My hometown of Haltom City is a comeback story — from a growing new city to a period of average growth to booming.
When my parents grew up in Haltom City in the ’60s it was not a whole lot different from when I grew up there in the ’80s. Streets were filled with kids riding bikes to the local corner store or the closest park. Like much of the metroplex, things started changing as growth began all around. Haltom City struggled to find its place and adjust to the economic development boom. Growth and development seemed to be happening to every city around us.
As a second-generation graduate of Haltom High School, my story was a lot like the city’s. Things were happening all around me and I was just getting by. That’s when I decided I wanted to make a change and started my own insurance agency, Troy Dunn Insurance Group, in 2013.
My wife and I began to get involved in the city, on boards and commissions, to try and make a difference in our community that we lived in and loved. Our company joined the North Tarrant Chamber of Commerce and learned about economic development firsthand. Things began to change with our company as growth was accepted and embraced. I am honored to serve as Place 5 on the City Council and am the North Tarrant Chamber of Commerce chairman for 2025. I served on the Birdville ISD bond committee and currently serve on the Partners in Education committee as well as the Birdville Education Foundation board.
We live in the Diamond Oaks area where huge oak trees are set along the streets and the golf course. Several times a year we have community gatherings to hang out and get to know our neighbors. My wife and I have seven kids between us and four grandkids.
Haltom City began to have new leadership who also saw the potential and need for the right economic development and growth. Almost at the point of no return, the city began an approach to bring it to where we are today.
Developments have begun and some have completed. Two new housing developments, a brand new city hall, Fire Station No. 3 and a law enforcement center. Along Loop 820 several additionseditions were made, including the H Mart development, that will be a regional draw, celebrate the diverse culture of the city, and should be completed by the end of year.
Haltom Road and 820 already feature the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites and will soon see My Stomping Grounds, a community area with restaurants and other businesses along with a nearby new pickleball building. At the south end, the city is excited to welcome Nails Plus, as they are remodeling the old Wells Fargo building on Belknap Street.
Haltom City has truly made a comeback to being named a top 100 city in Texas for producing sales tax and the highest credit rating ever received. This is a testament to the leadership and staff assembled to create a city I am proud to call home.
Haltom City is set for the 75th anniversary celebration on June 7 at the new North Park at 820 and Denton Highway. The park was the home to Northeast Optimist Club, and many grew up playing baseball or softball there, including myself. The city was able to purchase the property after many years of neglect and abandonment. Now, North Park will be a draw to everyone, with a 4-acre fishing pond stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife, walking trails, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, playground for kids and a community gathering place.
Diamond Oaks neighborhood of Haltom City
Total population: 241
Age
0-9: 12%
10-19: 1%
20-29: 34%
30-39: 9%
40-49: 8%
50-59: 21%
60-69: 10%
70-79: 3%
80 and older: 3%
Education
No degree: 43%
High school: 13%
Some college: 16%
Bachelor’s degree: 12%
Post-graduate: 2%
Race:
White: 38% | Black: 2% | Hispanic: 44% | Asian: 8%
Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings:
O.H. Stowe Elementary
North Oaks Middle School
Haltom High School
On Saturday, June 7 there will be a ribbon cutting for the new park with live music, food trucks, activities and games.
Haltom City is a comeback story full of the same hard-working, dedicated and proud citizens who have come together to make it a great place to live now and for the future.
When anyone gives me an opening, I will talk their ear off about how proud I am to have grown up here and stay here. Pride is still there and beginning to grow stronger in the community. The city boards and commissions are full of people that have grown up here and want to be part of its comeback.
Community is not about always agreeing, but having citizens that want to get involved together and put in the work to make it the best. When someone asks me where I am from, I am proud to say.
The time of just saying the Fort Worth area is over. My home is Haltom City.
Troy Dunn is the council member representing Place 5 on the Haltom City Council.
Related
Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.
Republish This Story
Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details.
