In a document dated May 25, a request for qualifications for legal services to the city was created by a Willow Park resident who Palmer has yet to identify. This request was submitted well in advance of Pat Chesser resigning as city attorney in July following eight years serving the city, sparking questions of its own.
Such requests are generally submitted by city staff and not individual citizens, despite Palmer making an attempt to argue the contrary at the meeting.
And she still has not named who submitted the RFQ, continuing her trend of being evasive at Tuesday’s meeting.
She began the discussion by calling it “a complete waste of time.”
She was most recently pressed by Council Member Eric Contreras at the Sept. 24 special meeting. Tuesday he reiterated his request for a name, saying, “it’s been, from my account, 78 days. There have been several FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests and I don’t know if those FOIA requests have been answered.”
The Community News submitted a FOIA request to the mayor to obtain the name several weeks ago, but so far to no avail.
Palmer ran her campaign with a promise to be completely transparent.
It was also at the Sept. 24 meeting when Contreras asked Palmer to reveal whether or not she was aware that about 90% (more than $11,000) of her campaign funds came from Spencer Hodge, who was in the Tarrant County Jail that same day facing charges of misappropriating fiduciary and financial properties between $30,000 and $150,000.
Palmer refused to comment on that question from Contreras, instead getting angry at him and accusing him of spreading gossip. Contreras also accused her of working in a shadow government (a conspiratorial entity that controls real government).
Hodge was among the public speakers at Tuesday’s meeting to address Contreras’ questions to the mayor. He argued that his cash contributions to the mayor’s campaign were only $1,000 and that the rest were in-kind contributions, such as a meet-and-greet.
“I’m just a neighbor who cares about the city,” Hodge said.
He and several of Palmer’s supporters - who were loud throughout the night - spoke during the citizens’ comments portion of the meeting, many calling Contreras a liar.
However, at the time Contreras was asking his questions on Sept. 24, Hodge was indeed in the Tarrant County Jail for the charges Contreras accurately noted. Hodge was also arrested by Willow Park police while having lunch with the mayor, also accurately noted by Contreras.
In fact, Hodge has twice been arrested by Willow Park police for violations that include a suspended drivers’ license and unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Hodge acknowledged his arrest while with the mayor. He did not respond to further questions after the meeting from The Community News, and though he did give his phone number to the paper, as of press time he did not return a call after being left a message.
Later, following an executive session, Palmer repeated her criticism of Contreras in the mayor comments portion in the meeting wrapup.
She still didn’t say the name of the person who made the RFQ, however.
Council appointed Toni Fisher and Michelle Guelker as interim co-city managers following the resignation of Bryan Grimes, who left his position on Oct. 10. Both had been serving in the capacity of co-assistant city manager since October of 2024, with Fisher in charge of development and parks and Guelker in charge of public works, operations, and finance and communications.
Grimes was the latest person to resign since Palmer upset long-time incumbent Doyle Moss in the mayoral race in May in an election. He was preceded by council members Lea Young and Greg Runnebaum, along with Chesser.
Grimes served the City of Willow Park for eight years.
Grimes already has a new job. He is the Parker County Director of Strategic Projects, a newly created position.
On June 5, the City of Willow Park was awarded a $400,000 grant for the 2026 fiscal year from the Texas Department of Public Safety as part of the Green Ribbon Program for beautification improvements. As a contingency of the Grant, TxDOT requires the city to approve a Resolution of Advanced Funding Agreement, which council approved Tuesday night.
The work involves the design and construction of the I-20 Frontage Road from Mikus Road to East of Mikus Road.
The project’s estimated cost is $400,000.00 and TxDOT is responsible for the entire amount. However, any cost overruns are 100% the responsibility of the City of Willow Park.
Several residents have voiced their disapproval with Oncor concerning tree trimming in the city.
“One hundred-year-old oaks and pecans were chopped down. That was a concern,” Palmer said.
Oncor Customer Service Executive Rick Beall addressed the council about the matter and answered questions from both the council and citizens. He assured them that he is the representative from Oncor to communicate with the city.
“If they do have a complaint, we’re happy to look at each and every one,” Beall said. “The system isn’t perfect, but we’re working to rectify that.”
Beall told council and the crowd to visit oncor.com to file a claim.
Home Rule Committee Chairman Gene Martin gave an update on the committee’s work so far to the council. Palmer has been pushing for Willow Park to switch from a general law city to home rule city since taking office.
Martin noted that four working meetings have taken place and five of the 10 articles in the proposed charter have been studied, though he did not go into detail. He also encouraged citizens to give their input and to visit the city website to see when the next town hall is scheduled on the subject.
A basic difference between general law and home rule is:
In a home rule city the mayor can have more power than in general law, depending on the type of charter drawn up. The mayors of many home rule cities also vote at council meetings, along with having veto power and the ability to force reconsideration.
Under the current system in Willow Park, the mayor can only vote to break a tie — which isn’t often, given the council has five members. The mayor is a CEO and budget officer for the city.
Other things a switch to a home rule city could bring include the ability of citizens to remove officials through recall elections; allowing for the removal of council members for such things as absences and intentional violations of the charter; and term limits.
General law cities have no right of recall. To remove officials they must file a petition in the district court and have a trial.
Palmer and her supporters are attempting to put a vote on the ballot as soon as May of 2026.
Martin told the council and Palmer, “We need balance,” adding that in his more than four decades in the city “We’ve never had to invoke emergency powers.”
With two members of the current Parker County Appraisal District Board of Directors set to have their terms expire on Dec. 31, council voted to nominate Richard Barrett and Jerry Durant to continue serving.
The appraisal district is governed by a board of nine directors. Of these, five are appointed by the taxing units that participate in the district.
“Maybe next year we can put a call out and see if anybody in Willow Park is interested?” Palmer said.
At the start of the meeting, Palmer presented a proclamation to Carol Sutton of Freedom House for the work they do. Since 1985, Freedom House, a nonprofit organization, has been working to aid in the effort to end domestic violence, improving victim safety, and holding perpetrators of domestic abuse accountable for their actions against individual victims and society as a whole.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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