ENSURES
ENSURES IT'S SURVIVAL WHEN LEGISLATORS RETURNED TO THE
CAPITAL.
>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE BEGIN WITH THE CHANGING POLITICS IN TARRANT COUNTY.
FOR YEARS, SOLID READ.
LAST MONTH, SOMETHING CHANGED.
OUR FIRST GUEST THIS MORNING IS
FORT WORTH POPULAR MAYOR
REPUBLICAN BETTY PRICE
POTENTIALLY RUNNING IN MAY.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO RUN FOR
REELECTION?
REELECTION? >> I AM.
>> I AM.
>> I AM. I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A LOT YET
TO BE DONE AND I THINK THE
CITIZENS OF FORT WORTH WILL
APPROVE THAT AND I WOULD LIKE
TO CONTINUE ON A COUPLE MORE
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. >>
YEARS. >> LET ME BACK INTO MY ORIGINAL
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. THE CHANGING POLITICS IN
TARRANT COUNTY, LUPE VALDES AND
BETO O'ROURKE ONE TARRANT
COUNTY, WAS THIS A RUTHLESS
ELECTION?
ELECTION?
ELECTION? >> I EXPECT YOU WILL SEE
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS.
CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS. I DON'T THINK -- THE COUNTY HAS
GONE BLUE.
GONE BLUE. BETO O'ROURKE HAD A STRONG
MACHINE AND WORKED HARD.
PEOPLE EXPECT SOME OF THE
FEDERAL COMPAQS 10 BACK THAT
ALSO.
ALSO.
ALSO. >>
ALSO. >> THE DEMOCRATS --
>> THE MAYOR'S RACE IS
NONPARTISAN.
NONPARTISAN. WHAT WE DO IN THE CITY ISN'T
RED OR BLUE, IT'S REALLY WE
JUST TRY TO SERVE THE CITIZENS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
AGREEMENT ON THE PENSION
SHORTFALL, WHICH IS HUGE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT, MAYOR.
RETIREES GET TO KEEP THE COST
OF LIVING, BUT EXISTING
EMPLOYEES WILL HAVE TO PAY MORE
FOR THIS.
FOR THIS.
FOR THIS. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> COUNSELING -- APPROVED IT,
BUT CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE TO VOTE
ON IT.
ON IT.
ON IT. DO
ON IT. DO YOU THINK IT WILL PASS?
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. WITH A FIRM EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
IT WILL PASS.
IT'S ALWAYS DICEY BECAUSE IT
REQUIRES 50% OF YOUR ACTIVE
EMPLOYEES, PLUS ONE TO SHOW UP
AND VOTE.
AND VOTE.
AND VOTE. WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR 7000
EMPLOYEES, THAT'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE TO GET TO GO VOTE.
BUT I FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT AND WE
WILL SPEND A WHOLE MONTH
EDUCATING PEOPLE ON HOW IT
IMPACTS THEM AND THE IDEA IS TO
HAVE A STABLE PENSION AND
SETTLE IT LOCALLY.
>> YOU ARE UP IN THE AIR WITH
THE POLICE CHIEF WHO WAS BEING
INTERVIEWED.
INTERVIEWED. HE IS A FINALIST FOR A JOB, BUT
HE IS STILL YOUR CHIEF AT THE
MOMENT.
MOMENT.
MOMENT. DO YOU WANT TO KEEP HIM?
>> WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE
CHIEF.
CHIEF.
CHIEF. HE
CHIEF. HE APPLIED IN BALTIMORE AND WE
NEVER WANT TO HOLD PEOPLE BACK
FROM ADVANCING THEIR CAREERS.
IF HE FEELS LIKE THAT
ADVANCEMENT HE NEEDS TO GO WITH
IT.
IT.
IT. BUT
IT. BUT CURRENTLY HE IS OUR POLICE
CHIEF.
CHIEF.
CHIEF. >>
CHIEF. >> HOW LONG WILL THIS GO ON?
IT HAS BEEN IN LIMBO FOR MORE
THAN A MONTH.
>> LAST I HEARD IS THEY EXPECT
TO VOTE SOMETIME IN THE FIRST
WEEK OF JANUARY.
>> WOULD YOU CHANGE HIS CONTRACT
OR ADD ANYTHING TO IT?
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
HIS CONTRACT AT THIS POINT IS
REALLY NOT UP FOR RENEWAL.
I THINK HE WILL COME BACK IN
AND WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
YOU TRY TO KEEP THE POLITICS
OUT OF YOUR POLICE CHIEF AND
FIRE CHIEF.
FIRE CHIEF. IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S JOB TO
HIRE THAT.
HIRE THAT. HE WILL NEGOTIATE WITH THE
CHIEF.
CHIEF.
CHIEF. >>
CHIEF. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF CITIES
WHO DON'T GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
TELL US ABOUT THAT AND HOW YOU
THINK IT MIGHT CHANGE.
>> I THINK IT WILL CHANGE THE
CITY DRAMATICALLY AND IT'S
SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU HAVE TO
TAKE A TOUGH LOOK AT WHERE YOU
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. FORT
ARE. FORT WORTH HAS NEVER REALLY HAD
A STRONG, OPEN CONVERSATION
ABOUT RACE AND CULTURE.
IT'S TIME WE DID.
