Charlie Lauersdorf

As a father of 6, I put family above all else. Keeping my family safe is one of my most sacred duties. In 2023, I was elected to represent the residents of District 4. Since then, I have fought daily for not just my district, but the entire city.

Fort Worth is now home to nearly 1,000,000 people and is the fastest growing city in the nation. There is simply way too much to lose with the wrong people in leadership positions.

Therefore, I am running for reelection so I can continue to advocate and fight for District 4.

I am a staunch supporter of law enforcement, firefighters, and all first responders. As one of the most pro-police members of the City Council, I have the honor of speaking at each graduating Police Academy class, welcoming the newest members of Fort Worth’s finest. I was also instrumental in the process of bringing MedStar under the Fort Worth Fire Department, a change that will significantly improve response times, particularly in North Fort Worth.

As your Councilman, I will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure public safety and the safety of our police officers and firefighters. Safe streets attract more business and create quality jobs, which benefits our entire city—and I take that responsibility seriously.

As a U.S. Marine with eight deployments under my belt, I am no stranger to fighting for what matters most. My service is a testament to my ability to face adversity and stand tall. While those deployments required immense sacrifices from me and my family, I knew what was at stake and was willing to answer the call. I am once again prepared to make those sacrifices for the great city I call home.

I joined the Marine Corps in 2001, just months before 9/11, and jumped into the fight right away. Despite being wounded in combat in 2004, I continued to answer the call time and time again. Today, I continue to serve our country as a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves.

I started my first business while still in high school, and my entrepreneurial spirit remains strong. In 2011, after leaving active duty, I launched my most recent venture here in Fort Worth, which continues to thrive. I currently serve on the Fort Worth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee, where I bring my passion for business and innovation to the table.

As a proud graduate of TCU’s Executive MBA program, I bring not only real-world experience but also advanced education to the City Council. These strengths allow me to make informed decisions that will benefit Fort Worth and its residents.

I also serve as a Tarrant County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), where I advocate for the best interests of a child who has been removed from their home due to abuse or neglect, essentially acting as the child's voice in court to ensure they receive a safe and permanent placement.

I'm not the only one in my family that serves though. My wife, Amanda, is a Nurse in the U.S. Army Reserves and will soon deploy overseas for a year. My brother recently retired from the military after a combined 24 years in the Army and Marine Corps, and my father is a Marine who fought in the Vietnam War.

Charlie's Priorities for District 4

Public Safety:

I will continue to advocate for additional police & fire resources in North Fort Worth, specifically in District 4. An increase in police & fire will undoubtedly lead to faster response times and not just crime reduction, but prevention. Additional police presence will also deter street racers, intersection takeovers, and those who blatantly disregard traffic laws, putting our families at risk. During his first term, District 4 for the first time in over a decade saw each one of its police beats fully staffed. When he is reelected, he will continue to advocate for even more resources in District 4.

In 2024, I was appointed by Mayor Mattie Parker to the Emergency Medical Response Adhoc Committee, which was tasked with finding ways to improve emergency response times, specifically from our ambulance service. Because of a myriad of reasons, including rising costs, increases in call volumes and declining insurance reimbursements, MedStar was unable to continue operations effectively. Therefore, the Committee, through numerous meetings and a very detailed third-party study, recommended to the full council to dissolve MedStar and bring the services under the Fort Worth Fire Department. That recommendation was unanimously approved.

property taxes:

As our property values skyrocket, our property taxes are increasing with it. This is unsustainable and putting a burden on too many hard-working families. My own personal property taxes have gone up exorbitantly high, so I feel the pain, too. I will work with city staff to ensure we have a sound budget, free of wasteful spending. I will not shy away from asking tough questions on why we fund programs that are either underperforming or simply not needed. I whole heartedly believe in fiscal responsibility. Before Council approves to spend money, we must ensure we are being good stewards of tax dollars.

Currently, residential property taxes are accounting for 60% of our tax base - whereas it should be at 40%. We need to get our city back to where the commercial portion should be 60%. We do that by attracting the RIGHT businesses to Fort Worth - businesses that bring services we want and need, and that bring the right jobs - Fort Worth jobs!

During my first term, I took part in two budget cycles. The first, I voted no to because I felt it didn't do enough to relieve property taxes. During the second budget cycle I fought to lower the property tax rate, which I was successful in doing when we approved a rate which was effectively below the "no new revenue" rate. But I know there is more work to be done!

I am also proud that during his first term, I not only increased the property tax exemption rate for Over 65 & Disabled, but DOUBLED that exemption TWICE. In doing so, we effectively cut the property taxes for some of our most vulnerable residents, many of whom are on fixed incomes.

GROWTH & DEvelopment:

If you look at the district map, you'll see how densely packed District 4 is. We have very little raw land for development. While I support growth, I believe it must be done responsibly. I will ensure that developers, whether commercial or residential, are talking with the neighborhoods they want to build in to ensure they're bringing in something we want and/or need. We simply don't have room to develop for developments sake, so if there's no dialogue - there's no developing. I believe we can all work together to build beautiful housing and beautiful businesses that we, those that live here, are proud to call ours. I will only vote to approve zoning changes and projects that are respectfully planned out and where dialogue has been made.

During my first term as you Councilman, I turned away numerous developers who had no vested interest in Fort Worth. While I certainly understand the need for additional housing, I will NOT allow developers to put huge multifamily residences on tiny infill lots, further straining an already strained infrastructure. I will continue to involve the communities that could be impacted most, early in the process and solicit feedback.

ROADS & INfrastructure:

While roads aren't the sexy topic you hear about in mainstream media, it's one of the items our Council needs to focus on - things that matter to all of us, every day. I will ensure that District 4 is getting the resources they need - such as re-striping of old roads, road repair, street light repair, street sweepers, and more. District 4 pays a huge chunk of the tax base and as such, we should not be forgotten and neglected. I will ensure projects are completed in a timely manner; we can't afford anymore congestion than we already have here. Clean, beautiful roads with the right traffic mitigation measures leads to a better quality of life - just what we need here in District 4.

QUALITY OF LIFE:

One of my main reasons for running reelection is the upcoming 2026 Bond Election. We need someone who is willing to FIGHT to make sure that our hard-earned tax dollars are being spent wisely. One of my main goals in the 2026 is to ensure a community center is built in District 4. What we currently have is simply not a community center, though it has the potential to become one - but not without significant investment. I will not sit back and watch other parts of Fort Worth get community centers, parks, and other recreation destinations while District 4 is left out.

District 4 Wins

TAX EXEMPTION INCREASE

I voted to approve TWO property tax exemptions for 65+ & Disabled.

BETTER EMS RESPONSE TIMES

I took part in overhaul of EMS, resulting in 50% reduction in response times.

TAX RATE BELOW NO NO-NEW-REVENUE

I fought against initial proposal to increase tax rate. I won that fight.

PROTECTED OUR STUDENTS

I executed council-initiated rezoning for land near Elementary School.

TRASH PICK-UP

I demanded the overhaul of Fort Worth's trash service. And we're getting it.

ADDED MORE POLICE OFFICERS

I fought for more police officers, specifically in D4. In the 2024 we added 106 new police positions, including 21 new patrol officers, 14 additional 9-1-1 call takers, 10 specialized sworn personnel, and nine new school resource officers. In 2024, for the first time in over a decade, every police beat in North Fort Worth was filled! In 2025, we increased police and fire budget by $155 million to ensure they had the resources they need! Other highlights include: - Increasing budget for School Resources Officers by $700,000 - Add ballistic glass and door plates to new police vehicles - Add $1.4 million to School Crossing Guard program