Betsy Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betsy Price
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Price in 2012
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| 44th Mayor of Fort Worth | |
| In office July 12, 2011 – June 15, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Moncrief |
| Succeeded by | Mattie Parker |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Barbara Elizabeth Cornelius
October 21, 1949 Tarrant County, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Texas, Arlington (BS) |
Barbara Elizabeth Cornelius Price (born October 21, 1949) is an American businesswoman and politician. She served as the mayor of Fort Worth, Texas for ten years, from 2011 to 2021. Before becoming mayor, she worked as the elected tax assessor-collector for Tarrant County from 2001 to 2011.
Betsy Price is a member of the Republican Party. She believes in managing money carefully, which is known as being fiscally conservative. She always aimed to work for everyone in the community, no matter their political views. After serving five terms as mayor, she decided not to run again in 2021. She then ran for County Judge of Tarrant County, a different leadership role, but did not win that election.
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Early Life and Education
Betsy Price was born Barbara Elizabeth Cornelius in Tarrant, Texas, on October 21, 1949. She was the youngest of four children. Growing up in Fort Worth, she went to South Hi Mount Elementary School and Stripling Junior High School.
In 1968, she graduated from Arlington Heights High School. During high school, she was a leader, serving as President of her homeroom and the Future Homemakers of America. She also worked as a nurse's assistant. Her first jobs included babysitting and helping at her family's used car business, Cornelius Motors. Betsy Price studied biology at the University of Texas at Arlington, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in 1972. She had originally hoped to become a veterinarian.
Career and Public Service
After college, Betsy Price ran her own business for 17 years, helping people with car titles and licensing. During this time, she also became involved in community activities. She worked to improve state laws about car title lending and was active in groups like the Fort Worth Police Department's Bike Officers Citizens Support Club. She also served as Vice President of the Red Cross.
Price became active in the Republican Party. In 2000, she ran for her first public office and was elected as Tarrant County's Tax Assessor. This job involves collecting taxes for the county.
Becoming Mayor of Fort Worth
Betsy Price had not planned to run for mayor. However, after being encouraged by several political leaders, including Congresswoman Kay Granger (who was Fort Worth's first female mayor), she decided to run.
In 2011, Price ran for mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. She won the election against Jim Lane. The mayor's job in Fort Worth is non-partisan, meaning candidates do not run as members of a political party. She took over from Mike Moncrief. In 2015, she was re-elected for her third term without anyone running against her.
Key Actions as Mayor
As mayor, Betsy Price worked on several important changes for the city. In 2016, she supported ideas to update the city's rules, called the city charter. These ideas included:
- Adding more city council seats, from 8 to 10, because the city was growing.
- Making the term of office for council members longer, from 2 years to 3 years.
- Increasing the pay for city council members.
- Deciding how to fill a vacant council seat if someone left office early.
In 2019, Price won re-election against Deborah Peoples. Later that year, she spoke out about a serious incident involving the Fort Worth Police Department. She announced that she wanted the police chief to conduct a "complete and thorough investigation" to ensure fairness and safety for the community.
In 2020, Betsy Price became sick with Covid-19 but recovered. On January 6, 2021, she announced that she would not seek a sixth term as mayor. During her time as mayor, she was known for working well with Mike Rawlings, who was the mayor of Dallas.
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Personal Life
Betsy Price has been married to Tom Price, an insurance executive, for over 40 years. They have three adult children and several grandchildren.
Honors
- The Northwest Community Center in Fort Worth was renamed the Betsy Price Community Center in her honor. The City Council approved this name change on December 10, 2024.
