Raymond M. Crawford

I want to congratulate you on your efforts to help clean up processes at Dallas City Hall based on

the recommendations of

the auditor. Everyone agrees that these changes are long overdue and that in many cases,

mistakes are made therefore

leading to even larger problems for every citizen in Dallas.

Case in point, recently Mayor Mike Rawlings and council member Tennell Atkins have

announced plans to bring the Commemorative Air Force from their

home base in Midland, Texas to Dallas Executive Airport in Oak Cliff. As an enticement, both

the Mayor and Mr. Atkins have offered a financial incentive

of "eight figures" as confirmed by Mr. Atkins' statement to the media. Rumors are that the

amount is $13 million. We wouldn't know, because we've been left out of the conversation.

While everyone in Oak Cliff is always happy about new development in our midst, it becomes a

bigger problem if the residents who

live adjacent to the proposed development are left out of the conversation. Confidential meetings

led by the Mayor and Mr. Atkins with Neils Agather and

Stephen Brown of the CAF do nothing positive for the situation at all. Now, we read in the

Midland media and social media that the CAF's financial house

is also in disarray with potential shutting down if they don't receive a payment of $335,000 from

Midland College. State Rep. Tom Craddick is withholding payment

due to bylaws that may have been violated. I will attach State Rep Craddick's letter to this email.

Over recent years, the CAF has raised very little money in order to stay solvent all the time while

sitting in city owned buildings for free.

With 10,000 members from around the country combined with the leadership of Mr. Agather and

Brown, one would think that the CAF could do better.

I am requesting that as Chair for the City of Dallas Budget, Finance, Audit Committee, that you

and your committee members along with financial officer Jeanne Chipperfield take a closer

look at the CAF's financial records and ask a lot of hard questions before a check is written to

them.

The City of Dallas does not have an extra $13 million laying around to be giving it to a group

who cannot even manage their own financial house, and with trouble in the boardroom.

Awarding the CAF with $13 million does not look like a good deal for Dallas citizens, and for

Oak Cliff residents, it's even worse. We don't want to live next door to the CAF and its Air

shows.

The Mayor and Mr. Atkins would have known that, had they even thought to ask us.

Thank you for your service and everyone in Dallas is looking to your leadership to clean up this

huge mess at 1500 Marilla.

Sincerely

Raymond Crawford

District 3