Mayor Betsy Price, Fort Worth’s longest-serving mayor, announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election.
Price said deciding not to seek re-election was a difficult decision, but she said she intends to spend more time with her grandchildren. She said she will remain active in community affairs – she is sometimes called the Energizer Bunny for her seemingly endless energy – but did not mention any particular roles she hopes to fill.
View Price’s news conference announcing her decision.
Price, a Fort Worth native, was elected in 2011 as the 44th mayor. In 2019, she was re-elected to a historic fifth term; when she steps down this summer, she will be the longest-serving mayor of Fort Worth, the 13th largest U.S. city.
Since taking office, Price has initiated a broad agenda that emphasizes economic development, stronger education, public safety, improved mobility and efficiency at City Hall.
Price and the City Council have lowered the city’s tax rate by 12 cents since 2012. Even with lower taxes, she worked to close a $45 million city budget gap in 2011 and delivered a balanced budget that continued to provide essential services to residents.
In addition, she secured the city’s pension fund without state intervention, and worked to improve productivity at City Hall to realize savings in processes, time and money— all while boosting customer service levels.
Price made significant strides along the path toward her vision of a healthy and engaged city. Fort Wort is the largest U.S. city to be certified by the Blue Zones Project, an international wellness initiative. FitWorth is another citywide wellness program she fostered.
During her tenure, Price worked closely with local school districts to ensure companies can draw on well-trained personnel in the future. She believes Fort Worth’s economy is linked to well-prepared young people who are ready to enter the workplace. Read Fort Worth is an initiative that pushes for every third-grade student to read on grade level by 2025.
Price said she is particularly proud of the way younger residents have stepped up through Steer Fort Worth and other programs to become the city’s future leaders.
Fort Worth’s 45th mayor will be elected on May 1. Campaign filing for municipal elections begins Jan. 13.
