In the midst of a campaign, it?s important to remind ourselves that most candidates and citizens want a better community. {{more: CONTINUE …}}We want an attractive and safe community where we can raise families; our homes can be good investments, and we have easy access to work, church, shopping and recreation. We want readily available and affordable utilities, good police and fire protection, good streets and parks, and a generally good feeling about our hometown. Most of us have that in common.
Leadership looks for ways to build a better community; for the goals and objectives to achieve our vision of being a better place for all to live. Kennedale has changed a lot in my 32 years here, and there has long been an uneasy divide between the newer additions and old Kennedale. It?s time for this to end. Kennedale is too small for division. I believe one way to be a better is to be a more inclusive community. We must be inclusive with residents who are different than we are. We must be inclusive regardless of whether we live in ?old? or ?new? Kennedale. Newer sections of town should appreciate our town?s legacy and the contributions and sacrifice that longtime residents have made. At the same time, our older residents need to appreciate that the newer additions to Kennedale will help our town become more prosperous, increasing property values, attracting good businesses, and ultimately lowering some of the costs borne by our citizens.
To accomplish this, contribution from the whole city is needed to continue to address the infrastructure needs in the older sections of Kennedale. Additionally, well planned growth including strong economic development and our ability to leverage county road dollars will greatly contribute to building a bright future.
We, as candidates share some opinions. Of course, the elephant in the room is water. First, we need to be absolutely clear – NO ONE LIKES THE HIGH COST OF WATER and WASTE WATER! Second, let?s all be forthright; despite what some have said, three independent audits have proven there is absolutely NO evidence of any financial wrongdoing! You may disagree with policy decisions or priorities of City Hall?s previous administration, and like me, you may be frustrated with some inaccuracies in the numbers that were apparently miscommunicated, but no one misappropriated our money. The audits are clear about that. My service as a Councilman began only two years ago, but I am a fiscally-conservative businessman who demands accountability. There may have been some miscommunications; there has not been any wrongdoing. A councilman has a fiduciary duty to vote on policies which, while they may be unpopular, are fiscally responsible to the city as a whole.
Kennedale has a new city manager; a man with over 40 years of municipal leadership experience. He has been directed to re-examine our water and waste water utility costs as we explore opportunities to make the utility fund strong again. We are NOT married to our current plan if there are better solutions. My responsibility to be a good steward is something I take very seriously. We must be deliberate in striving for the best efficiencies with our finances all the time. We are already operating with our belts tightened, and we will persevere as we work for solutions for our city.
While we believe that some of our desires for a better city are similar, our objectives for achieving success are plainly in contrast with our opponents. We have not seen any viable solutions offered by this group. They avoided the opportunity to share ideas in the only neutral public forum that has been held, and they have never been able to articulate how they would accomplish their ?rollback.? A rollback would require either (1) significant reductions in city services, probably fire and police protection, (2) increase in debt and property taxes, or 3) some combination of these two. We must be responsible. Responsible leadership identifies and implements responsible solutions, not something based on pixy dust and fairy tales.
Kennedale has experienced a lot of success and improvements recently. We have a number of new businesses now contributing to the tax base, with more coming. The streets, parks, library, restaurants, and neighborhoods are continually improving. We have excellent police and fire protection, with low crime rates and excellent response times.
We have directed our new city manager to make sure we maintain the solvency of our water, waste water and storm water fund balances. Equally, we are committed to improving the city?s transparency when these funds are utilized. At this same time, we must realize water is a resource that is becoming progressively scarcer and more valuable as the population grows in North Texas. Water costs will, no doubt, continue to be an issue for small cities like Kennedale.
The Council now in place has a clear plan for quality growth and a better Kennedale for all. Our plan leads to solutions for lessening the burden we are all carrying and sharing. DFW is the fastest growing Metroplex in the country. The inevitable growth we will experience, along with the new businesses and growing tax base that follows, will all contribute to lessening the load we citizens carry. Our vision will lead more and more to the quality of life we all want in Kennedale.
I have served on council for two years, and like by colleagues, my service to the community began years ago. We have a combined 36 years of volunteer leadership here in our hometown. Our collective and earnest goal is to make Kennedale a better community in smart, responsibly measured steps that fit with the vision our good citizens have communicated to us.
Please join us as we continue the success and move Kennedale forward together!
Mike Walker
Kennedale City Council Place 3
