Tarrant County Commissioners Court

A group of Tarrant County residents have withdrawn a lawsuit accusing the county of packing Black and brown residents into a single precinct to dilute their voting power.

Fort Worth and Tarrant County officials reduced how often they meet to prioritize efficiency, they said. Some residents say their voices are being stifled.

Filing for Texas’ 2026 primary election is open, and candidates are announcing their bids for Tarrant County-area offices.

The Fort Worth nonprofit Center for Transforming Lives is running the program with $2.3 million in county funding. It expects applications to reopen after Thanksgiving.

Earlier this month, there were about 180 vacant jobs in the Tarrant County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Understaffing can make the jail less safe for detention officers and the people incarcerated there.

Critics of the new maps say they are racially discriminatory. Republican commissioners say they just wanted to gain another seat on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court now only meets once a month. Local progressive groups are filling the gap with their own strategy meeting.

The contracts with Collin County to house juveniles are intended to address detention center overcrowding, a move officials call temporary.

The Tarrant County jail has struggled with staffing — a common problem in jails and prisons around the country.

Tarrant County commissioners voted to close the county rental and utility assistance department, after county staff said it was inefficient. Fort Worth's Center for Transforming Lives will replace it.

The two Democrats on the court did not attend last week's meeting. Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. returned Monday, which allowed the vote to take place.

Commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons were not in attendance at the Sept. 16 meeting. Despite having a majority, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court was unable to vote on adopting the new hospital tax rate, which was capped by the court at 16.50 cents per $100 earlier this month.