By Bill Zeeble, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-977338.mp3
Fort Worth, TX – Betsy Price is Fort Worth's newest mayor, sworn in at last night's city council meeting. Council members wished her well and praised outgoing mayor Mike Moncrief, who did not seek re-election. KERA's Bill Zeeble reports Price now faces a sizable budget deficit and delayed air quality report due later today.
The Fort Worth Convention Center ballroom was packed as Price took the oath of office.
I Betsy Price, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute...
This one was for the people. Price had already taken the legal, official oath earlier in City Hall.
Before Price efficiently presided over her first council meeting, Mike Moncrief thanked his wife and offered a heartfelt, at times tearful, farewell to friends and council colleagues. Fort Worth Mayor for the last eight years, Moncrief called his departure bittersweet.
Mike Moncrief: If there's one thing, just one, that I hope people remember, it is throughout this amazing journey my, our focus has been on people and touching people's lives.
Mayor Price promised an open, transparent administration and fiscal frugality. She said it's time to get boots on the ground. That means running down the $30 million dollar deficit, and she said, fixing an underfunded pension plan.
Fort Worth Mayor Price: The city manager has made some progress on the budget deficit. That he thinks it's going to look good. We think the general funding of police are going to be able to get a raise this year and then we'll immediately go in, in the early fall, to negotiate with police on their pension plan.
An overdue air quality study is also due today. It studied possible pollutants from the Barnett Shale drilling.
Price: I'm curious why it was delayed so long and I'm anxious again to see it, get a chance to digest it, get some input from the committee that hired the consultant and see what they think about it.
On that issue, activist Esther McElfish worries Barnett shale drilling is unsafe and is not sure she can trust the study. She hasn't made up her mind about the mayor.
McElfish: We'll reserve judgement till we see how Betsy operates. It's tough for us to tell right now.
Fort Worth City Council is expected to get briefed on the air study next week. Bill Zeeble KERA news.
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Price
Fort Worth has a new mayor. Former Tarrant County Tax Assessor Betsy Price was sworn in last night as Fort Worth's 44th mayor.
Price told a packed crowd in the Fort Worth Convention Center that it's time to get down to business and get boots on the ground.
Fort Worth faces a $30 million deficit and failing pension plan.
Price: 964/153 The city manager has made some progress on the budget deficit. That he thinks it's going to look good. We think the general funding of police are going to be able to get a raise this year and then we'll immediately go in, in the early fall, to negotiate with police on their pension plan.
Outgoing mayor Mike Moncrief offered a tearful goodbye and encouragement to the new mayor. New council member Don Shingleton was also sworn in.
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