The City is governed by a Home Rule Charter with a Council–Manager form of government consisting of a Mayor, elected at large, and eight City Council Members representing single-member districts and serving two year terms with no term limits.  The Mayor and City Council appoint a professional City Manager to administer and coordinate municipal operations and programs.  The City Council also appoints the City Secretary, City Attorney, City Auditor, Municipal Court Judges, and citizens who serve on City boards and commissions.  The City of Fort Worth has more than 6,500 authorized positions, a FY2020 annual operating budget of $1.8 billion, and a tax rate of $0.7475 per $100 of valuation.

Employment Statistics

Total Workforce
  • There were 6,738 regular employees as of Jan. 1, 2019.
  • The average city employee is 44 years old, with 10.8 years of service.
  • There are 7.7 employees per 1,000 residents.
  • Total citywide turnover (including retirements) for calendar year 2018 was 11.7 percent
  • Total citywide turnover (without retirements) for calendar year 2018 was 8.4 percent
  • There is one African-American assistant city manager and five African-American department heads.
  • There are two Hispanic assistant city managers and one Hispanic department head.
  • There are two female assistant city managers and five female department heads.
  • Women make up 27.8 percent of the total city workforce.
  • There are 505 different job classifications in the city's classification and pay plan.
  • There were 234 city-sponsored training courses in 2018 attended by 3,720 participants.
  • There were 22,592 applicants in 2018 who applied for 978 jobs in the city.

Civilians
  • There are 4,680 civilian employees as of Jan. 1, 2019.
  • The average civilian is 44 years old, with 7.9 years of service.
  • Women (excluding civil service police and fire employees) make up 41.2 percent of professionals in city government.
  • Average base pay for civilian employees is $54,525.
  • Average actual pay for civilian employees — including longevity, overtime, etc. — $59,033.
  • Calendar Year 2018 turnover for civilians (including retirements) was 16.0 percent.
  • Calendar Year 2018 turnover for civilians (without retirements) was 13.0 percent.
  • 43.3 percent of civilian employees live outside of Fort Worth.

Civil Service Police
  • There are 1,665 civil service police employees as of Jan. 1, 2019 (including trainees).
  • The city hired 1 civil service police employee in 2018.
  • The average civil service police employee is 41 years old, with 13.1 years of service.
  • There are 217 female civil service police employees as of January 2019.
  • Average base pay for civil service police is $82,449.
  • Average actual pay for civil service police employees — including longevity, overtime, etc. — is $102,898.
  • Calendar year 2018 turnover for civil service police employees (including retirements) was 4.2 percent.
  • Calendar year 2018 turnover for civil service police employees (without retirements) was 1.3 percent.
  • There are 2.2 civil service police employees per 1,000 residents.
  • 59.0 percent of civil service police employees live outside of Fort Worth.

Civil Service Fire
  • There are 887 civil service fire employees as of Jan. 1, 2019.
  • The city hired 77 civil service fire employees in 2018.
  • The average civil service fire employee is 43 years old, with 15.2 years of service.
  • There are 18 female civil service fire employees as of January 2019.
  • Average base pay for civil service fire employees is $77,522.
  • Average actual pay for civil service fire employees — including longevity, overtime, etc.— is $112,448.
  • Calendar year 2018 turnover for civil service fire employees (including retirements) was 5.0 percent.
  • Calendar year 2018 turnover for civil service fire employees (without retirements) was 0.7 percent.
  • There are 1.2 civil service fire employees per 1,000 residents.
  • 71.7 percent of civil service fire employees live outside of Fort Worth.

Benefits

Regular full-time employees are eligible to participate in all City of Fort Worth Benefits which include medical, dental, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, 457 Deferred Compensation plan, and other voluntary benefits.

Benefit Highlights

​Health & Welfare

Eligibility:
  • All full-time employees regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week and your spouse, domestic partner, biological children, stepchildren, adopted children, domestic partner’s children, grandchildren, or children under your legal guardianship are eligible to be enrolled in benefits with appropriate dependent documentation.
 
  • Medical Program
  • The City offers two plans through United Healthcare- a Basic Plan and a Consumer Choice Plan
  • In-Network coverage only.
  • Preventive services covered at 100% on both plans.
  • Prescription Drug coverage including mail order pharmacy.

