April 27, 2025 – Volume 8 Number 17

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Early voting through Tuesday. Election Day is Saturday, May 3.

* P&Z continued the battery storage conditional permit for another month.

 

SCHEDULE:

Monday, April 28: Early Voting continues for Municipal and School Board elections, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, April 29: End of Early Voting for Municipal and School Board elections, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 3: Municipal and School Board Elections, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 11: Mother’s Day.

Tuesday, May 13: KKB (Keep Kennedale Beautiful) meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 13: Parks Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 20: City Council meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 22: P&Z meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Monday, May 26: Memorial Day Holiday.

Tuesday, May 27: EDC (Economic Development Corporation) Board meeting, 6:00 p.m.

…..

Senior Tax Freeze

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_10.html

 

Kennedale Observer website:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/index_3.html

 

Latest Kennedale Observer newsletter:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_44.html

 

Kennedale Observer city council grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_26.html

 

City Council Comparison (May2021-May2023 vs. May2019-May2021):

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_77.html

 

KNOW WHAT YOUR CITY IS UP TO...

Your City Council

The city council did not meet last week. They will probably meet for a canvassing of the vote meeting about May 13 and then for their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, May 20.

 

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Senior Tax Freeze

Back in June of 2023 the city council approved a senior tax freeze. The three-page ordinance can be found at: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3288/files/attachment/11739 . This would be applicable for the city portion of property taxes where properties have a homestead, and the owner is 65 or older. The KISD, the county, and Tarrant County College also have senior tax freezes.

Apparently, this did not happen for City of Kennedale residents. So, what happened or did not happen? The city manager [poorly] addressed the issue at the November 2024 council meeting. [The “official” stance of the city manager and city attorney and backed by the three incumbents running in this year's election, is that the tax freeze is happening, as planned.]

The city administration has done a MAJOR INJUSTICE to Kennedale seniors by a) writing an ordinance incorrectly and/or b) failing to explain how the ordinance was to start back in June 2023. For example, Fate, Texas, in Rockwall County, implemented a senior tax freeze (with the ordinance written correctly) in August 2023, two months after Kennedale, and their seniors saw a freeze on their October 2024 statements. The major difference between the two ordinances is the Kennedale ordinance states effective January 1, 2024, while the Fate ordinance states effective immediately.

The November 2024 city council meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFR_rKkFyg8&t=3116s . The discussion of the item begins at about 47:36.

Some quotes:

48:16 Mr. Hull: “Currently, the ordinance is written where it takes effect in 2024.” [Meaning IF the city attorney wrote the ordinance correctly it would have helped seniors with their October 2024 statements, but since he didn't, it won't.]

48:46 Mr. Hull: “The ordinance does not read for 2023 that was not even the intent...” [Not true. He wants you to go back to the June 2023 city council meeting but let us instead go back to the April 2023 Work Session on the subject. (See timeline below for April's council meeting information.) Mr. Hull states, “So ultimately, the tax [freeze] would not affect us until the 2025.” [2025 IS THE OCTOBER 2024 TAX STATEMENTS. These are the statements that DID see an increase, but back in April 2023, based on the city manager's own words, the tax freeze should have affected.]

49:15 Mr. Hull: “Even then [June 2023] it was indicated and confirmed the tax freeze takes place in 2024.” [Here's the problem. In basic English the expectations of “2024” meant the October 2024 Statements. There is no prerequisite for council members to be a lawyer, or in this case, a specialized tax lawyer. The expectation is the city attorney and/or the city manager would explain to the council members any fine points of the law that would make a difference on any subject. At NO point in April 2023 or June 2023, was anything stated to council members of the significance of a January 1, 2024 start date.]

49:36 Mr. Hull: “So with everything that is being said with reference to when we filed it, when we didn't file it, if we did, if we didn't is minute.” [NOT TRUE. If it had been filed in a timely fashion TAD could have pointed out the required changes to make it match Mr. Hull's April 2023 statement. When TAD did finally get it in November 2024, they made suggested changes on another part of the ordinance that needed modification. The city DID modify that other part of the ordinance and passed the modification a month later at the December 2024 meeting.]

