Fort Worth city council splits in vote to oppose Tarrant County redistricting
The Fort Worth city council voted 6-4 Tuesday to approve a resolution opposing Tarrant County's plan to draw new district maps for representatives on the county commission.
It comes two weeks before the county commissioners are scheduled to vote on a map that supporters say would strengthen the conservative leadership that's made the county successful.
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, whose city is currently entirely in county commission precinct 2, has questioned the legality of the county's process, and is having city attorneys review Arlington's legal options.
Seats on the Fort Worth city council are non-partisan, however, Tuesday's vote largely broke down along political party lines.
Council members Chris Nettles, Jeanette Martinez, Elizabeth Beck, Jared Williams, Deborah Peoples and Carlos Flores, who've been associated with the Democratic party, voted to support the resolution.
Mayor Mattie Parker, a Republican, was joined by council members Macy Hill, Alan Blaylock, and Charlie Lauersdorf in opposition.
District 3 council member Michael Crain, who did not participate in the vote, was in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday lobbying to protect grant funding for Trinity Metro's expansion of TEXRail into the Medical District.
Parker bemoaned seeming partisan in the division around the resolution, arguing that fights between the Democratic and Republican parties are irrelevant to city business.
'Every single thing right now feels like it's about whether you are blue or red. Everything. And it is dividing this city, and it's dividing this county, and it's unacceptable,' Parker said.
While Parker voted to oppose the resolution, she made clear that her vote was not an endorsement of the county's redistricting process.
Parker agreed that the county's process is flawed, but argued the resolution wasn't the best way for the city to respond.
The council hasn't deliberated about this, and there will be other opportunities for the city to make its voice known on this issue, Parker said.
Council members supporting the resolution said it was about standing up for fair representation amid what they said was a rushed process by Tarrant County to ensure a partisan outcome in county commissioner elections.
The county's proposed map appears to concentrate Black and Latino voters into a single district, which critics have argued is a violation of the 1963 Voting Rights Act. Proponents of the new map have pushed back on that assertion, however, and the county's consultant on the matter, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, has experience defending local governments against allegations of racial gerrymandering.
'This kind of process is not just flawed, it's dangerous to our democracy,' said District 6 council member Jared Williams, whose district covers southwest Fort Worth and the Lake Como neighborhood.
'If people don't trust how their representation is shaped, then ultimately we're eroding faith and trust in our very institution called democracy,' Williams said.
District 8 council member Chris Nettles, who proposed the council resolution, also argued the county's redistricting could affect road projects in his southeast Fort Worth district.
He was joined in supporting the resolution by District 11 council member Jeanette Martinez, who also works as an administrator for Tarrant County precinct one commissioner Roderick Miles, a Democrat.
'This is a move of self-interest — one that is targeted and will have ramifications,' Martinez said.
Several council members referenced the city's experience with redistricting in late 2021 into 2022.
The process wasn't easy, and caused friction between members of the city council, but ultimately the city ended up with a map that was reflective of the city as a whole, said District 9 council member Elizabeth Beck.
Fort Worth's council has a wealth of diversity when it comes to the members' backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, Beck said.
'That is because we had some well drawn, well thought out maps that produced some great leaders that sit on this dais today,' she said. 'We don't see that with the county's process.'
Beck referenced a Star-Telegram op-ed by Precinct 4 Commissioner Manny Ramirez that she said made clear the county's process was about partisanship.
She argued that diluting the county's non-conservative voices would be a disservice to residents.
District 4 council member Charlie Lauersdorf, who spearheaded the city of Fort Worth's opposition to the Keller school district split, argued the resolution will have little impact on the county's decision making.
Lauersdorf instead said the city should be focusing on issues that have a more direct impact on the lives of residents.
However, Beck and Williams both noted the council's resolution sends a clear message to the county about where it stands on redistricting.
The real issue is the county's process for redistricting, Parker said, speaking after the meeting.
While the city's redistricting process was contentious, Parker said she was proud it resulted in a map that every council member could get behind.
Parker added that she didn't begrudge County Judge Tim O'Hare or the other commissioners for prioritizing partisanship in their redistricting.
County commissioners are elected to partisan positions whereas city officials are not, she said.
County Commissioner Manny Ramirez declined to comment on the city's resolution.
Representatives for Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare did not immediately respond to an email from the Star-Telegram requesting comment.
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