Economic development over the past year is one of several topics that Mayor Betsy Price will discuss Tuesday during her fifth State of the City Address.
Cheraya Peña, press secretary of the mayor’s office, said Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S, adding that five thousand jobs were created last year by companies expanding or relocating to Fort Worth.
“It’s a really fun time on the economic development side,” she said.
Peña also said the city last year added funding for infrastructure and capital projects without needing a tax increase.
She said the mayor will talk about her focus on managing this growth while maintaining the “hometown feel” that Fort Worth is known for.
Another topic the mayor will address Tuesday is a sixth police division that was installed last year to meet the increasing number of residents in North Fort Worth. Peña said it was necessary in order to service the growing population of the city.
New Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald will be featured at the address in a video talking about his efforts to encourage community policing.
The police, she said, want to better connect with their residents by supporting programs in Fort Worth like Code Blue – a crime prevention strategy that allows volunteers to work with the police department and help patrol their communities.
This style of policing, Peña said, “plays into our strengths as a city.”
The State of the City Address will be held at the Fort Worth Convention Center tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.