A Dallas Park and Recreation Board member abruptly resigned yesterday after the city pulled a proposed, no-bid lease that would have given his newly formed company control of a restaurant at Dallas Executive Airport. The reversal and the resignation came after reporters began asking whether the board member's ownership had been disclosed to city officials, prompting council members and aviation staff to reset the process and raising fresh questions about transparency at City Hall.
Lease Quietly Lands On Committee Agenda
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Jan. 8 agenda included a briefing item that would have authorized a five-year lease, with a five-year renewal option, with JetRail LLC for roughly 4,248 square feet of restaurant and support space and an estimated $127,440 in revenue over the primary term, according to the City of Dallas. The item appeared in the committee's briefing packet and had been set to go to the full council for consideration the following week.
Media Questions Get Lease Yanked
The Dallas Morning News reported that officials pulled the JetRail item after the paper began asking whether Park and Recreation Board member Ernest "Bo" Slaughter had disclosed ownership of the company. Aviation Department spokesman Patrick Clarke told the paper the city manager's office removed the lease from the committee agenda and that the department will start a new solicitation process to seek proposals. At least one council member called the arrangement a "flawed process" that undercuts public trust, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Slaughter Resigns As New Company Draws Scrutiny
Minutes after the city said it would reset the process, Slaughter emailed Park and Recreation Director John Jenkins that his resignation was retroactive to Tuesday. In the message he wrote that he no longer lives in the city "and new leadership will be great," according to The Dallas Morning News. The paper also reported that corporate filings show Slaughter created JetRail in September and that public property records indicate he purchased a DeSoto home in 2020.
Council Members Call For Tougher Vetting
Several transportation committee members said they were unaware a park board member was behind the proposal, a revelation critics say highlights gaps in how the city vets leases that involve current or recent appointees. The city's boards application asks candidates whether they have any financial interest in contracts with the city, and council members said those disclosures matter when appointees later pursue city business. City staff now plan to reopen the restaurant space to competitive proposals.
Airport Terminal Space Heads Back To Open Market
The Aviation Department says the city will reopen the process and solicit proposals for the Dallas Executive Airport terminal space, which remains unfilled for now. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had been scheduled to send the lease item to full council on Jan. 14, but that vote is on hold while staff prepare a public solicitation. District 8's council member is working to appoint a replacement to the park board to fill the seat Slaughter vacated.
