Fort Worth Star-Telegram recommends Fickes for Precinct 3.

Commissioner Fickes lowered TAXES during his first year in office,
he's doing it again this year!!!

Commissioner Fickes worked to keep Road Expansion of Airport Freeway,
820 North and the Grapevine Funnel project on track.
Solving Road Congestion is Commissioner Fickes No. 1 Priority

Commissioner Fickes has brought Improved Health Care to NETC with the opening of the Gertrude Tarpley JPS Health Clinic at Watauga and 3 new School Based Clinics serving 1,000 children a month.

Commissioner Fickes has helped facilitate over 1.3 Billion Dollars in new Economic Development construction to NETC.
Bringing Businesses, Jobs and new Families to our area.

Gary's Commitment

I asked for your Help and Support two years ago -  I made a pledge to you and the voters of Precinct 3 that I would work toward change in a number of areas. I said we would LOWER THE TAX RATE, and we DID. We also LOWERED THE TAX RATE for the Hospital District. Both of these taxes were lowered for the first time in many years.

Transportation improvements are the key to increased mobility in NETC.  Key projects that we have worked on for years were put into jeopardy by a moratorium from this past State Legislative session. This would have stopped all of our major projects. Projects that would have been impacted include the Grapevine Funnel (DFW Connector), Airport Freeway, Loop 820 North and I-35 North (North Tarrant Expressway). Working with many other NETC leaders, we lobbied against this action and asked that our projects be removed from the Bill. Our projects were exempted and not affected.

Health Care improvements are very important to our area. We had only one John Peter Smith Health System Clinic in Precinct 3, which was located in Bedford. We established a Northeast Health Care Task Force from a broad range of backgrounds to look at this problem. Because of that committee's effort,  we are opening the Gertrude Tarpley JPS Health Clinic, a Level One Clinic, in Watauga in July, 2008.  We have also opened three school-based clinics in our precinct.

Economic Development will continue to be the key to adding quality jobs, housing and commercial development to our area. This past year, Fidelity Investments started a 600,000 SF building, valued at over $200,000,000 and will bring up to 2,500 new jobs to our area. In July, Deloitte & Touche announced a major training center in Westlake. We are working on three other projects for 2008 that will have a similar effect on  NETC.

I made a Commitment to you the Voters…I'll continue working to fulfill that promise.

Leadership

My mission as your County Commissioner has been to provide the leadership required to make Precinct 3 the Premier area of Tarrant County and the most desirable area to live and work in the Metroplex. My experience this past year as your County Commissioner and as the former Mayor of Southlake (1989-1996) have given me the opportunity and first hand experience to help build a truly great area. I want to use that experience to work with the citizens of Precinct 3 to make our area a great place to call "Home".

Accountability

As your County Commissioner, I am committed to being accountable to the Citizens of Precinct 3. My staff and I are accessible and responsive to the needs of the citizens in our precinct. We will also demand accountability from all Tarrant County departments and all contractors performing work for Tarrant County. We accept the responsibility that comes with the office of County Commissioner and thank you for your trust and support.

Fiscal Responsibility

As your County Commissioner, I will evaluate the budgetary needs of each County Department. Validation of current funding will need to be provided for my consideration. I believe in looking for innovative solutions to reducing costs when possible and I do not believe that budgets should increase every year. I made a commitment to Lower the Tax Rate for the citizens of Tarrant County. I worked with the other Commissioners and key Administrative Staff and explained my goal and why we needed to do this. I had very little resistance. We were also able to lower the Tax Rate for the Tarrant County Hospital District. This was the first time rates have been lowered in many years. I will continue to see that we lower rates again! It’s your money and I understand that! 

Transportation

Increased mobility is our goal in NETC. The DFW Connector will start construction in 2009 as a Design/Build Project. This process will speed up construction by years. The North Tarrant Expressway, which includes Airport Freeway will start in 2009. Colleyville Blvd. and Hwy. 26 in Grapevine will continue working toward construction starts. Engineering, R.O.W. Surveying and property appraisals are nearing completion. Seventy-five percent of R.O.W. tracts have been purchased. The Extension of F.M. 1938 (Westlake, Keller and Southlake) from Southlake Blvd. to S.H. 114 is working toward construction starts. Phase I, the Westlake portion, is to have its bid letting in late 2008 with construction to start before the end of the year. All R.O.W. and engineering is completed.

We continue to rebuild roads for our cities in our Precinct and also continue funding major projects that were approved in the 2006 Road Bond Program ($200,000,000 County wide). There are many great City and Community leaders in our Precinct that work very hard toward transportation improvements. With their great help and your continued support, we will achieve our goal of improved mobility.

Toll Roads:  I am against Tolling any and all existing Federal or State Highways where open lanes are changed to toll lanes. We, as taxpayers, have paid for those freeways and they should stay open. Managed Lanes are where all existing open-free expanded lanes remain as such, but additional lanes are added (usually in the middle) that are used as Express Lanes and a charge is required to use them. If traveling this freeway, you make the choice, it’s not dictated that you pay. This type of project will drastically expand free capacity on our freeways.

Economic Development

I see QUALITY Economic Development as the key for continued job and quality home growth in Precinct 3. In its most basic term, it’s the importation of new dollars to our area. The start of the new Fidelity Investment project will provide 2,500 new jobs with pay ranging from $45,000. to nearly $100,000. 

Deloitte & Touche announced a major training center with an in-house hotel with 800 rooms. We are working on three other projects with similar size and employment salaries. Almost all cities in Precinct 3 saw large increases in sales tax volume. The great success of our Town Center projects in Keller, Southlake, North Richland Hills, Colleyville and the huge success of Grapevine’s Gaylord Texas Resort, Grapevine Mills and the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, are the envy of the entire Metroplex.

All areas of the H.E.B. cities have numerous projects under construction with Euless leading the way with large commercial projects in the S.H. 121 area. Haslet is undergoing a great transformation with many new homes and major roadway improvements. Watauga continues to develop great commercial projects in the U.S Hwy 377 corridor. We are working with Richland Hills on forming a coalition with Haltom City and N.R.H. to facilitate improvements and development in Blvd. 26 area. Good Roads bring quality commercial development.

North Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing areas of the entire country!  Keeping up with that growth is a challenge. We are working with the city and their council to help increase the capacity of the roads in the area and other infrastructure improvements. They are having a commercial boom along I-35 North and also in the U.S. Hwy 287/Avondale Haslet area.