Fort Worth voters are already voting on an $845 million bond package — here’s what’s on the ballot and why it matters

Brian Bateman — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:09:25 +0000

Fort Worth voters are already deciding on the city’s biggest bond package

Early voting is underway in Fort Worth on a ballot that combines a historic bond package with charter amendments. The city is asking voters to approve six bond propositions totaling $845 million, the largest bond package in Fort Worth history, along with changes tied to council pay and city operations.

This is not a future conversation. Residents can vote now through April 28, and Election Day is May 2, 2026. For homeowners, renters, commuters, business owners, and parents, the stakes are practical: roads, parks, libraries, public safety facilities, housing support, and animal shelter improvements are all part of the package.

What the bond package funds

The biggest share of the bond package goes to streets and mobility. That category is meant to cover the kinds of projects residents notice every day, including street repairs, transportation improvements, and other infrastructure work that affects commute times and neighborhood access.

Parks is the next major category. City materials say those dollars would support parks and recreation projects, which can affect trail access, playgrounds, athletic fields, and other public spaces families use regularly.

The smaller bond categories include libraries, affordable housing, police, fire and emergency communications facilities, and animal care and shelter improvements. Those categories are smaller than streets and parks, but they still map directly onto daily life: library access, housing capacity, emergency response space, and shelter conditions.

The city’s bond program page and sample ballot lay out the proposed uses in plain terms, but the key point is simple: if voters approve the package, the city would have authority to issue bonds for those purposes over time. It would not mean every project happens immediately or that every project is guaranteed in the same order.

The ballot also includes charter changes

Separate from the bond questions, voters will see charter amendments that deal with council pay and city operations. Those are governance changes, not project funding measures, so they should be read separately from the bond propositions.

That distinction matters. A yes or no on a bond proposition decides whether the city can borrow money for specific capital uses. A yes or no on a charter amendment changes how city government works.

Why the ballot says tax increase when the city says one is not expected

One of the most confusing parts of the ballot is the wording. The sample ballot includes the mandatory tax-increase language required under state law for bond elections, even though Fort Worth says it does not anticipate a tax-rate increase from the package.

That does not mean taxes are automatically going up because of this election. It means the ballot language has to warn voters that approving new bond debt can affect a tax rate, even if the city’s current plan does not call for raising the rate. That is why the city’s message and the ballot wording can sound different while still both being accurate.

Why this election matters now

Fort Worth is growing fast, and large bond packages are one of the main ways cities pay for long-lived infrastructure without using the annual budget alone. The size of this package is a signal that city leaders want to tackle major capital needs at once rather than spread them out in smaller rounds.

For residents, the practical question is whether the mix of projects matches the city’s biggest needs: smoother streets, better parks, stronger public facilities, and targeted support for housing and animal services. The charter questions add another layer, because they deal with how city government operates, not just what it builds.

Anyone voting in this election should review the sample ballot closely before heading to the polls. The choices are not just about one project or one department. They affect how Fort Worth spends on infrastructure and how some parts of city government would be structured going forward.

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