Here are the candidates for Fort Worth City Council District 5 in May 6 election
Gyna Bivens
Age: 68
Campaign website: www.GynaBivens.com
Best way for voters to reach you: Gmbivens@gmail.com
Occupation: President & Executive Director-North Texas LEAD
Education: Bachelor’s Radio/TV/Film (Speech Communications)
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): Yes. City Council District 5. 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth.:
1) Construction of an Eastside stop of TEX Rail is now underway at Trinity & 820
2) Stop 6 was the pilot for the NIS program & led to a revival in new home/rehab residential development. Some 1st year improvements include: Installation of 309 new streetlights; 7,500 linear feet of new sidewalks; removal of 180 TONS of dumping; construction of 1,320 linear sq ft of walking trails.
3) I will soon roll out the City’s first Urban Forestry Master Plan.
4) Landing the $35M CNI grant was a big deal orchestrated the City & FW Housing Solutions. I hosted 2 of 4 visits made by HUD Secy. Carson who was impressed we had reopened a police substation in Cavile. Although previous grant applications fell flat, this partnership provided a winning strategy. HUD Secy Fudge visited Stop Six recently indicating support for the project remains strong..
5) We saw sooner release of police related shootings after my involvement in the shooting of Jaquavion Slaton
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: No
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Ken Newell, Mark Singletary and Sandra McGlothlin
Why are you seeking this office?: I want to deliver a grocery store to the East side (inside the loop); deliver a table service restaurant
What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?: Development lags west of IH35. There are more developers interested in bringing Master planned communities on the west side. This must be corrected and I believe a change in focus from the Chamber of Commerce will help. We need a better prepared workforce to ensure we continue attracting companies paying higher wages. (I’ve been a critic/advocate in that area). City Hall must do a better job of communicating with the citizens,
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?: Attract a signature grocery store; attract a table service restaurant and bring a youth focused venue (baseball, soccer)
How will you measure your success as a council member?: Housing and development can be measured using data. Citizen engagement is important to me, but I don’t have a way to measure it beyond the data collected on MY FW App. I’m not a fan of that tool since not everyone is tech savvy, but we must increase citizen engagement
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?: I have respected experience as a council member. I have also worked as a city staffer. My leadership skills have been recognized by the Regional Transportation Council (where I serve as Vice Chair); Texas Municipal League of Cities and National League of Cities.
How will you reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes?: City Hall must operate more efficiently, but we need a way to identify waste. At some point we must eliminate the sacred cows and focus on the basics.
What’s your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?: Balance what is paid by commercial/residential and do the right thing.
How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?: We must focus on infrastructure so that we can handle the growth. We must hold builders feet to the fire and stop allowing for so many wavers from the building process
How should East Fort Worth develop economically while respecting resident concerns about density?: Eastside residents resent builders who buy land not zoned for what they want to build. Respecting the process can eliminate that. Eastsiders will tell you: Build what you want on land allowing for what you want and we can live in harmony.
What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?: I am encouraged the Chambers of Commerce are focusing on training opportunities for small builders.
Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?: Bring us another Ross Perot and you’ll get another success story like Alliance. HE was ALLIANCE!
What’s the appropriate balance between Fort Worth’s rapid growth and its culture as the “largest small town in America?”: I DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER….BUT I SURE HOPE WE DON’T TURN INTO AUSTIN!
What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?: The development process needs better staffing. The process must be consistent.
What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?: The City should request the work of the Race and Culture Task Force and implement recommendations.
How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?: David Cooke is a qualified City Manager and has the respect of other leaders around the nation.
McKinley Jackson
Age: 47
Campaign website: mjackson5.com
Best way for voters to reach you: Website
Occupation: Pastor
Education: Bachelor’s Degree from Dallas Baptist University, a Master’s degree from the Houston Graduate School of Theology, and a Doctorate in Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary.
