GRA Note: The headlines make this sound more onerous than it is.

Killeen council to hear citizen’s petition on removal of city manager

City Manager Kent Cagle
File Photo

Killeen Daily Herald
By Kevin Limiti | Herald
November 12, 2023

The Killeen City Council is slated to vote Tuesday on $4 million in improvements for Gilmer Street in north Killeen, as well as hear from a resident on removing the city manager.

There will be two separate meetings Tuesday. The first will be the regular City Council meeting at 5 p.m. followed immediately by a workshop meeting.

Camron Cochran told the Herald Friday that he plans on doing a citizen’s petition at the workshop meeting to remove City Manager Kent Cagle because he believes he is being unfairly protected from criticism.

“The city chain starts with the city manager and based on my interactions he should be leading versus sitting in the background hiding in the shadows,” Cochran said.

A citizen’s petition is a city term for a discussion item brought up by a resident. Residents are given four minutes to speak on the subject. It is not a petition in the sense that it would require signatures or do any kind of action to remove a person.

Cochran said he doesn’t plan on taking it any farther than the citizen’s petition.

The reasons he gave for wanting Cagle removed is that he believes Mayor Debbie Nash-King is protecting Cagle and other city employees from criticism during citizen comments at the City Council meetings.

He said his reasons were separate from resident Michael Fornino, a constant presence at City Council meetings and a staunch opponent of Cagle. Fornino has repeatedly claimed that Cagle was involved in a lawsuit in Duncanville for some kind of misconduct, which Cagle has repeatedly denied.

The City Council plans to pass several items on the agenda Tuesday including $4 million for renovation to Gilmer Street, which runs between Rancier Avenue and Veterans Memorial Boulevard.

The workshop meeting will include discussions on applying for an Officer of the Governor Homeland Security grant for $5,000, several rezoning public hearings and several discussions — brought up by Councilman Riakos Adams — for future agenda items on topics like regulation of vape shops, a homeless strategic plan and a Dark Skies program, which aims to reduce light pollution.

The council meeting begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers in City Hall, 101 N. College St., Killeen.

For those unable to attend the meeting in person, it will be web streamed live and archived for playback on the city’s website, KilleenTexas.gov. It will also be broadcast live on Spectrum Cable Channel 10.