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The Arts Council offered candidates an opportunity to respond to a set of questions about the issues important to the arts community and how the candidates would address these issues if elected. These questions and the candidates' answers will allow you compare candidates in the Fort Worth City Council Elections and help us continue to advocate for the arts with our City leaders. These answers are unedited, save for formatting issues.
List of Candidates
Jorge Chavez
Awaiting a reply from the candidate. It will be uploaded as soon as we receive it.
Kristie Hanbart
Awaiting a reply from the candidate. It will be uploaded as soon as we receive it.
Cary Moon
Awaiting a reply from the candidate. It will be uploaded as soon as we receive it.
Max Striker
Awaiting a reply from the candidate. It will be uploaded as soon as we receive it.
Tara Wilson
In a few short sentences, tell us about yourself and your relationship to the visual and/or performing arts.
Tara Wilson is a mom, ER nurse, and community advocate who is running for Fort Worth City Council District 4. In nearly a decade as a frontline worker, Tara has served in low-income communities specifically in the emergency medicine and behavioral health sectors as a nurse. Tara believes that the decisions made here in Fort Worth should be on behalf of everyone, not just a select few. Tara is running to fight for transparency in our decision-making, investment in our communities, and fiscal responsibility for our taxpayers.
I grew up dancing and around mosaic artists and I love the arts as a whole. Music is such a large part of my Hispanic culture and the arts are a part of who I am. I love the murals and paintings across the city of Fort Worth. As the next councilor for my district, I would emphasize bringing more arts to District 4.
How would you work to increase the City’s investment in the arts industry to meet growing needs and bring our funding in line with other major cities in Texas?
I would propose to invest in line with other cities to meet the growing needs of the arts industry. Especially with Covid-19, this industry has taken such a hit. It would be one of my top priorities to better fund the art industry from the general fund.
Please share your thoughts on how the arts can help our City lift up diverse voices, close opportunity gaps, and how can Fort Worth’s mayor help this grow?
By continuing to support diverse art projects in marginalized communities, we can lift up diverse voices. I would encourage the Mayor and other elected officials to take part in community art projects and work hand in hand with members of the communities involved. This builds a relationship between the city and these marginalized groups and does so in a collaborative manner.
As our City recovers from the pandemic, how will you ensure that the arts are part of the conversation regarding City planning, economic development, affordable housing, and neighborhood revitalization initiatives?
Through trying to revitalize neighborhoods, it is important to keep their culture. We can do this by creating art projects that are reflective of the people who live in these neighborhoods and also keeping alive the history of these neighborhoods. I would like
to see more collaboration from the City Government on these projects, rather than focusing on development and pricing people out of their homes.
Tell us about the visual and/or performing arts in your Council District. What are you most proud of? What needs help to grow? There is not enough focus on the arts in my district. Right now, there is not much to be proud of with the current arts in my district. There needs to be more investment in this industry in District 4. We need more focus on collaboration between the government and communities with community art projects. I am looking forward to the project in the East Side of the District, but I would like to see more transparency and government collaboration around this project
Phone
Fax
817-392-6187
Location
District 4 Office
200 Texas St, Fort Worth, 76102
Are you registered to vote? Register or verify here!
Where will you vote? Find your polling place here!
Important Dates
Thursday, April 1
Last day to register to vote
Monday, April 19
First day of in-person early voting
Tuesday, April 20
Last day to request a ballot by mail (received by, not postmarked)
Tuesday, April 27
Last day of in-person early voting
Saturday, May 1
Election Day
Last day ballot by mail must be received by 7 p.m.