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years): no
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in the city of Fort Worth.:
Pastor of Samaria Baptist Church
Partner with Good Girls Agency, an organization that provides transitional services for women re-entering society from incarceration, homelessness, or other dire circumstances
Provide toys for needy children; Back-to-School backpacks to students in the neighborhoods; blankets to the elderly in nursing homes
Assisted over 200 people in obtaining employment
Bought cars for parishioners in need
Church serves as a COVID testing and vaccination site
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: no
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain: no
Who are your top three campaign contributors?: Randle Howard, Michael Guthrie
Why are you seeking this office?: District five needs fresh leadership in city hall. While we see growth and development in almost every other part of the city, East Fort Worth has been left behind. Our residents want safe and clean neighborhoods, and we want the city to prioritize investing in our communities — but in a way that includes our residents in the planning process. District five has waited too long for a champion in city hall who will listen and be responsive to their constituents. I am running because we need some we can trust and hold accountable to move district five forward.
What are the biggest challenges facing the city of Fort Worth?:
Equity in development
Fast growing population
Equity in service resources
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?:
Neighborhood Safety
Investing & Development
Public Transportation (no public transportation from SE FW to Alliance)
How will you measure your success as a council member?:
Create community task forces to address specific concerns of the district, and allow these committees to develop an evaluation to assess the progress the district is making
Enacting policy priorities
Hold regular town halls with constituents to keep them informed of what is going on with the city, to allow residents to express their concerns and to voice their opinions.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?:
Voters need someone they can trust who is committed to transparency and accountability.
Voters need someone who will be a strong advocate for neighborhood and community development
Voters need a representative who is responsive and in touch with the community.
How will you reduce the city’s reliance on residential property taxes?:
Commercial development to increase sales tax revenue and the city’s general revenue fund
Expand property tax base by attracting more large businesses and corporations
What’s your plan to lower property taxes and not just the tax rate?:
Advocate for an oversight committee too ensure accuracy and fairness in property tax appraisals
How should Fort Worth manage its explosive growth?:
Focus on infrastructure first
Be strategic about where growth takes place
Involve more citizens to participate in the zoning and planning process
How should East Fort Worth develop economically while respecting resident concerns about density?:
Talk to citizens and get their input on what should happen.
Being transparent about the implications of the council’s policy decisions
Establish policies that respect and balance the concerns and rights of citizens, with the need for growth..
What (if anything) should the city do to make it easier for locally-owned small businesses to flourish in Fort Worth?:
Expand tax incentives
Better marketing of the business support services the city provides through its partners
More exposure; create a directory of small businesses and place them on the city’s website; and highlight small businesses in the city’s regular newsletters and other publications.
Alliance Texas has seen huge economic growth in its 30+ year existence. How can Fort Worth replicate that success in other parts of the city?:
Identify and designate locations in every district of the city that could be used to major businesses to build communities around.
Determine land-use and develop a visual and written 10-year strategic plan
Develop incentive package for business to relocate in specific parts of the city
What’s the appropriate balance between Fort Worth’s rapid growth and its culture as the “largest small town in America?”:
Maintain traditions and educate all residents–especially new ones–on Fort Worth history and culture
Rebrand Fort Worth’s image as a modern-day urban city, and increase skyline real estate downtown
Control growth
What should Fort Worth do to prevent a repeat of the infrastructure problems north of Loop 820 as the city continues to add residents in areas west and southwest of the loop?:
Focus on infrastructure first
Conduct adequate traffic, feasibility and marketing studies
Ensure proper design of arterial streets
What needs to be done in the wake of the Aaron Dean trial to improve community-police relations?:
Police and community must develop trust by…
Attending community/neighborhood meetings
Assurance that officers are being trained properly
More NPOs—Police trained to be NPOs
Have officers canvass neighborhoods
Midnight basketball
Assurance of accountability
Clear and narrowly defined policy on use of force
How would you assess the performance of city manager David Cooke?:
East Fort Worth has not flourished like the rest of the city, but I am looking forward to working with the city manager’s office to create plans for economic growth and development.
Bob Willoughby
Did not respond.