Health Savings Account
  • Make tax free contributions via payroll deduction.
  • The City contributes to your account.
  • Pay for qualified healthcare expenses with HSA account debit card.
  • You own and administer the HSA account.
  • The money in this account is yours with no deadline for using it, and no forfeiture.

Dental Program
  • Two plans available with a high and low option; DPPO or DHMO Plan.
  • Orthodontic benefit included all for all but low DPPO.

Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Health reimbursement, dependent care and adoption assistance programs available.
  • Tax free contributions via payroll deduction.
  • Carry over benefit for the health reimbursement account.

Employee Assistance Services
  • Confidential telephone hotline available 24/7.
  • Free, confidential assessments and referral to community resources for personal and work-related problems such as stress, marital issues, financial strains, substance abuse, elder care and parenting concerns, and other life issues that affect employees and family members.

Employee Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurances
  • City provides Employee life and AD&D insurance coverage at no cost to you; one times base salary rounded to the next higher $1,000.
  • Supplemental life insurance available for purchase through payroll deduction; multiples of your annual salary to a maximum of five times not to exceed $500,000.

Dependent Life Insurance
  • Supplemental life insurance available for purchase through payroll deduction.
  • Spouse coverage:  $50,000. 
  • Child(ren) coverage:  $10,000.

Long term Disability
  • Benefits payable after 90 or 180 days of disability
  • Benefit equal to 40% or 60% of monthly earnings to a maximum of $6,000 or $9,000 per month respectively.
Beneplace
  • Discount program providing discounts on entertainment tickets (such as movie and theme park), consumer goods, travel, and gym memberships.
 
Retirement and Wealth Building

Pension Plan
  • Eligibility - All regular full time and part time employees who work more than 20 hours per week.
  • Employee contribution of 8.25% of salary
  • City contribution of 19.74% of salary
  • Vested after five years
  • In place of Social Security

457 Plan
  • Eligibility - All employees who are at least 18 years of age.
  • Tax deferred contributions - Employees can defer up to IRS maximum of $18,000 in 2016. 
  • Catch-Up Contributions – age 50 or older.
  • Change your contributions at any time.
  • You decide how to invest the assets in your account from the available investment options.  You can change your investment choices at any time.
  • Quarterly statements and daily review of account on line.
 
Quality of Life and Career Fulfillment

Wellness Program
  • Proactive and preventative approach to your good health and well-being.
  • Biometric screening and health risk assessment for employees enrolled in our medical plan.
  • Wellness tools & activities.

Vacation
  • Eligibility: After successful completion of probationary period (usually 6 months).
  • Time off for rest, relaxation, vacation, illness, religious observances, and personal business.
  • Accrual (annual):           Year Hired:       4.62 hours biweekly
Years 1- 5:        15 days
Years 6 – 10:    17 days
Years 11 - 15:   18 days
Years 16 – 20:   20 days
Years 21+:        23 days

Major Medical Leave
  • Eligibility: After successful completion of probationary period (usually 6 months).
  • Accessible after 56 hours off work due to employee’s own serious health condition.
  • Accrual (annual): 
Year 0 - 15:       15 days
Years 16 – 25:  12 days
Years 26+:        7 days

Short Term Sick Leave
  • Eligibility: After successful completion of probationary period (usually 6 months).
  • Time off for short term illness, to care for a family member, attend physician appointments and for the wait period for major medical.
  • Accrual (annual):          
Years 0- 5:        2 days
Years 6 – 7:      0 days
Years 8 - 10:     5 days
Years 11 – 15:   4 days
Years 16 - 20:   5 days
Years 21 – 25:   2 days
Years 26+         7 days

Holidays:
  • Eligibility: 1st day of employment.
  • Eight holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day.
  • Personal Holiday: 1

Tuition Reimbursement Program 
  • Eligibility: After successful completion of probationary period (usually 6 months).
  • Reimbursement of tuition for pursuing a job-related degree or prepare you for another job within the City.

City of Fort Worth Employee University
  • Online and in person courses
  • Topics such as: Microsoft Office Suite, business leadership, communications, customer service, wellness and more.

Credit Union
  • Voluntary participation.
  • All employees eligible from 1st day of employment.
  • Full line of Credit Union Services including:  Checking and Savings Accounts, Vehicle Financing and Real Estate Loans.