>> THE REPORT IS A VERY
THOROUGH 15 MONTH LOOK AT
THINGS IN THE CITY AND THERE
ARE A LOT OF ISSUES WE WILL
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT.
LOOK AT. WE ARE LOOKING AT HIRING A
CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER TO
IMPLEMENT SOME OF THAT.
>> WE WILL CHARGE THE CITY
MANAGER WAS SPENDING THE NEXT
90 DAYS TALKING TO A 20 CITIES
TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A CITIZENS
REVIEW BOARD, HOW THEY WORK AND
WHAT IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY
TO DO THAT.
WE WILL CONTINUE THE
CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> SHAME ON US IF WE ARE NOT
OUT TALKING TO PEOPLE.
CONTINUE TO WORK ON EDUCATION,
ALL OF THOSE ARE WHAT REALLY
DRIVE OUR EQUITY.
>> WHEN YOU RUN AGAIN IN MAY HE
WILL BE ON THE SAME BALLOT WITH
TWO MEMBERS OF THE TARRANT
COUNTY WATER BOARD.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
DISCUSSION LATELY, PEOPLE
TALKED ON THE SHOW ABOUT HOW
FORT WORTH WAS DOING IT THE
RIGHT WAY A COUPLE YEARS AGO
AND DALLAS WAS MINE.
IS HE STILL DOING IT THE RIGHT
WAY?
WAY?
WAY? >>
WAY? >> THE FEDS HAVE HELD UP THE
FEDERAL FUNDING AND I THINK NOW
WE HAVE TO GO BACK.
IT'S A HUGE PROJECT. ABOUT 500
MILLION AT THE FEDERAL SIDE AND
AT THE LOCAL SIDE, WE NEED TO
GO BACK AND REFOCUS IT TO THE
FLOOD CONTROL PIECE AND SEE
WHAT WE CAN DO TO GET THE
CHANNELS RE-CHANNELED AND WATER
UNDER THOSE BRIDGES.
ANY BIG PROJECT OUGHT TO BE RE-
SCOPED EVERY FEW YEARS.
>> THIS PROJECT IS 14, NEARLY
15 YEARS OLD AND IT'S TIME TO
TAKE A LOOK AT THE SCOPE AND
SEE WHAT OTHER PARTNERS MIGHT
BE AT THE TABLE.
>> DO YOU THINK IT IS AN
EVALUATION? THE MANAGER WORKS
FOR THE WATER DISTRICT, BUT
THERE IS A BOARD THAT OVERSEES
IT?
IT?
IT? >>
IT? >> THEY OVERSEE, BUT THEY
ACTUALLY REPORT TO THE REGIONAL
WATER DISTRICT.
WATER DISTRICT. WHEN CRV WAS FORMED, IT WAS
REALLY FOR EDUCATION.
WHAT WE ASKED FOR WAS A REVIEW
OF THE PROJECT.
>> YOU HAVE ENOUGH INPUT?
>> I THINK WE DO.
OUR CITY MANAGER IS ON THE
BOARD AND CARLOS FLORES, ONE OF
MY COUNCILMEMBERS IS ON THE
BOARD.
BOARD.
BOARD. HE
BOARD. HE WILL KEEP US INFORMED.
THE COUNTY HAS TWO MEMBERS AND
THE WATER DISTRICT HAS TWO
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. I'M TRAINING FOR THE COWTOWN
HALF MARATHON.
HALF MARATHON. IT'S BETSY'S BRIGADE.
>> FORT WORTH IS A BLUE ZONE
CITY AS OF LAST MONTH, THEY ARE
TRYING TO REDUCE OBESITY RATES
AND SMOKING. HOW DOES THIS
PHYSICALLY WORK?
PHYSICALLY WORK? IF I WALK INTO A RESTAURANT,
WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
>> THE HOPE IS YOU HAVE SIGNED
THE BLUE ZONES PLEDGE.
YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO LOOK AT
YOUR WELL-BEING AND
INTERACTION.
INTERACTION. IT ISN'T JUST HEALTH.
IT'S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE
COMMUNITY AND A FAITH BASE.
IT'S FINDING A PURPOSE IN YOUR
LIFE AND A WAY TO MOVE
ORGANICALLY.
ORGANICALLY. WE HAVE 31 RESTAURANTS THAT ARE
BLUE ZONE CERTIFIED AND OFFER
THEIR REGULAR MENU BUT THEY
HAVE AMENDED ONCE.
>> THE HOPE IS YOU NUDGE PEOPLE
TO MAKE A COUPLE OF YOUR
CHOICES DURING THEIR DAY.
IT IS NOT A MANDATE, BUT IT'S
MORE OF MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES
EASIER.
EASIER.
EASIER. >> WHY DID THE CITY GET INTO
THAT?
THAT?
THAT? >>
THAT? >> BECAUSE WHEN WE GOT OUR
GALLOP WELL-BEING SERVICE, THE
TOP 90 CITIES NATIONWIDE, OF
190, FORT WORTH WAS NUMBER 185
ON THE LIST OF UNHEALTHIEST.
AFTER FIVE YEARS, WE ARE NUMBER
57.
57.
57. >>
57. >> ALL OF THAT FROM A MAYOR WHO
RIDES BIKES AND IS