HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 26-0089 - 2026-08-04 - Informal ReportFORT WORTH.;
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
SUBJECT: PROPOSED CHANGES TO CHAPTER 10 COURTS OF THE CITY CODE - WILLIAM
RUMULY, MUNICIPAL COURT DIRECTOR
DATE: 08/04/26 NUMBER: IR 26-0089
TO THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide the City Council with a summary of
proposed ordinance changes to Chapter 10 of the City Code along with a resolution revising
the parking fine schedule as outlined below and set for consideration on the August 11, 2026
agenda.
Discussion
Over the past year, the Municipal Court Department, in coordination with the City Attorney's
Office, the Chief Judge, and staff from the Transportation and Public Works Department,
conducted a comprehensive review of Chapter 10, Articles I and II of the Fort Worth City Code.
This review evaluated statutory compliance, operational practices, internal processes,
administrative structure, and opportunities for modernization. The proposed amendments
modernize judicial administration, streamline parking violation adjudication, correct outdated
statutory references, and ensure fee structures align with state mandates and operational
needs.
The amendments fall into five primary categories:
1. Organizational Changes - These updates strengthen governance and accountability
by replacing obsolete committee structures, streamlining judicial evaluations,
appointments and reappointments directly to City Council, clarifying judicial
appointment cycles, establishing the Court Security Committee required by state law,
and requiring annual judicial reporting and performance evaluations.
2. Operational Changes - While the number of Municipal Court divisions was reduced
from nine to six, the exact number was removed to streamline future changes,
clarifying the Chief Judge's administrative responsibilities, modernizing City Marshal
security authority, and removing outdated statutory references throughout Article I.
3. State -Law -Driven and Cleanup Changes - Major cleanup items include replacing
outdated fee structures with the statutorily mandated Local Consolidated Fee,
removing obsolete fee sections (Fee for Record on Appeal and Juvenile Case Manager
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Fee, updating terminology to reflect modern statutes, and renumbering multiple
sections for clarity.
4. Parking Violations Bureau Amendments - Amendments to Article II improve parking
citation processes by extending the online contest period to 21 days expanding boot
notice requirements, and reassigning oversight of the accessible parking volunteer
enforcement program to the Director of Transportation and Public Works.
5. Staff -Initiated Fee Amendments - To support security and technology needs, the
ordinance introduces a Civil Security Fee and a Civil Technology Fee per parking
violation and increases the fee assessed when a vehicle is booted. The fee amounts
will be in the upcoming fee ordinance, effective October 1, 2026. The attached chart
illustrates the total amount of parking fines and fees, inclusive of the new civil fees.
In conjunction with the new civil fees, Municipal Court Department will establish two new
Special Revenue Fund (SRF) projects. One SRF project will be dedicated to the $5 Civil
Security Fee, with expenditures limited to Court Security Personnel, Court Security Services,
equipment and building security -related items for Municipal Court facilities. A second SRF
project will be created for the $5 Civil Technology Fee, with expenditures restricted exclusively
to financing or maintaining technological enhancements for the Municipal Court, including
hardware, software, and digital infrastructure.
Staff will request that the City Council approve a resolution to revise the civil parking fine
schedule, with an effective date of October 1, 2026. The chart below illustrates the changes:
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FORT WORTH®
Proposed Fine Schedule Effective October 1, 2026
Code Violation Fine Civil Civil child Total Late Fee (after Total with
Technology Security Safety 21 days) Late Fee
P01 No Parking, Stopping or Standing Anytime $6D $5 $5 $5 $75 $25 $1D0
P02
Keysin Car
$105
$5
$5
$5
$120
$25
$145
PD3
Parked Facing Traffic
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
PO4
Storing Vehicle on Street
$55
$5
$5
$5
$70
$25
$95
P05
Parked in a Fire Lane/Zone
$200
$5
$5
$5
$215
$50
$265
PD6
No Parking From To
$60
$5
$5
$5
$75
$25
$10o
PD8
Parking Meter Expired
$40
$5
$5
$5
$55
$25
"0
P10
Other
$40
$5
$5
$5
$55
$25
$80
Pll
Parked in Disabled Space/Zane
$200
$5
$5
$5
$215
$50
$265
P12
Parked in Front/Side Yard
$8D
$5
$5
$5
$95
$25
$120
P15
Parked in a Taw -Away Zone
$105
$5
$5
$5
$120
$25
$145
P16
Parked Within 15 Feet of Fire Hydrant
$1D5
$5
$5
$5
$12D
$25
$145
P17
Meter Feeding
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P19
Parked Exceeding 18 Inches from the Curb
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P2D
Parked Vehicle on Street/Lessthan 1D Feet Left Available
$35
$5
$5
$5
$5D
$25
$75
P21
Exceeded Passenger Loading Zone Time Limit
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P22
Unattended Vehicle in Passenger Loading Zone
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P23
Exceeded Commercial Loading Zone (CLZ)Time Limit
$9D
$5
$5
$5
$1D5
$25
$130
P24
Parked in Alley
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P25
Parked/Stopped Non -Commercial Vehicle in 07
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P27
Oversized Commercial Vehicle on a Public Street
$200
$5
$5
$5
$215
$50
$265
P29
Parked Articulated Vehicle (Six or More Wheels)
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P36
Head -In Parking
$35
$5
$5
$5
$5D
$25
$75
P37
Stop, Stand or Park Prohibited in Certain Places
$5D
$5
$5
$5
$65
$25
$9D
P38
Parked at a Nan -Operational Meter
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P39
Manner of Parking at Meters
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P44
Fail to Display Meter Receipt, Hangtag or Permit
$40
$5
$5
$5
$55
$25
$80
P45
Exceeded Meter Time Limit
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P46
Stop, Stand or Park on a Sidewalk
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P47
Parked in Front of a Public or Private Driveway
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P48
Exceeded Valet Zone - 5 Minute Limit (Nan -Hotel)
$35
$5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P49
Exceeded Valet Zone - 30 Minute Limit (Hotel)
$35
IS5
$5
$5
$50
$25
$75
P50
Parked in a Tow -Away Zone - Valet Zone
$1D5
$5
$5
$5
$120
$25
$145
For questions regarding this information, please contact William F. Rumuly, Municipal Court
Services Director at 617-392-6736.