50:05 Mr. Hull: “We have looked at the possibility, even as someone made a comment, about doing a reimbursement. Unfortunately, we cannot do that on the legal side. So even if the intent was to be in 2023, we can't do that by law.” [It is true the law does not allow a reimbursement for this reason. However, since they even looked into it, it pretty much tells you the intent was 2023, even though their official stance is significantly different.]

51:19 City Attorney: “If I could Mayor, just add one thing, it's not just the ordinance, Mr. City Manager, it's state law that governs. So, 2024 would have been the earliest the council could have done it anyway under state law. And it is state law that governs in this instance. So the ordinance adopted by the council was the earliest the freeze could be adopted.” [2024 is the earliest the current poorly written ordinance could be adopted, however, like Fate, Texas, in the State of Texas, where their ordinance was written two months later than Kennedale's ordinance, they were able to write an ordinance that said effective immediately (instead of January 1, 2024) and their seniors got their benefit on their October 2024 statements.]

 

Timeline.

April 2023 the city council discusses the item as a work session item. [That meeting may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndf8BqnPjBw . The discussion on this item starts about 1:40:27. ]

1:44:59 Mr. Hull: “So ultimately, the tax [freeze] would not affect us until the 2025.” [2025 IS THE OCTOBER 2024 TAX STATEMENTS. These are the statements that DID see an increase, but back in April 2023, based on the city manager's own words, the tax freeze should have affected.]

minutes: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3017/files/agenda/8873

staff report: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3017/files/report/11354

 

June 2023 the city council approves the ordinance, 5-0. The June 20, 2023, meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTm2LdTa_YI&t=303s . The discussion on this item starts about 2:43:35. At no point did anyone mention a delay in the implementation or that the effective January 1, 2024 meant there would be a delay in the implementation from the expectations of the April meeting. There were no statements/comments about this being different than the April 2023 meeting.

2:44:11 Finance Director Horton “[The tax freeze] does seem consistent with neighboring communities, having a tax freeze for senior citizens. Budget impact is minimal. I don't necessarily see a downside from a financial perspective. We will need to make up a little bit of funding, but from a personal standpoint, not a financial standpoint, I do feel the little bit of hardship we might have to face as a city versus the goodwill it will bring for the senior citizens, the correct would be to go with the freeze.”. [Yet the people that CLAIM to have “understood” the implementation delay, caring so little about the seniors, said or asked nothing regarding making a change to aid the seniors sooner. In my opinion, that certainly implies they DO NOT CARE about the seniors.]

 

2:45:05 Council Member Horton: “Is it my understanding that this won't take effect until 2024?”

2:45:11 Mayor Joplin: “January 1.” [then a comment by Mr. Nevarez]

2:45:42 Mayor Joplin: “And it does say on the last page that the ordinance will be in full force effective January 1, 2024.” [If you are one of the people, as the CLAIM is, who knows this is only loading the cap data, would this not have been a good time to speak up and explain the difference between “full force” and what the claim the law is? [and they claim the ordinance was clearly written...]]

minutes: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3019/files/agenda/9175

staff report (with NO mention of January 1, 2024 significance; NO mention of timeline being any different than discussed in April): https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3019/files/report/11786

Questions

1. So why did the status change from April 2023 and the city manager stated it would affect 2025 to the implementation being delayed? Why was nothing stated about this change before the vote at the June 2023 meeting informing the council (and the public) of the change?

2. Why did the city administration not produce an ordinance to match what was discussed at the April 2023 meeting, and did not tell them they were voting on something different?

3. Why was the effective date of January 1, 2024 used instead of “effective immediately”?

4. Why was the importance of the January 1 date not explained?

5. At the June meeting, after the finance director spoke about the minimal impact, why did not one of the people who “understood” the delayed implementation not ask or comment to implement earlier to help the seniors? Are these people so uncaring about Kennedale seniors?

