City of Fort Worth launches new public dashboards to expand transparency and access to data

Fort Worth, Texas – The City of Fort Worth is taking a major step toward greater transparency and public access to information with the release of three new online dashboards that allow residents to track how the city operates, spends money, hires employees, and processes development permits.

City officials said the dashboards are now publicly available online and will be updated regularly, giving residents clearer insight into city government functions. The tools focus on budgeting, employment trends, and building permit reviews, with more dashboards planned for release throughout the year.

According to the City of Fort Worth, the goal is to make city data easier to understand and easier to use, while also helping both residents and city staff make informed, data-driven decisions.

Improving transparency and access to city data

City leaders said the dashboards are designed to provide transparent, easy-to-understand information, help residents stay informed about city programs and outcomes, and track progress toward strategic goals and council priorities. Officials emphasized that the information is presented in a way that allows users to explore trends over time rather than relying on static reports.

The first of the newly released tools is the Budget vs. Actual dashboard, which gives users a clear look at how the city’s real revenues and expenses compare to the budget approved by City Council. Residents can view budgeted and actual revenues, budgeted and actual expenses, and the variance between planned and actual amounts. The dashboard includes data from Fiscal Years 2020 through 2026 and can be filtered by fiscal year, fund, or department. City officials said the data are updated daily as financial information is finalized, supporting financial transparency and public understanding of how tax dollars are used.

The second tool, the Employment Statistics dashboard, provides a detailed look at Fort Worth’s workforce. It includes both current and historical data showing staffing levels, workforce composition, and employment trends over time. Key metrics include the number of employees, average years of service, average annual salary, and employee demographics such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, and county of residence. The dashboard also tracks trends in new hires, promotions, retirements, and separations each year.

City officials noted that the data can be filtered by full-time or part-time status, by department, and by employee type, including Police, Fire, or General employees. To protect privacy, all information is aggregated, meaning no individual employee can be identified. The dashboard is intended to support workforce planning while giving residents a better understanding of how the city’s workforce is changing.

Tracking permit review timelines and council priorities

The third dashboard focuses on development and construction, an area of strong interest for residents and builders alike. The Building Permits Time to First City Comment dashboard measures the number of days between when a permit application is submitted and when the city issues its first review comment. Users can explore review times by residential or commercial permit type and by permit category, such as new construction, remodels, additions, or changes of use.

Data for this dashboard covers January 2024 to the present and is updated weekly. City officials said the information helps applicants understand what to expect and allows the public to monitor performance. The Development Services Department has set a target of seven business days for this initial review metric, and the dashboard helps track progress toward that goal.

In addition to the three dashboards, the city recently launched a Council Priorities dashboard website. This public-facing tool highlights action items and performance measures tied to the City Council priorities adopted in 2024. Officials said it is designed to show how departmental work aligns with council direction and to create a shared understanding of progress across city government.

City leaders said these dashboards reflect a broader commitment to openness and accountability, giving residents the tools they need to better understand how Fort Worth operates today and how it plans for the future.