Kennedale Observer - Latest Newsletter

Home ============ Teachers' Salaries ============ potential AISD employee child care benefit ============ Taxpayers' Funds at Risk ============ Open Letter to AISD Taxpayers ============ Citizens Defending Freedom vs. AISD Lawsuit ============== September 7, 2026 Newsletter ============= Arlington City CouncilGrades ============= AISD Board Grades ================ August 31, 2026 Newsletter =========== August 24, 2026 Newsletter ============ August 17, 2026 Newsletter ============ August 10, 2026 Newsletter ============ June Runoff Election ================ Jason Shelton, Candidate District 8 ============= Jim Ross, Mayor ============= Mauricio Galante, District1 ============= Raul Gonzalez, District2 ============= Nikkie Hunter, District3 ============ Tom Ware, District 4 ============= Brittney Garcia-Dumas, District 5 ============= Long Pham, District6 ============= Bowie Hogg, District7 ============== Barbara Odom-Wesley, District8 ============= Sarah McMurrough, AISDPlace1 ============= Melody Fowler, AISD-Place2 ================= Larry Mike, AISDPlace3 ============= David Wilbanks, AISDPlace4 ========== Justin Chapa, AISDPlace5 ============= Brooklyn Richardson, AISDPlace6 ============= Leanne Haynes, AISDPlace7 ============= Fact Sheet - November 8, 2022 Election ============ ++++++++++++ ============= Kennedale Observer Homepage =========== Investigation Report =============== Kennedale Senior Tax Freeze ============== Hammack Creek Apartments Disaster ============ 1083 Bowman Springs Road Kennedale ============ Kennedale City CouncilGrades ========== Texas Open Meetings Act Violations??? ============== The Bridge ============== Kennedale Observer - Latest Newsletter ============ Prior to That Newsletter ================== Brian Johnson, Kennedale Mayor ============= David Glover, Kennedale Place 1 ============= Bryant Griffith, Kennedale Place 2 ================ Ken Michels, Kennedale Place 3 ========== Ryon Ray, Kennedale Place 4 ============= Jeff Nevarez, Kennedale Place 5 =============== Kennedale EDC MMA contract information ==============

September 6, 2026 –Volume 9 Number 36

HIGHLIGHTS:

* Low-income townhomes (really apartments) public hearing for P&Z meeting held; it passed, 5-0-2. It will be heard by the council on September 15.

SCHEDULE:

Monday, September 7: Labor Day.

Tuesday, September 8: KKB (Keep Kennedale Beautiful) meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 8: Parks Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. Cancelled!

Thursday, September 10: Board of Adjustments meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Friday, September 11: 9/11 Ceremony, 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, September 12: Bark in the Park, Sonora Park, 9:00 a.m. - noon.

Tuesday, September 15: City Council meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 22: EDC Board meeting, 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 24: P&Z meeting, 6:00 p.m.

KNOW WHAT YOUR CITY IS UP TO...

Your City Council

The next city council meeting is Tuesday, September 15.

Leftovers:

We have taken the .pdf Investigation Report and converted it to text (far from 100% perfect) and tried to make improvements at: http://www.arlspectator.mysite.com/blank_13.html .

Previous Analysis:

Results: The evidence does NOT confirm…

See the November 9, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Witch Hunt?

See the November 16, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Jeff Nevarez interview – Our Part I

See the November 16, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Jeff Nevarez interview – Our Part II

See the November 23, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Was the Investigation Hi-jacked by the City Attorney and City Manager?

See the November 30, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Pay to Play Scandal

See the December 7, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Wandell Investigation Files

See the December 14, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Lack of Accountability/Afraid to Speak

See the December 21, 2025, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Griffith vs. Hull – “The Threat”

See the January 4, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Chamber Vote

See the January 11, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Hiring Austin Degenhart

See the January 18, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

City Manager has Favorites?

See the January 25, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Our Commentary

See the February 1, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

“No Shame” Griffith

See the February 15, 2026, Kennedale Observer for more details.

Last Week

Last week the P&Z commission had a special meeting on Thursday. They approved the low-income townhomes/apartments, 5-0-2.

This Week

Keep Kennedale Beautiful (KKB) will meet on Tuesday (agenda). The Parks Board will not meet on Tuesday (cancelled agenda). The Board of Adjustments (BOA) will meet on Thursday (agenda).

Public Hearings

On September 10, the Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing on BOA26-03 regarding a special exemption at 404 E. Kennedale Parkway. (continued)

On Tuesday, September 15, the city council will hold a public hearing on PZ26-13, a planned development for apartments (being referred to as townhomes).

EDC

The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board should meet on Tuesday, September 22.

P&Z

P&Z met for a special meeting this past Thursday, September 3. The agenda included the public hearing for the low-income townhomes (really apartments) coming to town.

The agenda packet for the meeting can be found at: https://kennedaletx.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3919/files/agenda/10857 . The main item on the agenda was the public hearing regarding the low-income townhomes/apartments. Information can be found starting on .pdf page 13 of the above agenda packet link. The meeting may be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms1xziUgDY0 .

(10:21) Start of meeting.

(13:06) Public hearing. There were nine speakers in opposition. At about 49:17 was the start of staff's presentation. About 52:33 staff tried to claim there could be up to 104 units by right. He did use the words multi-family and apartments (vs. “townhomes”). About 1:03:53, “This is technically a multi-family development when you look at how it is configured. It is configured to look like townhomes, but this is one giant lot, so it will be evaluated as a multi-family in terms of how it would be taxed.” Then about 1:06:59 was this gem, “If we compare them as 59 units of multi-family to 59 units of single-family this would clearly be superior in terms of revenue generated to the city to have multi-family units if an equal playing field [??? Commentary: My only thought he is not comparing 59 units to 59 units, but square footage/acreage value. He certainly did not word that correctly]. About 1:12:46 the property owner opposition rules were explained [Commentary: the Texas Legislators really screwed homeowners in 2025 in several ways, including this]. About 2:00:45 was the applicant's presentation. The commission voted, 5-0-2 with several recommendations.

What Happens Next

The city manager and the mayor will put together the agenda for the next meeting. This will probably be Tuesday. They will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 15, and most likely vote on the zoning. [Commentary: The citizens’ being wronged by this development only remaining options are to speak/attend the city council public hearing (Tuesday, September 15) and/or write/e-mail the mayor and council members. Their past options were to vote for council representatives that believed in the protection of existing neighborhoods in May of 2025 and 2026 and speak at the public hearing at P&Z last Thursday.]

Other News....

KISD Scores Well

The state's ISDs accountability ratings came out, and Kennedale ISD did very well, improving to an overall grade of “B” [up from a “C”]. The accountability ratings can be found at: https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/cgi/sas/broker?_service=marykay&_program=perfrept.perfmast.sas&_debug=0&ccyy=2026&lev=D&id=220914&prgopt=reports/acct/summary.sas .

TAD Rates

Tarrant Appraisal District has published the tax rates (October 2025) for the county. Kennedale has now dropped to the eighth highest municipality. [https://www.tad.org/content/rates/2025TaxRates.pdf ].

Top eleven of 41 (everyone else is < 0.65)

1. Everman 1.0260800

2. Sansom Park 0.8457840

3. Blue Mound 0.8138000

4. River Oaks 0.7439910

5. Burleson 0.7218000

6. White Settlement 0.7147780

7. Forest Hill 0.7004660

8. Kennedale 0.6961900

9. Pelican Bay 0.6762930

10. Fort Worth 0.6700000

11. Grand Prairie 0.6600000