Elected in November, O’Hare started his tenure as County Judge in a contentious time in American history. With growing partisanship on both sides, it’s not always easy to be in a place of political leadership. O’Hare made sure to note that his position, while inherently political, is meant to serve all citizens of Tarrant County, not just those that align with his ideology. He underscored the importance of working together with all the County Commissioners to come up with solutions to the issues facing our county, and distinctly pointed out his strong working relationship with the County Commissioner responsible for Arlington, Alisa Simmons.
O’Hare also drew attention to the amazing growth in our county. With 2.15 million people, some studies rank Tarrant County as the 5th fastest growing county in the nation and the 3rd most populous county in Texas. All of this growth also leads to increased investments, like the new DFW Airport Expansion. O’Hare highlighted the fact that he is actively working to make our county even more business-friendly, in hopes that we will acquire more high-quality relocations from major corporations. All these investments and relocations lead to more job growth, and with workforce as educated as the one in Arlington (as he lauded the exceptional job the University of Texas at Arlington is doing to provide affordable and high-quality education to Texas residents), O’Hare has high hopes for job growth throughout his term.
Additionally, the County Judge emphasized his commitment to cutting unnecessary spending. Stating that as an attorney in North Texas he was always sure to save his clients as much money as possible and he aims to do the same with the citizens of Tarrant County. No stone went unturned during the creation of the ‘22-‘23 Fiscal Year Budget, and that O’Hare will continue to ask the hard questions about your tax dollars being saved wherever they can. O’Hare also focused on property taxes, and ways that the county can work to provide property tax relief to as many residents as possible. He named it the number one most talked about issue while campaigning, and noted the work the Commissioners Court has already done to reduce property taxes. For the first time in county history, there is now a 10% homestead exemption, which he hopes will ease some of the burden of increasing property tax rates.
The importance of law enforcement and the sheriff’s office was also a major topic of discussion. The start of his presentation included a thank you to all the first responders and military personnel in the audience, and the theme of gratitude continued throughout. O’Hare spoke of potential upgrades to the Sheriff department’s training facility, and how the growing number of unincorporated residents in Tarrant County makes their job incredibly important in the protection of the safety of residents. The sheriff’s department is essential in the growth and functioning of our county.
The biggest highlight of the event was Judge O’Hare’s gratitude to the county. He mentioned several times that Tarrant County is the best place to live, do business, raise a family, and worship. His commitment to the county stems from a place of extreme appreciation for what is already here, and a desire to continue working towards a better future.
Written by Catherine Cunningham