Tarrant County cities like Arlington and Fort Worth have seen a surge in economic growth — something that will only continue as the FIFA World Cup is set to begin in June and host nine games in Arlington, County Judge Tim O’Hare said during his State of the County address Wednesday.
It was one of several topics discussed at the 15th annual address, hosted by O’Hare and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. O’Hare also talked about affordability, county savings and the county jail.
But the economy took up a bulk of his remarks, as he predicted a strong summer ahead of the World Cup games at AT&T Stadium.
“We’re about to showcase to the world through the most matches of any city in the country in the whole FIFA World Cup,” O’Hare said. “We need to put on a great show, we need to be the friendliest, warmest, most welcoming people you could ever imagine.”
Dallas-Fort Worth is projected to bring millions of tourists to the region. The World Cup is also projected to bring in $400 million and create more than 3,000 jobs.
Still, the economic impact of the international sporting event remains to be seen. Hotel booking numbers are lower than expected after FIFA canceled some hotel block reservations in Dallas and Arlington. That’s a trend cities are facing across the country.
O’Hare also pointed to the renewal of the $273 million Dallas Cowboys lease at AT&T Stadium as another good sign for the city’s economic future.
“People are coming over here from all over the Metroplex, and sometimes all over the state, to watch a Cowboys game,” O’Hare told the Report after Wednesday’s speech. “Arlington has been a great model and example of how to use these things to bring in dollars, that people from outside your city spend money here.”
O’Hare said the county saved taxpayers more than $921 million in the three years he’s held his seat. The county also saw an $81 million cut from its operating budget in that time while maintaining an increased budget for the sheriff and the district attorney’s office, he said.
He also discussed improvements to the county jail staffing shortage. The facility went from more than 200 openings in 2023 to 130 openings, O’Hare told the crowd. That number is expected to drop to 100.
The jail staffing shortage has been an issue in the sheriff’s office for years. County commissioners approved a two-year contract with private jail-staffing company Recana Recruiting and Staffing Solutions last October, but ended that contract early during Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting. Reasons for ending the contract weren’t made public during the meeting.
Additionally, O’Hare gave an update on the partnership with the Center for Transforming Lives. The nonprofit offers support to families experiencing poverty and replaced the county’s rental and utility department, which closed last August.
Through that former department, 28 cents of every dollar spent went to direct assistance. Through the new program, 89 cents go directly to client assistance, according to data from the nonprofit.
Center for Transforming Lives CEO Carol Klocek said in February it expected to run out of $2.3 million in needed funds before the contract ends in October. Commissioners at Tuesday’s meeting did not approve additional funding of $338,370 in order to distribute funds for the last month of the contract.
With Tarrant County’s projected growth of 2.5 million new residents within the next 10 years — and Arlington likely reaching 450,000 residents in the next six years — safety and affordability are essential in maintaining it, O’Hare told the crowd.
“What makes Tarrant County so special is not the government, and it’s not the elected officials,” he said. “It’s you, it’s the people, and it’s the job creators, and it is a special place, and we don’t want to lose it.”
Bianca Rodriguez-Mora is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at bianca@fortworthreport.org.
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s Tarrant County Accountability Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.
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