July 4th Fizzle

Apparently these North Texas cities are a bust on the 4th of July

Houston Symphony Fourth of July fireworks at Miller Outdoor Theater July 2013

Don't let the fireworks fool you: These cities aren't so hot for Fourth of July.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

There are a few North Texas cities you may want to steer clear of on America's birthday. Specifically Irving, Arlington, and Garland, which land in the bottom 10 on WalletHub's ranking of the best and worst cities for Fourth of July celebrations.

To come up with the rankings, the personal finance site looked at how well the cities balance holiday cost and fun, using 16 different metrics, such as the duration of fireworks shows, average gas prices, weather forecasts, and more.

It's no surprise to anyone who's been to North Texas in the summer that we fare poorly in the weather category. Garland and Arlington tie at No. 93, while Irving ranks even lower, at No. 96. For attractions and activities, Irving once again sits at No. 96. Arlington and Garland are nearby, at Nos. 92 and 88, respectively.

Arlington makes an impressive though not so surprising jump up in the entertainment and food rankings, with the area's amusement parks, water parks, and sports stadiums elevating it to No. 57. The other two also have their best showings here — No. 72 for Irving, No. 75 for Garland — but it's still not worth lighting sparklers for.

The Texas city that shows up highest on the list is Austin, at No. 31, with Houston (No. 41) and Dallas (No. 42) not far behind. Fort Worth is all the way down at No. 75.

Seattle, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Washington, and Portland are the best cities for Fourth of July celebrations.

While North Texas may not be in the running with the nation's capital, at least we're not Laredo, which comes in dead last. The only thing it has going for it is the country's lowest average prices on beer and wine.

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Politics News

Fort Worth on track to hire first Hispanic city manager Jay Chapa

Courtesy photo

Jay Chapa

The City of Fort Worth is poised to hire a new city manager: Jesus “Jay” Chapa, who boasts extensive experience in local government, is set to become the new city manager pending approval by the City Council on Tuesday, December 10.

According to a release, Chapa is the lone finalist for the job. If confirmed, he'll make history as Fort Worth’s first Hispanic city manager.

Current City Manager David Cooke announced in his retirement in July. He'll leave his post in February 2025.

More than 150 candidates from across the country applied; of those, 14 candidates were presented to the City Council. Five semifinalists were interviewed by the council before it was narrowed down to Chapa as a finalist.

Chapa served as deputy city manager of Fort Worth from 2020-2022 and has more than 20 years of experience in city management and economic development, including roles as assistant city manager, director of housing and economic development, director of economic and community development, and working with Fort Worth Police Department leadership.

He also led significant projects such as the completion and opening of Dickies Arena, the development of Renaissance Square, and the growth of the Near Southside.

In February 2022, Chapa started a consulting company to provide strategic advice to local governments, public agencies, and businesses.

“Jay is a man of brilliant creative thinking, has led most of the public-private partnership efforts in the city over the past 10 years, and has an unmatched ability to hit the ground running,” says Mayor Mattie Parker in a statement. “His proven financial stewardship has and will continue to set the nation’s 12th largest city up for success far into the future. Jay is one of the most qualified city managers in the country — and we are the lucky ones because Jay already calls Fort Worth home.”

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