Election Day is May 6 and the Fort Worth Report is committed to keeping you informed through our Election Central.
To help voters make informed decisions at the ballot box, we asked every candidate to respond to a candidate questionnaire intended to touch on the most pressing issues candidates may face while serving in elected office.
The candidate’s responses may be edited for grammar.
District 11 includes parts of east and south central Fort Worth. To find out what district you live in, input your address here.
Municipal elections are coming up. Here are some key dates:
April 24: Early voting begins
May 2: Early voting ends
May 6: Election Day
Candidate survey
Name: Rick Herring
Age: 58
Occupation: ERISA Consultant in 401(k) Plan Industry
What are your qualifications to serve on Fort Worth’s City Council?
I have a broad and expansive background in working in the community and with Fort Worth City Council and staff members, through my involvement with the following civic activities:
President, Carter Riverside NA (current)
President, Oakhurst Neighborhood Association (former)
Fort Worth Neighbor of the Year 2022
Riverside Alliance, Co-Founder and Moderator (3 terms)
Site Based Decision Management Team – Carter Riverside High School
Site Based Decision Management Team – Oakhurst Elementary School
Carter Riverside Alumni Association, President
Riverside Lions Club
Scenic Fort Worth, former board member
Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society, former board member
Oakhurst Citizens on Patrol
Fort Worth Zoning Commission
Fort Worth Plan Commission
Fort Worth Scenic Preservation Commission
Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission
Fort Worth Historic Preservation Plan
Six Points Urban Village Plan
Mixed Use Zoning Advisory Group – 3 terms
Fort Worth Public Art Committees – 3 separate projects
FWISD Distinguished Graduate, 1997
Fort Worth Business Press 40 Under 40, 1998
What are your top two priorities if elected to City Council? Describe briefly how you would approach these priorities.
1)Protecting, preserving and improving the neighborhoods of District 11 by strengthening neighborhood associations, reviving those that have gone dormant, and creating new ones. Neighborhoods and neighborhood associations are the building blocks of Fort Worth.
2) Managing Fort Worth’s explosive growth in the outlying areas of the city by planning ahead of the growth that is sure to come, setting appropriate expectations for budget and CIP planning, and prioritize attracting new businesses rather than approving endless subdivisions that don’t have the basic infrastructure to support them and the resultant sprawl.
How would you characterize the performance of city management over the past five years?
I am generally satisfied with the performance of city management in recent years, although I would like to see a heightened level of transparency in all areas of City Hall. Fort Worth is fiscally sound and is managed as well or better than many large cities across the country. There are concerns surrounding the City Manager’s personal relationships with powerful elements in Fort Worth and it would serve him and the average citizens well for him to continue to address and rectify those concerns.
What is the single biggest issue your particular district faces?
Being consistently overlooked and ignored by City Hall for decades. I plan to change that.
How will you balance the concerns of your district vs. the city as a whole?
No City Council member has a magic wand to accomplish everything they want for their District, but the needs of District 11 need to be prioritized in many instances. An equitable use of City resources should be paramount.
How can city leadership work to ensure all Fort Worth residents have equal access to city services regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and income?
By continuing the outreach and communications that have been started in recent years, and expanding this outreach in new and innovative ways, including direct text messaging. All communications must be in multiple languages.
Fort Worth’s annual general budget is currently around $915 million; do you feel this budget is appropriate, too large, or too small? If too large or too small, briefly describe how you would propose amending the budget.
I feel the 2023 budget was adopted after careful consideration and I believe it is appropriate.
In 2023 the city will levy a tax rate of $0.7125 per $100 of assessed evaluation. If you would advocate for decreasing/increasing the tax rate what would you cut/add?
After much debate the City Council adopted this tax rate. I would be in favor of lowering the tax rate but not at the detriment of any budget funds dedicated to public safety or neighborhood services, including Code Compliance.
As Fort Worth grows, how can the city ensure it keeps up with the pace of development?
PLAN! PLAN! PLAN! Fort Worth takes a backward approach to building infrastructure in developing areas. Future bond programs should have funds set aside for developing infrastructure before it is needed, not after when communities are in crisis.
In the last year, the city council has limited opportunities for public comment and changed meeting schedules. How would you approach community engagement as a council member?
As a City Council member, I will always be available to residents to discuss any issues they may want to discuss. I was not in favor of the changed meeting schedule adopted by City Council but I don’t see it returning to the way it was before the change.
What role does the City Council have in policing? Please describe how city council members should work to ensure the safety of their constituents.
Public safety is the primary function of city government and City Council should ensure that our public safety departments and employees have the funding they need to carry out their duties for protection of the community.
Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? If so, when.
Chapter 13 Bankruptcy discharged July 23, 2013 with all debts paid.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime, in Texas or another state? If so, what crime and when.
Class B Misdemeanor Obstruction of a Highway, 2019
Noncommercial entities may republish our articles for free by following our guidelines. For commercial licensing, please email hello@fortworthreport.org.
