Former city employee questions council financial moves

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

A former city employee took the Mansfield City Council to task for recent financial decisions and hiring a former council member at the Aug. 12 council meeting.

Hiring former council member Casey Lewis less than a month after he left his position on the council is a violation of the city charter, Gary Cardinale said.

Lewis served on the council from May 2018-May 2024 after choosing not to run for re-election this year.

Lewis’ contract as Chief Sustainability Officer, issued to Casey Lewis Companies Inc., runs from June 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, and pays the company $8,269.23 biweekly and includes a $500 per month car allowance. The year-long contract will net Lewis’ company $220,999.98.

Cardinale, who was employed by the city for more than 30 years including 23 years as budget and purchasing director, says although the city says Lewis is a contractor and not an employee, the hiring is still against the charter.

City Manager Joe Smolinski and Mayor Michael Evans disagree.

“It is not a violation,” Smolinski said.

The position involves working with new developments in the city, and Lewis has been “killing it,” Smolinski said.

Smolinski also said the new contract position was not posted or open for bids internally or externally, but will be in June 2025 when Lewis’ contract is up.

According to the City Charter Section 3.08 Prohibitions:

  (a)   Holding other office: Except where authorized by law, no Mayor or Councilman shall hold any other compensated City office or employment by the City during the term for which he was elected to the Council, and no former Mayor or Councilman shall hold any compensated appointive City office or employment until one (1) year after the expiration of the term for which he was elected to the Council.

Cardinale points out that Lewis’ profile on the Texas City Management Association website lists Lewis’ office at City Hall, 1200 E. Broad St., and a city hall phone number. He asked if the city was treating Lewis the same as other contractors.

“The position was not offered to any women-owner or minority-owned businesses,” Cardinale said. “There was no chief sustainability office in any previous budget. The job description of chief sustainability officer appears to have the same role as several present employees.

“They should not fund the chief sustainability office in 2025 budget,” Cardinale said. “They should cancel the contact and give him 90 days notice and eliminate it from next year’s budget.”

Cardinale also questioned the land swap between the Mansfield ISD and the city and why it was done without letting the residents vote. In the swap, the Mansfield ISD will receive the current City Hall at 1200 E. Broad St. along with a shopping center at 703 E. Broad St., while the city will receive the property at 605 E. Broad St., which contains school district offices, Geyer Field and the school’s administration building and Rock Gym, two historical buildings that were used for the original Mansfield ISD schools.

Due to the swap, the city council voted to build a new city hall in The Reserve near East Broad and Matlock Road, also without voter input. Costs for the new city hall project have been estimated between $60 million to $80 million, Cardinale said.

He also questioned the council about building a new soccer complex near Heritage Parkway that has been projected to cost $30 million to $50 million, with no vote from the citizens, Cardinale said.

Cardinale also raised concerns about the plan to move Fire Station No. 1 six blocks from its current location at a cost of nearly $15 million. He asked if there had been an impact study on traffic concerns and future debt.

He also asked about the rise in new apartment construction, incentives to developers, out-of-town strategic planning sessions by the council and a $4.5 million increase in new and expanded programs in the city over the past four years. The expanded programs do not include public safety, he said.

Cardinale, who retired from the city in 2022 then ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2023 against Mayor Pro Tem Todd Tonore, doesn’t expect the city to take action, but says he will.

“Nothing is going to happen,” he said. “They won’t change what they’re doing.

“I’m getting a legal opinion to see if there anything to determine,” Cardinale said. “There is definitely a violation of the city charter with Casey Lewis. That’s a civil case.”

Evans, when asked about Cardinale’s comments after the meeting, said, “We appreciate every resident’s contribution, but understand that not every resident will agree. We believe they will be more interested in a balanced budget, lower tax rate and an increase of the homestead exemption.”

An increase in sales tax revenue has also allowed the city to pay off debt early, Evans said.

By state law, city council members are not allowed to address citizen comments during the meeting.