Fort Worth is hitting pause on most new city hires as officials race to close a growing budget gap, leaving many desks empty while City Hall waits for clearer revenue numbers.
City Manager Jay Chapa has ordered departments to curb discretionary spending and to avoid filling vacancies that were not already posted as of March 12. Police and fire hiring are untouched, and seasonal positions such as lifeguards are also exempt. In the meantime, departments and council offices are shuffling workloads to cover the gaps.
What the memo says
The memo, distributed to department heads yesterday, tells leaders to limit discretionary spending and to stop filling many open jobs immediately. It notes that the hiring freeze does not apply to positions posted before March 12, exempts police and fire roles and seasonal jobs, and makes clear there is no official waiver process, asking managers to "please manage workload with existing staff as best you can," according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Council offices and staffing
At least one council office is already adjusting. Councilmember Michael Crain told the Star-Telegram he shared the memo with his staff and does not plan to fill an open district director position, saying District 3 residents can be confident that our office will remain responsive while doing its part to be fiscally responsible. Crain also said he supports Chapa's move to shore up the budget, the newspaper reports.
Why now: the numbers behind the move
Chapa's decision follows forecasts that the city may spend more than it brings in through the end of the fiscal year, and that revenues are expected to be lower in 2027. Those warnings appear in the city’s FY2026 recommended budget documents from the City of Fort Worth. Earlier local coverage from the Fort Worth Report has detailed tightening revenue projections and a need for leaders to track spending month by month as updated figures arrive.
What residents and jobseekers should expect
Because already-posted openings and public safety positions are exempt, some roles will still be filled. But many nonessential jobs could sit vacant for months, pushing extra work onto existing staff. City leaders say they will revisit the hiring pause each month and may adjust it as projections change.
Those monthly check-ins are part of a broader pattern of belt-tightening at City Hall, following earlier staffing and organizational shakeups that helped set the stage for this latest move.
