safety

• Continues programs to ensure equitable investment and maintenance throughout the city
• Continues the cash funding dedicated to capital projects, including additional funds for street maintenance
and repair, neighborhood improvement, park maintenance and improvements, and information technology

• Lowers the property tax rate to 67.25 cents per $100 of assessed taxable value, which continues the
effort to keep taxes low and competitive
• Reflects a growing investment in green space initiatives and preservation

Addressing the growing demands on our city’s resources, the citywide FY2024 Recommended Budget—which
includes the Debt Service Fund and most operating funds—totals slightly over $2.6 billion, which is a 11.4%
increase from the FY2023 Budget. Also, the citywide budget includes a total of 8,163 authorized positions (APs).

We remain one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, as well as one of the most livable communities. During
FY2023, two new districts were added to the governing body as a reflection of the enormous growth that has
marked Fort Worth as the thirteenth largest city in the country. We continue to believe the future is bright in Fort
Worth. We anticipate job and population growth to continue as more companies and people move to Fort Worth.
The FY2024 Recommended Budget is our plan to meet our responsibilities, address our challenges, improve our
services, and ensure appropriate equitable investments toward infrastructure while maintaining quality services
and addressing the demands of a growing city.

Respectfully submitted,

David Cooke
City Manager

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