TIME TO HEAD TO THE POLLS AGAIN
Lately it seems like we’ve been heading to the polls to vote for something every month. Saturday May 2, 2026 is the next election. This time it’s for the City of Fort Worth’s Bond and Charter Election. Early voting starts Monday April 20 through Tuesday April 28.
Here is a link to a two-page sample ballot
The ballot includes six bond propositions and nine charter amendment propositions. It’s hard to ignore the capitalized warning at the beginning of every bond proposition: “THIS IS A TAX INCREASE.” The State of Texas has mandated that warning be included at the beginning of every bond proposition. Despite the warning, this is not the case. The bond package is structured to fit within the City’s current property tax rate. Some of the propositions are for projects that are vitally needed for public safety. Several of the charter amendements are simply housekeeping to bring the City’s rules in line with the new state laws.
While the ballot can look confusing and overwhelming, the City of Fort Worth has done a good job of explaining things. Helpful links to check out are fortworthtexas.gov/2026bond and fortworthtexas.gov/2026charter.
The City is sponsoring a final informational public meeting on Saturday April 18, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at Worth Heights Community Center, 3551 New York Ave., 76110. You can watch the meeting live at home on the City’s YouTube channel or on the City’s website. To view a past informational meeting, go to this recording.
The Fort Worth Report has also published a series of stories about the charter amendments and bond package:
- Fort Worth voters asked to give city manager more autonomy, increase council’s pay in May election
- Fort Worth city manager would have more authority under charter amendment on May ballot
- Fort Worth roads would get half a billion dollars in upgrades if bond package passes
- Fort Worth asks voters to remove city leadership’s right to public hearing before firing
- 4 years after closing, south Fort Worth library could reopen in bond proposal
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