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The Tarrant County Commissioners Court was decked out in patriotic regalia at their June 9, 2026, meeting.<\/p>\n
Rachel Royster<\/p>\n
rroyster@star-telegram.com<\/p>\n
Republicans on the Tarrant County Commissioners Court denied their Democratic colleague\u2019s use of county facilities Tuesday under the assumption she would be using them for political activity, which is illegal under Texas Election Code.<\/p>\n
Democratic Commissioner Alisa Simmons, of Precinct 2, asked permission from the court of five members to use the Arlington Subcourthouse, where her office is, for monthly town hall meetings from July to October. She asked the court to waive the $1,314 cost to pay the necessary staff and security.<\/p>\n
Simmons is challenging Tim O\u2019Hare for his seat as county judge in the Nov. 3 election.<\/p>\n
Simmons and fellow Democratic Commissioner Roderick Miles voted to approve the request, but the pair was outnumbered by the three Republicans, O\u2019Hare and commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez.<\/p>\n
Friday morning, O\u2019Hare posted on X that Simmons was trying to \u201cmisuse taxpayer-funded facilities to hold political, self-serving events.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Hare\u2019s post said Simmons disguised the event\u2019s true purpose by calling it a town hall.<\/p>\n
The responsibility of county government is to serve taxpayers, not subsidize political activity. Commissioner Alisa Simmons recently sought to hold what were described as evening town hall meetings, all scheduled between now and the November election, while requesting that\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/VdPiOeMsEh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tim O’Hare (@TimothyOHare) June 12, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n On Friday, Simmons told the Star-Telegram the town hall meetings would cover the budget, the Southeast Connector Project<\/a> and mental health services in the county jail.<\/p>\n \u201cCounty facilities are funded and maintained with taxpayer dollars,\u201d Simmons said Friday evening. \u201cResidents should have reasonable opportunities to use those facilities to learn about county services, county projects and county government.\u201d<\/p>\n When Krause said the four town halls being in the midst of a contentious election season was coincidental, Simmons denied having planned any political activity for the town halls.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems very coincidental, maybe, that these town halls line up right when the election season is really ramping up,\u201d Krause said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got four in four months, which is right during the heat of that. It kind of seems like to me, maybe we\u2019re using the fee waiver and access to the courtrooms, it could be for political activity.\u201d<\/p>\n Early voting begins Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30. The last proposed Precinct 2 town hall was set for October 22, though Simmons\u2019s term lasts until December.<\/p>\n When Krause asked why she wanted to plan the four town halls all of a sudden after not hosting any town halls in over a year, Simmons blamed the July 2025 salary guideline changes that resulted in Precinct 2 staffing cuts.<\/p>\n Friday evening, Simmons told the Star-Telegram that Precinct 2 typically does not schedule town halls during the holidays. In the past, the last town hall of the year was in October.<\/p>\n On the dais, Simmons said her office has held six or seven town halls a year since she became commissioner at the beginning of 2023.<\/p>\n The Star-Telegram verified 15 town halls, among many other community events, from 2023 to 2025. The town halls provided insight on topics including road projects, county assistance programs and protesting property appraisals.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is absolutely nothing new,\u201d Simmons said Tuesday in court.<\/p>\n \u201cSo no political activity, nothing partisan, no email gathering, no any of that stuff?\u201d Krause probed.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely no. You can\u2019t. No. You can\u2019t do that,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cI\u2019m not unethical in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n Since the town halls were denied on Tuesday, several local groups have offered their facilities. Simmons said her team is also exploring virtual options for the town halls.<\/p>\n \u201cMy commitment remains unchanged,\u201d Simmons said Friday. \u201cWhether in a county facility, a community center, a school auditorium, or online, I will continue providing opportunities for residents to receive information, ask questions, and engage with their local government.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 3:48 PM.<\/p>\n
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