Kennedale City Council

Members serve two-year terms and are paid $10 per meeting.

Mayor

Incumbent Bryan Lankhorst is unopposed and will keep his seat until 2010.

Place 2

Incumbent David Green is unopposed and will keep his seat until 2010.

Place 4

Incumbent Ronnie Knowles opted to not seek re-election. Both candidates said they are against raising taxes unless absolutely necessary.

Name: W.E. "Bill" Atchley

Age: 67

Occupation: Retired business owner

Online: none

Background: He has lived in Kennedale since 2000. He previously lived in Arlington and Forest Hill. He ran unsuccessfully in 2001 for Place 1 and in 2002 for mayor. He is a retired Army command sergeant major and an ordained Baptist minister who has been a volunteer magistrate for the city since December.

About the candidate: Improving streets and athletic facilities are priorities. Atchley listed three reasons for running: He wants aging streets, particularly around City Hall and to the southeast, refurbished; he favors using gas lease revenue to buy land for ball fields; and he wants to build a gym adjacent to the senior citizens center to give seniors a place to walk during inclement weather and a place for youth to play basketball.

Name: Kelly Turner

Age: 41

Occupation: Lieutenant with the Mesquite Fire Department

Online: none

Background: Turner, who grew up in Kennedale, holds degrees in psychology from Texas Wesleyan University and in sports medicine from the U.S. Sports Academy. He has served on the city's Planning & Zoning Commission since 2007.

About the candidate: "I know the citizens of Kennedale. I believe I know what they want, and I believe I have the skills to move us in that direction," he said. Economic development is his greatest concern. "People in Kennedale want to keep a small-town feel, but at the same time the majority of citizens are tired of carrying the entire tax load. We need to work diligently to bring in some industry and business." He said one way to do this might be to beautify the parkway to make it more attractive to businesses. "Gas leases are a wonderful thing, but we need to be cautious as to how we use the money."