6. At the June meeting, after the use of “full force” where the majority of the city council and the public thought what they were getting was as it was stated by the city manager in April 2023, why did not one of these who “understood” the delayed implementation not clearly point out that 2024 was only going to be a cap loading year?

7. What is so important and being concealed, that people appear to be willing to fall on this sword for it?

 

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May 3 Municipal Election

Early voting will begin this Tuesday, April 22, ending Tuesday, April 29. Election Day is Saturday, May 3. Kennedale's voting location will be held at Dover Fellowship Hall at 208 Municipal Drive, instead of the Community Room at the Kennedale Public Library.

Ballot order:

Place 1 – Bobby Goff, Glover (i).

Place 3 – Ryon Ray, Amanda Hollins, Michels (i).

Place 5 – Nevarez (i), James Connor, Megan Burns (write-in).

 

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I have given the candidates the opportunity to address the six top issues as I see them. Yet, many times I am asked for whom I would vote. So, if you do not wish to know, fine, just skip.

First, let's talk about TGAA (Texas Government Accountability Association). To the best of my knowledge TGAA has given no money to any candidates, this year or last year. Some candidates did hire a political consultant firm, run by someone with ties to TGAA, that evidently has had Texas Ethics violations in the past. So, there was money flowing that way, from candidates to the political consultant, but not in the other direction. To the best of my knowledge the candidates being tied to TGAA have received no money from TGAA and NO PAC (Political Action Committee) money. [So, what is the belief? TGAA owns their vote because they didn't pay the candidates, and the candidates paid a consultant? You have a better chance of convincing me of the tooth fairy, or that the administration is implementing the senior tax freeze as planned.]

Running as a group works when voters do not recognize their choices and now, if they vote for one candidate they do know, they might vote for all three candidates. Running as a group can backfire if one member of the group has negative issues, or as in this case they get tied, correctly or incorrectly, to a negative item/issue. This certainly appears to be the strategy in this election.

On the other hand, one of the individuals pushing the anti-TGAA agenda, Bryant Griffith, did receive Arlington PAC money last year, from the power brokers in Arlington. His business (so it will NOT show up on any campaign reports) received an interest-free loan from the City of Arlington. [I do NOT know what influence, if any, the power brokers had on that.] He would be more of a concern to me than the candidates who are being tied to TGAA.

History has taught us to follow the money.

How to vote? The biggest one thing I would say is to select candidates that are NOT rubber-stampers. If something does not pass the smell test you need someone who is smart enough and has enough courage to ask more questions and possibly vote NO. You need to look for council members who will listen to you, your neighbors, and the businesses and place a priority on you over developers' desires.

If you look on the city's website (bottom of this page: https://cityofkennedale.com/108/Elections-Elecciones, they try to display the governance model as citizens being on top, electing a city council, who directs the city manager, etc. Well, if the situation has a majority of the city council who are rubber-stampers, the citizens are no longer in control.

Based upon the scoring, based on my opinion, the three highest scorers were James Connor, Megan Burns, and Amanda Hollins. If they were running for three different places that would make life really easy, but, of course, they are not. More detailed information can be found on the website at: http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_51.html .

 

Place 1: My choice is Bobby Goff

Bobby Goff

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_79.html )

Mr. Goff is a political newcomer. He scored higher on not being a rubber-stamper.

Glover (i)

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_47.html )

Mr. Glover, the incumbent, has a current Kennedale Observer grade of “D”. He scored a majority of his points on the Crestview Townhomes vote in February 2024, relatively early in his council career. If that vote was held today, I am not convinced he would vote the same.

 

 

Place 3: My choice is Amanda Hollins

Ryon Ray

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_50.html )

Mr. Ray is a political newcomer. He did not answer several of the questions. Past votes tell us how a person might vote on similar items in the future and therefore, are legitimate questions.

Amanda Hollins

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_21.html )

Ms. Hollins is a political newcomer. She scored very highly in the scoring system and potentially will make an excellent council person.

