Kennedale Alliance of Business Owners Calls for Business-Friendly Candidates for Kennedale City Council

    KENNEDALE, TX, December 04, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Amid all of the economic uncertainty created by the spread of Covid 19, Kennedale City Manager George Campbell has yet to even propose a meeting to review the city's budget or to discuss ways the city's finances have been (and will continue to be) affected by the pandemic.

"We need candidates for Kennedale City Council who will pay attention to the city's finances and who are willing to hold the city manager accountable and end the cronyism," said KABO Executive Director Joe Palmer. "We also need candidates whose first impulse in not to raise taxes on Kennedale business owners and citizens," added Palmer.

"Kennedale Mayor Brian Johnson, City Manager George Campbell, and Kennedale Director of Planning and Economic Development Melissa Dailey continue misguided efforts to try to close some longtime Kennedale businesses that they regard as undesirable," said Palmer.

"The city recently closed a business with $3 million in inventory that generated 30k+ annually in ad valorem taxes, even though not one single citizen of Kennedale objected to the business at the public hearing," said Palmer.

"For a long time now, Kennedale's economic development corporation has been buying and holding properties to try to control future land use," said Palmer. "Right now, the City of Kennedale's EDC is holding properties that could be redeveloped to contribute to the tax rolls, rather than just standing vacant," said Palmer.

KABO believes one of the significant roadblocks to a thriving Kennedale is how business unfriendly Kennedale's Planning Department has become under the leadership of Director of Planning and Economic Development Melissa Dailey. Dailey was hired by the City of Kennedale without any input from the city council, after being asked to leave a similar position as Executive Director of Downtown Amarillo, Inc.

"The fastest way to change city government in Kennedale is to get good candidates to file and run and bring some new ideas and fresh thinking to the council," said Palmer. Candidates may file to run for Kennedale City Council in late January or early February.

About Kennedale Alliance of Business Owners
KABO's mission is to give members of Kennedale's business community and people who live and work in Kennedale an advocate in dealing with the city and to keep businesses informed about issues that affect them. Anyone who owns or works for a business in Kennedale is eligible to join. Dues are $20 annually and membership is confidential. To inquire about membership or KABO's mission, contact Executive Director Joe Palmer at (682) 774-5167 or by email at [email protected]. Visit the group's Facebook at Kennedale Alliance of Business Owners.

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