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Open Letter to the Citizens of KennedaleRecently, many within our community received a mailing from an organization calling themselves the Kennedale Alliance of Business Owners (KABO) and its Executive Director Mr. Joe Palmer. The communication has a dateline of March 7, 2020. {{more:? continue …}}
As the City Manager, I seldom respond to what is obviously inaccurate, misleading, and fallacious information that is being spread for what appears to be self-serving or purely political reasons or to deliberately ?create? adversity within a community. There are times, however, when such a response is appropriate to provide a truthful and transparent representation of the conduct of public business.
Once again, Mr. Palmer has made statements telling citizens that fiscal mismanagement has been occurring within the city government in Kennedale. He does so in this letter through innuendo, misrepresentation of facts, and what appear to be manufactured statements about the intent of policy recommendations made by staff to the Kennedale City Council. I strongly encourage and hope that any citizen reading the letter from Mr. Palmer recognizes that most, if not all, of the content presented there is erroneous, misleading, and/or pure conjecture on Mr. Palmer?s part.
He implies at the outset, for example, that the city may ??lose an $800,000 Federal Grant Due to lack of Cash?? He lays such a suggestion on the table with no explanation as to what this ?grant? would be used for even if one were available and offered to the city. As the City Manager, I have no knowledge of such a grant possibility or when it might have even been discussed with the City Council.
Other elements of his letter imply impropriety or mismanagement regarding financial controls, subsidies to the Kennedale TownCenter, forced closing of city businesses and more ? all of which are unexplained innuendo and clearly erroneous. Mr. Palmer?s mischaracterization of the recognized savings and beneficial purpose of refinancing eligible Economic Development Corporation debt illustrates a complete failure on his part to understand the very basic elements of public finance.
Most of the other statements in Mr. Palmer?s letter are likewise ill-advised and inaccurate representations of the work being done by City leadership and the EDC Board to enhance the quality of development and quality of life in our great city. These mischaracterizations and fallacious statements are unfortunate and should be recognized as such.
I would encourage any citizen having a question about the affairs of the City of Kennedale to contact the City Manager?s office directly or through the city?s website at www.cityofkennedale.com/cmo.
George Campbell
City Manager
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