Road project funding in Kennedale dried up after discrimination claim
KENNEDALE — A road construction project in Kennedale never broke ground last year because city officials say a Tarrant County commissioner pulled a funding agreement after alleging a city employee had experienced discrimination.
The discrimination allegation led to a $1.2 million agreement for the county to fund the project, which was never considered or approved by the county commissioners' court.
City Manager Darrell Hull and former Mayor Jan Joplin initially expected the deal to be approved without issues. However, they said they spent months seeking an explanation from County Commissioner Alisa Simmons. After a Zoom meeting, they said Simmons agreed to investigate further but ultimately decided not to change her stance.
Simmons' office did not respond to requests for an explanation regarding her decision. Hull and Joplin declined to specify the details of the alleged discrimination, citing the involvement of a city employee who never filed a complaint and still works for the city. Both suggested that Simmons concluded there was discrimination based on her own experience and knowledge.
"She felt that was discriminatory practices, and she wasn't going to work with people that discriminate," said Joplin.
The project aimed to remove and replace all the asphalt pavement on stretches of Kennedale New Hope Road and Swiney Hiett Road. County residents use the former to reach Kennedale Pkwy and Interstate 20. The latter is wearing out from traffic from new housing developments now filling formerly rural property.
Former Precinct 2 commissioner Devan Allen worked on an agreement first with Kennedale, planning to approve more than $860,000 for improvements. When Simmons took office, Hull said she agreed to use discretionary funds to cover the projected cost of just under $1,245,000.
It was set for an expected rubber stamp of approval on October 3, 2023, but five days before the meeting city officials received an email that the agreement had been removed from the county commissioners' agenda. It wasn't until early December that Hull and Joplin secured the video meeting and learned about the discrimination concern.
After another Zoom meeting in April, which Hull said Simmons couldn't make and had a staff member attend in her place, the Kennedale City Council voted to send a letter asking for a formal explanation. The city had advertised to the community that the work would begin in the fall and was getting questions from residents about why the project hadn't started.
By then, County Judge Tim O'Hare's office had publicly mentioned the funding dispute, including it in a statement sent out as he and Simmons were battling in county meetings.
City officials however said they have never received any further explanation.
Joplin and Hull acknowledged that the available funding was discretionary, and commissioners were under no obligation to enter into an agreement with the city.
"She can do it, but that's discrimination against the citizens here," Joplin said. "And that's wrong. Period."
The roads still need to be rebuilt so Kennedale is moving forward and covering the construction cost out of its budget. Hull said the work is projected to start in the first quarter of 2025. The work on a portion of Swiney Hiett will now consist of a new asphalt overlay and not a full rebuild of the road. Other road projects that were designated to be paid for with city funds will be pushed down the priority list.
Simmons met with new Kennedale Mayor Brad Horton on July 23. He said they didn't talk about the funding decision, that he considered it water under the bridge and thought the city was working well with the county precinct.
Simmons posted about the meeting on X, writing that she shared with him the many ways the two entities could "work together and build a strong partnership."