Michels (i)

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_80.html )

Mr. Michels, the incumbent, has a current Kennedale Observer grade of “C”. As a former employee, he has a lot of “Kennedale” knowledge. He voted in opposition to a rubber-stamp in November 2023 on the nuisance ordinance update.

 

Place 5: My choice is James Connor

Nevarez (i)

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_78.html )

Mr. Nevarez, the incumbent, has a current Kennedale Observer grade of “F”. He is a rubber-stamper.

James Connor

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_57.html )

Mr. Connor was on the city council from 2021-2023. During that time, he earned a Kennedale Observer grade of “A”. His opinions on the issues very much align with ours.

Megan Burns (write-in)

( http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_46.html )

Ms. Burns is a political newcomer. She scored very highly in the scoring system and though I did not select her, she potentially will make an excellent council person.

 

Last Week

Last week the Library Board and the EDC met on Tuesday.

P&Z met on Thursday.

 

This Week

There are no meetings scheduled this week. Election Day is Saturday.

 

Public Hearings

On Thursday, May 22, P&Z will hold a public hearing on PZ25-07 for a conditional use permit for a battery energy storage system at 509 S. New Hope Road.

 

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EDC

The next EDC (Economic Development Corporation) Board met this past Tuesday, April 22. The full agenda packet can be found at: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3588/files/agenda/10067 . The meeting may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mqDPH--1MA .

(2:15) Start of meeting. The agenda included the financial statements (statements), no minutes, and two individual consideration items.

(7:08) The first individual consideration item is the CP2 Consultant update (update , restaurant fit scores). At about 15:15 they started discussing the business survey. About 20:18 they got to their “official” report. About 25:30 they discussed a potential TIRZ (Tax Incremental Reinvestment Zone) [to the typical taxpayer, TIRZ are bad – it locks in what that TIRZ area pays into the general fund at the start year prices so as the TIRZ increases/changes in value, and the typical taxpayers need to make up the loss to the general fund.]. About 31:22 they started discussing potential office space.

(38:30) The second item was to discuss and take action on internal design services for the Kennedale YMCA (proposal). This is spending $38,000 to get a cost estimate for improvements needed for YMCA operation (that would appear to be $300,000 - $750,000, depending upon needs). It was approved.

 

P&Z

P&Z met on Thursday, April 24. The agenda can be found at: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3613/files/agenda/10070 . The meeting may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMxMT5-V70c .

(7:19) PZ25-07, for a conditional use permit for a battery energy storage system at 509 S. New Hope Road. There was one citizen speaker in support. P&Z voted, 3-0, to continue to the next regular meeting.

 

Commentary: Transparency

I guess I just don't get it.

Transparency should be a real goal, not just a word to be used at election time. Yet, I do not feel the incumbents running for reelection care for transparency. Why else are they participating in the apparent “cover-up” of the Senior Tax Freeze? Can I get an answer please?

Look at their responses to the Kennedale Observer's Senior Tax Freeze question (Question 3).

Mr. Nevarez response (http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_78.html) starts with, “I don't know where the misunderstanding is coming from.” Really? The public was told one thing, then it was switched to something else. The amount of savings that should have happened on the October 2024 tax statements, will not be happening every year forward that seniors own their homes.

Within Mr. Michels' response (http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_80.html) you find, “It is my opinion that the tax freeze is being processed exactly as was originally planned and how I understood the ordinance.” So, at the June 2023 meeting prior to voting, after the finance director spoke about the minimal impact, why did he not ask or comment to implement earlier to help the seniors? Is he so uncaring of Kennedale seniors, or is he just a willingly participating in the “cover-up”?

In Mr. Glover's response (http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_47.html) he gives the timestamp of the city attorney's quote and says he has no reason to doubt him. However, in Fate, Texas, in the State of Texas, their ordinance was written two months later than Kennedale's ordinance, and their seniors got their benefit on their October 2024 statements. Maybe some “doubting” the city attorney is needed.

