Betsy Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betsy Price
|
|
|---|---|
Price in 2012
|
|
| 44th Mayor of Fort Worth | |
| In office July 12, 2011 – June 15, 2021 |
|
| 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 until 2021. She was first chosen for this role on June 18, 2011.
Before becoming mayor, Price worked for Tarrant County as the tax assessor-collector. She held this job for 2½ terms, from 2001 to 2011. Price is a member of the Republican Party. She believes in careful spending of public money. She also worked to bring people together, rather than letting political differences divide them.
After serving five terms as mayor, Price decided not to run again in 2021. In June 2021, she announced she would run for County Judge of Tarrant County. In Texas, the county judge is like the chief leader of the county government. This job is different from a mayor because it is a partisan election, meaning candidates run as part of a political party. Price ran as a Republican but lost the primary election to Tim O’Hare.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Betsy Price was born Barbara Elizabeth Cornelius in Tarrant, Texas. Her parents were Wayne Clarence Cornelius and Elizabeth Mary Dalton. She is the youngest of four children.
Price grew up in Fort Worth, attending South Hi Mount Elementary School and Stripling Junior High School. She graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1968. In 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. Price wanted to become a veterinarian after high school. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1972.
Public Service Career
.jpg)
In the late 1980s, Betsy Price started her own business. She ran a company that helped people with car titles and licensing for 17 years. During this time, she also became involved in community activities. She worked to improve laws about car title lending and supported the Fort Worth Police Department's Bike Officers Citizens Support Club. She also served as Vice President of the Red Cross.
Becoming a Public Official
Price was active in the Republican Party. In 2000, she decided to run for her first public office. She successfully ran for the position of Tarrant County's Tax Assessor. Price has said she never planned to run for mayor. However, several political figures, including Congresswoman Kay Granger, encouraged her. Granger was the first female mayor of Fort Worth in the early 1990s.
In 2011, Price ran for mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. This was a non-partisan election, meaning candidates did not run as part of a political party. She won a run-off election against Jim Lane. She took over from Mike Moncrief. In 2015, she was elected for a third term without anyone running against her.
Key Actions as Mayor
In April 2016, Mayor Price supported several changes to the city's rules. These included increasing the number of city council seats from 8 to 10. This was due to the city growing northward. She also supported extending the term of office from 2 years to 3 years.
In May 2019, Price won against Deborah Peoples, who was the Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair. Price received 56% of the votes, while Peoples received 42%.
In October 2019, Price spoke out about a police shooting in Fort Worth. She asked the police chief to conduct a "complete and thorough investigation."
In 2020, 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.
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 was renamed the Betsy Price Community Center. This was approved by the City Council on December 10, 2024.
