Jesus "Jay" Chapa named Fort Worth's next city manager in historic appointment
The Fort Worth City Council voted to appoint Jesus "Jay" Chapa as the next city manager on Tuesday night.
Mayor Mattie Parker welcomed Chapa's appointment as the city's first Hispanic city manager after the motion passed in a 9-1 vote. Nine council members voted in favor, Council member Chris Nettles voted against and Council member Jared Williams abstained.
Chapa thanked the City Council for their support and their vote.
"Hopefully I was chosen because I was the best candidate and I just happen to be Hispanic," Chapa said. "Of course, it's a lot of pride being the sixth kid of a single mom from a border town down in South Texas. There's a lot of pride and I think there's a lot of pride in the Hispanic community overall."
Chapa is no stranger to Fort Worth or its city government. He spent more than two decades working for the city in roles ranging from deputy city manager to director of housing and economic development. He also worked with the city's outgoing manager David Cooke for the past decade, according to Parker.
According to the city, the HR department conducted a comprehensive national search with more than 150 applicants. Fourteen semifinalists were then presented to the City Council, which interviewed five of them earlier this month.
Not all council members were in favor of Chapa's appointment.
City Councilmember Chris Nettles wanted an independent firm to lead the search, along with an opportunity for residents and business leaders to weigh in on the final candidates. He previously accused some of his fellow council members of handpicking and anointing their favorite candidate.
"There were at least two to three other candidates who were not only qualified but were actively city managers in other cities and had the tools to walk in on day one and run the city of Fort Worth as the 12th largest city with a different vision forward," Nettles said previously. "We still ended up with who they had said from day one."
Several other council members previously told CBS News Texas the search process was fair and exhaustive.
"I feel there was debate about the candidates that were presented and I feel confident that the cream rose to the top, and that was Jay Chapa," Councilmember Michael D. Crain previously said.
Parker said the "well-established process and timeline were agreed upon by the full council" in a letter announcing Chapa's appointment.
"Ultimately, we believe Jay Chapa is the best person for the job, and Fort Worth should celebrate his historic appointment as our city's first Hispanic city manager," Parker said via social media platform X.
"I'm excited about coming in at the end of January and actually moving forward in the job," Chapa said.