At the April 2025 meeting Mr. Glover started a “transparency” issue discussion based on donations. However, though it was not labeled as “transparency”, there was another transparency issue discussed at that meeting. Prior to going to executive session to discuss a P&Z appointment, Ms. Kobeck asked to confirm, “if that appointment is a personnel issue”. Apparently, the city attorney said yes, and had filed something with the city secretary. I did try to obtain that document, but was told it was “attorney-client privilege”. P&Z is an advisory board.

"Attorney General Opinion DM-149 (1992) concluded that members of an advisory committee are not public officers or employees within section 551.074 of the Government Code, authorizing executive session deliberations about certain personnel matters. Appointments to advisory boards are not allowed to use the personnel exception to be discussed in executive session." [This came from the Open Meetings Handbook 2024, from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, page 54, https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/files/divisions/open-government/openmeetings_hb.pdf , .pdf page 61]. [Texas Municipal League (TML) also put out a 56-page document called Texas Open Meetings Act Made Easy, https://www.tml.org/DocumentCenter/View/3979/The-Texas-Open-Meetings-Act-Made-Easy-Updated-October-2023-X , where on page 26, .pdf page 36, it states, "Neither the appointment of advisory committee members156 nor the hiring of independent contractors157 is a proper subject for closed meetings under the personnel exception." (156 makes reference to the AG opinion referenced in the Open Meetings Handbook, 157 references a 1980 court case.)

So, candidates and council member running for reelection currently, or not, which is more important, 1) getting out of an open meeting discussion of P&Z candidates because the city attorney has a way to “weasel” out it, or 2) being “transparent” and following state guidelines and opinions of the law?

 

Other News....

Candidate Forum

There were over 60 people in attendance listening to all eight candidates at the candidate forum. I still feel the top three of the whole field are James Connor, Amanda Hollins, and Megan Burns.

 

Fire Department has Moved

The fire department has moved to their temporary location while their fire station is being rebuilt. They are now at 705A E. Kennedale Parkway.

 

TAD Rates

Tarrant Appraisal District has published the tax rates (October 2024) for the county. Kennedale is now the fifth highest municipality. [https://www.tad.org/content/rates/2024TaxRates.pdf ].

Top ten of 41 (everyone else is < 0.65)

1. Everman 1.0260800

2. Sansom Park 0.7796050

3. Forest Hill 0.7240940

4. Blue Mound 0.7220330

5. Kennedale 0.7061900

6. White Settlement 0.6798160

7. River Oaks 0.6758270

8. Fort Worth 0.6725000

9. Burleson 0.6627000

10. Grand Prairie 0.6600000

 

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HELPFUL WEBSITES and CONTACTS

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Senior Tax Freeze Missing

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_10.html

 

Kennedale Observer: KennedaleObserver@yahoo.com

 

The Kennedale Observer can be found on Facebook as KennedaleObserver.

 

Kennedale Observer website:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/index_3.html

 

Latest Kennedale Observer newsletter:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_44.html

 

City Council Grades:

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_26.html

 

Old Texas Raceway property project:

http://www.arlspectator.mysite.com/whats_new.html

 

City Council Comparison (May 2021-May 2023 vs. May 2019-May 2021):

http://arlspectator.mysite.com/rich_text_77.html

 

 

The City of Kennedale website: www.cityofkennedale.com

 

Mayor and City Council Emails:

Mayor – Brad Horton BHorton@cityofkennedale.com

Place-1 David Glover DGlover@cityofkennedale.com

Place-2 Thelma Kobeck TKobeck@cityofkennedale.com

Place-3 Kenneth Michels KMichels@cityofkennedale.com

Place-4 Chris Gary CGary1@cityofkennedale.com

Place-5 Jeff Nevarez JNevarez@cityofkennedale.com

 

Recordings of City Council meetings can be viewed at:

[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4a2pjrnxZ5XrbsXcoLOP4Q?view_as=subscriber].

 

To apply for appointed positions:

https://www.cityofkennedale.com/boardapp

 

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