North Fort Worth Councilman Dennis Shingleton will retire after a decade in office
January 11,2021
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Luke Ranker here.
Councilman Dennis Shingleton won’t seek reelection after a decade representing one of Fort Worth’s fastest growing suburban areas.
Shingleton, 74, made the announcement Monday through the city. He was first elected in 2011.
“It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve the residents of District 7 and all of Fort Worth,” Shingleton said in a prepared statement. “Together, working alongside residents and businesses from all parts of the community, we have made incredible strides and built a stronger Fort Worth with opportunity for all.”
During his time on council, Shingleton served as Mayor Pro Tem and on several committees, including the Fort Worth Sports Authority and Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. Shingleton served on the City Planning Commission for nine years, including five years as chairman.
The city’s announcement of his retirement touted Shingleton, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, for “his common-sense approach and ability to bring people together to find solutions for even the most difficult issues.”
District 7, an odd-shaped zone that includes the Cultural District, part of west Fort Worth and the booming Alliance corridor, has been epicenter for much of Fort Worth’s growth over the last 10 years.
The growth has been one of Shingleton’s biggest challenges as he tried to balance a pro-business agenda with growing concerns from northern neighborhoods about traffic congestion and other growing pains.
Early last year he suggested the city slow dense development until east/west arterial streets could be widened. In December he joined two other council members in calling for a pause to rezoning land for apartments, worried that dense housing was adding to the congestion. Also last year he was among council members who blocked an affordable housing complex in Linwood, a popular neighborhood in the Cultural District. Shingleton expressed concerns the area immediately west of downtown had become too dense.
Shingleton played a key role in the Dickies Arena public-private partnership and serves on the board of directors.
Leonard Firestone, co-founder of the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company, told the Star-Telegram earlier this month he plans to run for District 7. Shingleton last week said he would likely make an endorsement for his replacement.