Standing in front of Fort Worth City Council members Tuesday night, Ken Shimamoto asked that the body 鈥渒eep showing up, standing up and speaking up鈥� for the city鈥檚 residents and their needs after Tarrant County officials finalized a controversial redistricting just hours earlier.
Shimamoto and nearly a dozen other Fort Worth activists urged City Council members to deliver 鈥渂old leadership鈥� and fully maximize the power of the council鈥檚 Democratic majority after the Tarrant County Commissioners Court adopted a more Republican-friendly map of commissioner precincts June 3.
鈥淚 really hope that y鈥檃ll will look deep in your hearts and provide the leadership that we need to protect the people of Fort Worth going forward 鈥� because commissioners court isn鈥檛 going to do it,鈥� Shimamoto said at a June 3 public comment meeting, where residents may address City Council members on any topic.
Earlier that day, Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 along party lines to adopt a new map reshaping the county鈥檚 two Democratic-controlled precincts and making one of them easier for a Republican to win. Democratic commissioner Alisa Simmons has said the move would make it hard for her to win reelection next year.
Tarrant Democrats described the redistricting effort as an attempt at diluting the political power of Black and Brown voters, while Republicans argued that it was needed to balance population growth.
County Judge Tim O鈥橦are and commissioners Manny Ramirez and Matt Krause, all Republicans, said their goal with redistricting was to solidify a stronger conservative majority on the commissioners court. Immediately following their approval of the new precinct map, former state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, an Arlington Republican, announced his in next year鈥檚 election 鈥� one day after announcing his .
As the commissioners court鈥檚 political boundaries shift, Fort Worth City Council maintains a Democratic majority. City Council positions are ostensibly nonpartisan, but partisan politics have increasingly come into play in council decision-making.
In May, all Fort Worth City Council members seeking reelection , while outgoing council member Gyna Bivens was , former chair of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. The race for outgoing Democratic council member Jared Williams鈥� District 6 seat is ongoing, as Mia Hall and Daryl Davis II, both Democrats, head to a .
Regardless of the outcome of the District 6 seat, the council is set to keep its Democratic majority with members Elizabeth Beck, Carlos Flores, Chris Nettles and Jeanette Martinez in addition to Peoples. Mayor Mattie Parker and members Alan Blaylock, Michael Crain, Macy Hill and Charlie Lauersdorf are Republicans.
To Shimamoto, Fort Worth City Council members have an obligation to stand up for the city鈥檚 residents.
He thanked Democratic council members for approving a and Parker for signing a letter with to urge O鈥橦are to delay the redistricting vote.
Still, he doesn鈥檛 think they did enough. He believes Parker would have made a 鈥渟tronger statement鈥� had she voted in support of the council鈥檚 resolution, which was narrowly approved along party lines.
鈥淚 still don鈥檛 understand 鈥� you鈥檙e the leader of a city of over a million people. All of the economic engines of Tarrant County are here in Fort Worth or in Arlington,鈥� Shimamoto said. 鈥淵et, these bedroom communities like Everman and Kennedale and Southlake are calling the tune and the changes. I don鈥檛 understand that.鈥�
Parker鈥檚 spokesperson did not return the Fort Worth Report鈥檚 request for comment on the mayor鈥檚 reaction to activists鈥� comments and whether she plans to take any action regarding the county redistricting. She briefly spoke privately with a handful of the activists immediately after the public comment meeting.
Simmons and fellow Democratic Commissioner Roderick Miles were in attendance for the first half of the meeting, during which community leaders, council members and other local Democratic officials bid farewell to Williams, the , as it was his last public meeting as an elected official. Miles thanked Williams for his service as a leader but did not comment on county redistricting, and Simmons did not speak publicly during the meeting. Both left before activists gave their comments, and neither returned the Report鈥檚 requests for comment.
Bishop Mark Kirkland of Greater St. Mark Church thanked council members for their public stance on redistricting. But like Shimamoto, he wants to see a more assertive approach from city officials to countywide issues like redistricting, particularly as Fort Worth continues to grow after recently surpassing 1 million residents.
鈥淲e are the big boy on the block,鈥� Kirkland said. 鈥淚 sure as hell will be glad when we start acting like the big boy on the block.鈥�
Fort Worth resident and activist Alexander Motalvo believes Fort Worth leaders sat back as county officials rushed what he described as a 鈥渞acist gerrymandering process.鈥� While he appreciated the six council members who supported the resolution against redistricting as well as the mayor鈥檚 letter to O鈥橦are, he said pushback from the council was 鈥渁nemic at best.鈥�
鈥淔or a city this size, with the amount of resources we have, the amount of influence we have, for it to be so weak when extremism continues to barrel down our door, all I can say is I and others are sick of the Fort Worth Way 鈥� (which) thinks personal relationships are the pathway to change 鈥� when we need real change,鈥� Motalvo said.
鈥淭he Fort Worth Way鈥� is an expression that carries both . City officials have said it describes the big city鈥檚 small town spirit and approach to business. Democratic community leaders have said it represents the city鈥檚 , particularly communities of color and low-income residents, feeling excluded from major decisions impacting the city鈥檚 future.
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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