Issues

 

Principled Innovative Leadership Putting Fort Worth First

 

Restore Faith in Government

  • Cathy Hirt will put citizens first.  She wants to make decisions that are in the taxpayer’s best interest.
  • Cathy Hirt will provide open access to the mayor’s office and make city government more transparent.  She wants to put the city’s checkbook online so that we can see where our taxpayer dollars are going.
  • Cathy Hirt will make decisions based on real facts, real figures and real debate, not on special interest preferences or cronyism.   
  • Cathy Hirt supports term limits for the mayor and city council members.

 

Control Spending

  • Cathy Hirt believes that we must bring excessive spending under control and put our fiscal house in order. 
  • Cathy Hirt will make city services (roads, libraries, parks, pools and safety) the number one priority.
  • Cathy Hirt does not support the Trinity River Project.

    The Trinity River project was originally touted as a flood control project, with an Army Corps of Engineer estimated cost of approximately $10 million. Over the last decade the project has grown to a full blown economic development project estimated to cost over $900 million. 

    Real estate development is a risky proposition for private developers in today’s economic climate.  It is fiscally irresponsible for governmental entities to engage in this type of real estate development and to put taxpayer dollars at risk!  We need to think in a fiscally responsible manner and consider alternatives to the Trinity River project, especially those that enhance the “cleaning and greening” of the river and that allow private development to enlarge our tax base.  Cathy Hirt recommends establishing a linear urban park from Gateway Park to Lake Worth. The city owns a significant percentage of designated parkland along the lakefront.  This “green necklace” could be funded from the water district’s gas revenues, provide an incredible legacy for generations to come, make the river an amazing amenity and not put our taxpayer dollars at risk.

 

Reform the Pension Program

  • Cathy Hirt will work to develop a pension system that protects taxpayer dollars and treats city employees fairly.  This will involve an in-depth analysis of the unfunded pension liability that we are facing and a consideration of a defined contribution pension program.
  • Fort Worth city government has to live within its means.  Vested employees are constitutionally protected from pension changes.  Maintaining existing contributions for benefits for active, non-vested employees (including police and fire) could require the council to make difficult choices about the number of city employees as well as the provision of public services.  The council needs to make hard decisions that treat employees fairly but limits exposure of the city to financial risk.  Employee retirement fund members (ERF) and city staff do not agree on the extent of liability, the appropriate rate of return to be used, or the most viable changes that should be made.  In order to resolve these differences, Cathy Hirt proposes that the city council appoint an independent panel of financial analysts to determine “best practice” solutions, study all alternatives and make recommendations.  Proposals for changing the pension program should include discussion of a defined contribution or a hybrid (defined contribution/defined benefit) alternative.  More conservative approaches to be evaluated are modifications of the current defined benefit program to include, among others, the elimination of overtime, extension of age eligibility for retirement, the re-evaluation of cost of living adjustments or simply requiring larger contributions on the part of employees, the city or both.  

 

Promote Excellence in Education and Grow the Economy

  • Cathy Hirt believes that we should focus on growing a “knowledge economy,” one that is based on young people who graduate from high school and continue their education and training.  Building a “knowledge economy” will bring jobs, entrepreneurs and businesses to Fort Worth.
  • Cathy Hirt thinks that the city council and school districts in Fort Worth should make excellence in education a top goal.
  • Cathy Hirt wants the city to do its part for education by providing good roads and sidewalks to schools, and by creating a safe environment for our students.
  • Cathy Hirt wants the city to maintain its most important resource for learning: libraries.
  • Cathy Hirt wants to develop “Citizens for Education” – a citywide volunteer group that donates time and resources to our schools. 

 

Make Fort Worth Safe

  • Cathy Hirt will put an emphasis on citizen safety and crime prevention.
  • Cathy Hirt believes that we must reinvigorate citizen involvement in neighborhood crime watches.
  • Cathy Hirt will make sure that we have well-trained police officers, fire fighters and emergency medical teams with state of the art equipment available to protect you and your family.

 

Protect Our Natural Resources

  • Cathy Hirt will make protection of our air, water and green spaces a priority.
  • Cathy Hirt will make sure that urban gas drilling does not present harm to our air or water quality.
  • Urban gas drilling has provided economic benefit for Fort Worth.  The safety and health of Fort Worth residents should, however, always be paramount in decisions regarding urban gas drilling and take precedence over potential economic gain. The following amendments to our gas drilling ordinance should be considered:

    (1) systematic and on-going testing of air and water quality;

    (2) elimination of waivers for protected use setbacks.  In addition, school setbacks should be identical to those being used by the FWISD; and

    (3) additional protections for wells in close proximity to our water sources – Lake Worth and the Trinity River.