Tarrant County cities like Arlington and Fort Worth have seen a surge in economic growth \u2014 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\u2019Hare said during his State of the County address Wednesday.<\/p>\n
It was one of several topics discussed at the 15th annual address, hosted by O\u2019Hare and the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce. O\u2019Hare also talked about affordability, county savings and the county jail.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re about to showcase to the world through the most matches of any city in the country in the whole FIFA World Cup,\u201d O\u2019Hare said. \u201cWe need to put on a great show, we need to be the friendliest, warmest, most welcoming people you could ever imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dallas-Fort Worth is projected to bring millions of tourists<\/a> to the region. The World Cup<\/a> is also projected to bring in $400 million and create more than 3,000 jobs.<\/p>\n Still, the economic impact of the international sporting event remains to be seen. Hotel booking numbers are lower than expected\u00a0<\/a>after FIFA canceled some hotel block reservations<\/a> in Dallas and Arlington. That\u2019s a trend cities are facing across the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n O\u2019Hare also pointed to the renewal of the $273 million Dallas Cowboys lease at AT&T Stadium as another good sign for the city\u2019s economic future.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are coming over here from all over the Metroplex, and sometimes all over the state, to watch a Cowboys game,\u201d O\u2019Hare told the Report after Wednesday\u2019s speech. \u201cArlington 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.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Hare said the county saved taxpayers more than $921 million in the three years he\u2019s 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\u2019s office, he said.<\/p>\n He also discussed improvements to the county jail staffing shortage. The facility went from more than 200 openings in 2023 to 130 openings, O\u2019Hare told the crowd. That number is expected to drop to 100.<\/p>\n The jail staffing shortage has been an issue in the sheriff\u2019s office for years. County commissioners approved a two-year contract<\/a> with private jail-staffing company Recana Recruiting and Staffing Solutions last October, but ended that contract early during Tuesday\u2019s commissioners court meeting. Reasons for ending the contract weren\u2019t made public during the meeting.<\/p>\n Additionally, O\u2019Hare gave an update on the partnership with the Center for Transforming Lives<\/a>. The nonprofit offers support to families experiencing poverty and replaced the county\u2019s rental and utility department, which closed last August.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s meeting did not approve additional funding of $338,370 in order to distribute funds for the last month of the contract.<\/p>\n With Tarrant County\u2019s projected growth of 2.5 million new residents within the next 10 years \u2014 and Arlington likely reaching 450,000 residents in the next six years \u2014 safety and affordability are essential in maintaining it, O\u2019Hare told the crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes Tarrant County so special is not the government, and it\u2019s not the elected officials,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s you, it\u2019s the people, and it\u2019s the job creators, and it is a special place, and we don\u2019t want to lose it.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca Rodriguez-Mora is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at\u00a0bianca@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Penelope Rivera is KERA\u2019s Tarrant County Accountability Reporter. Got a tip? Email Penelope at\u00a0privera@kera.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n