Kennedale City Council to discuss appointing a new mayor

The Kennedale City Council will meet Tuesday to consider the appointment of a new mayor after Brian Johnson resigned July 2.

The council will discuss whether it wants to appoint a mayor or wait until voters fill the position in the next election.

Johnson resigned in a letter submitted to interim City Manager Leslie Galloway. The three new council members elected during the last election cycle altered the composition of the City Council, Johnson said in the letter.

“I cannot in good conscience travel down the path the council wishes to go,” Johnson wrote.

In the letter, Johnson said it became clear that he and the council had fundamental differences over the direction of the city, fiscal policy, the need for infrastructure and the “basic concept of good governance.”

Some Kennedale residents are not happy about the change.

“All they could do was criticize him and run everybody out that cared,” said Wilda Turner, a Kennedale resident and longtime supporter of Johnson. “I hope it’s what they wanted ‘cause they’ve got it now.”

Johnson was elected to the City Council in 2005, served as mayor pro tem from 2012-14 and was elected mayor in 2014.

John Clark, a former council member and mayor who is now president of the Kennedale school board, said it is unfortunate for the city.

“Brian is involved in so many aspects of local government with the county, 911 board, he has so many connections that are a benefit to our city. It’s really a shame that we’re going to lose all that contact,” he said.

In his letter, Johnson said he did not want to stand in the way of the council carrying out its policies.

“The council as elected by the people deserve the chance to follow their desired policies unencumbered by my philosophies,” Johnson wrote.

Four new council members have been elected since November.

“I think the citizens spoke pretty clearly that they want a different direction,” said Jan Joplin, one of the newly elected council members.

Kennedale resident Chris Evans said he thinks it is a good thing Johnson resigned.

“A lot of the dealings that the city has been involved in and stuff they’ve been doing hasn’t necessarily benefited the residents of Kennedale like they said it would,” Evans said. “Only certain people have been reaping the benefits.”

The city’s property tax rate is higher than Arlington’s or Fort Worth’s.

“The citizens do not feel like that they’re getting a value for their tax dollar, and they showed up to vote a new council in for a different direction,” Joplin said.

His resignation follows the firing of City Manager George Campbell. The removal of the city manager was voted on during a special council meeting on June 22, which convened without Johnson present, Joplin said.

Several other changes have occurred in the past couple of months.

Police Captain Darrell Hull was made Police Chief after Tommy Williams retired; Larry Hoover, the director of public works, left for a similar position for White Settlement; and Melissa Dailey, the director of planning and economic development, who was brought on by Campbell, tendered her resignation following the firing of Campbell.

Joplin said the council is going to focus on making sure it has all the information to look at the city’s infrastructure and attract new businesses to increase revenues and bring down tax rates.

In addition to considering the appointment of a new mayor, the council plans to discuss the city manager’s separation agreement, hiring a city manager and other personnel updates during their special meeting on Tuesday, Joplin said. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.

This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 5:43 PM.