Jesus "Jay" Chapa
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
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Chapter 10 City Code
AUGUST 4, 2026
Proposed Changes
CC WORKSESSION
Reference Chart
Article
REF
Change
Effective Date
While the number of Municipal Court divisions was reduced from nine to six, due to closure of Southwest Municipal Court in 2020 and Truancy Court at Eastern Hills High School in
1
10-1(a)
2016, the exact number was removed to streamline future changes
Immediate upon passage
1
10-2(a)
Remove ad hoc municipal court advisory committee references
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(a)
Judicial appointments directly to City Council and substitute judges appointment on odd number years
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(b)(8)
Chief Judge to provide annual report to City Council
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(b)(9)
Chiefludge to establish a Court Security Committee as required under CHAPTER 30 MUNICIPAL COURTS OF RECORD Sec.30.00007
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(b)(10)
When warranted take complaints on judicial staff before the City Council
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(b)(11)
Chief Judge to conduct annual performance ofjudges and provide to City Council at time of reappointment
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(c)
Deputy Chief Judge appointment recommended directly to City Council
Immediate upon passage
1
10-3(e)
Judges exempt from the dismissal, suspension and demotion sections in Chapter 2, Article V of the Fort Worth City Code
Immediate upon passage
1
10-4(a)(3)
Remove completely -reference to court reporter
Immediate upon passage
1
10-4(a)(4)
Remove completely -other staff references
Immediate upon passage
1
10-5
Remove reference to bureau clerk being appointed
Immediate upon passage
1
10-5
Remove requirement for Fidelity Bond -no longer required
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(a)
Update name to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(a)
Replace men with officers
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(a)
Remove Tex. Revised Civil Statutes Article 1269m and replace with Chapter 143 ofthe Texas Local Government Code
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(b)(1)
Remove theword'and"
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(b)(3)
Add to include authority to bailiff and security for all city facilities
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(c)
Add "as assigned by the Director"
Immediate upon passage
1
10-6(d)
Remove reference to retirement fund member eligibility and survivor assistance benefits under Tex. Revised Civil Service Statutes Article6228f
Immediate upon passage
1
10-7
Update language on Special Expense Applicable to Certain dismissed Cases
Immediate upon passage
Replaced prior language for 10-8 Municipal Court Building Security Fee & 10-9 Municipal Court Technology Fund 10-9with reference to Local Consolidated Fee language under
1
10-8
Section 134.103(b) of Texas Local Government Code
Immediate upon passage
1
10-9
Replaces 10.9.1 numbering for Collections Contracts section
Immediate upon passage
1
10-10
Per change in state law completely removes Fee for Record on Appeal
Immediate upon passage
1
10-11
Removes completely reference to Juvenile Case Manager Fund and Fee (Removed and replaced by Local Consolidated Fee in 10-8
Immediate upon passage
1
10-12
Court Costs for Parking Violations renumbered to 10-10
Immediate upon passage
2
10-18(b)
Replaces the Chief of Police with the Director of TPW, or their authorized designee, to provide direction to the CM regarding the accessible parking volunteer enforcement program
Immediate upon passage
2
10-20(e)
Remove"order to be filed with the clerk of the municipal court"
Immediate upon passage
2
10-20(h)
Updates abilityto contest parking citation online to same as in -person /21 days from offense date
Immediate upon passage
2
10-21(b)
Removes $10 nonrefundable Appeal Fee to be consistent with criminal appeals
Immediate upon passage
Adds the following to the required written notice:
(3)The date and time of the boot installation
(4)The fee amount for boot removal
(5)The authorized parking enforcement agent's company name, address, and phone number, including 24-hour contact
2
10-23(b)
Renumber 3&4 to 6&7
Immediate upon passage
Insert new requirements for boot removal within one hour after the owner pays the delinquent balance and requests removal.
"Any authorized parking enforcement agent responsible for installation of a boot on a vehicle shall remove the boot not later than one hour after the time the owner or operator of the
2
10-24(b)
vehicle satisfies the requirements of Section 10-24 (a) and requests removal of the boot"
Immediate upon passage
2
10-24(c)
Reassign previously assigned language for(b)to(c)
Immediate upon passage
2
10-26
Adds $5 civil security fee per parking violation
10/1/2026
2
10-26
Adds $5 civil technology fee per parking violation
10/1/2026
Per state law, provides forwaiver of the boot fee if not removed within 1 hour after payment and request for removal
"except that the fee shall be waived, excluding any associated fees, if the authorized parking enforcement agent fails to have the boot removed within the time prescribed by Section
2
10-26(e)
10-24 (b)"
Immediate upon passage
2
10-26(e)
Increase the boot fee from $50 to $75
10/1/2026
2
10-27
No Substantive Changes
n/a
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