DALLAS — Last year, Fort Worth gained a new distinction as Texas’ fourth city with more than 1 million people.
While other major Texas cities grew at a slower clip or struggled to regain residents it lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Worth boomed. The city added more than 100,000 new residents between 2019 and 2024, outpacing any other Texas city — including its neighbor, Dallas.
Despite that growth, Fort Worth officials found themselves in a tight spot this summer, facing a nearly $17 million budget deficit…