Particularly that of Mayor Teresa Palmer as the city leader was confronted with accusations of taking money to help fund her campaign that could have come from ill-gotten gains.
Place 1 Council Member Eric Contreras took his time during council comments to accuse Palmer of working in a shadow government (a conspiratorial entity that controls real government) and about whether or not she knew if more than $11,000 contributed to her campaign by Spencer Hodge came from money he is accused of garnering illegally. The funds amounted to around 90% of the total money contributed to her campaign from all sources, as evidenced in a chart presented by Contreras.
A Tarrant County jail report from Sept. 24 showed Hodge as incarcerated facing charges of misappropriating fiduciary and financial properties between $30,000 and $150,000.
“Mayor Palmer, your very first act as mayor was to declare a proclamation on May 13th about your commitment to transparency, in which you said, and I quote, ‘The public should never be left in the dark. Every citizen deserves direct, clear, and complete answers. We will build a culture of trust, this administration must be committed to rebuilding through action. Accountability will be expected and enforced. This proclamation is not a suggestion, but an expectation of citizens who we serve. It sets the standard of conduct this administration will uphold and enforce. More importantly, it marks a culture shift at City Hall. One rooted in humility, transparency, and trust. I trust this administration will embrace this obligation with the grace of a servant’s heart. You can expect nothing less from me,’” Contreras began, continuing with, “One thing I want to talk about, because trust and transparency is so critical to the public, is on Aug. 20 in Willow Park, you were eating lunch and someone at your table got arrested. Can you please tell us who that person was?”
Palmer responded with, “Eric, thank you for asking me a question, and I am not going to comment on someone’s personal issues. I think that’s disrespectful to everyone here, so I’m not going to engage in that kind of gossip. So you can move on to your next, okay?”
Indeed Contreras did, as he was just getting started. He followed by asking her relationship to “this criminal.” Each time yielding for an answer that Palmer never clarified during the entire exchange.
He then showed a photo that was taken off of social media of Palmer, her Campaign Manager Gwendolyn Galle, and Hodge with others in front of City Hall.
“Speaking of City Hall, isn’t it true that you brought this criminal to City Hall multiple times to sit with you during development meetings and meetings you had with city staff?” Contreras said. “Didn’t we read about one of these incidents in The Community News (in an Aug. 7, 2025 article) that this criminal had a situation at City Hall and with our city staff?
“Many people are watching and are asking themselves, ‘Why is Mayor Palmer so close to this criminal?’”
Palmer did admit that Hodge contributed to her campaign, but again resorted to accusing Contreras of spreading gossip. To which he answered with, “I’m not gossiping at all, it’s just a statement of fact.”
Continuing to press, Contreras asked, “Isn’t it true that he paid for almost all of your yard signs and street signs? And isn’t it true that he practically paid entirely for your campaign event?”
Then he asked the audience in the room and online, “How many of you watching this are wondering why you would allow this criminal to contribute 90% of your total campaign contributions?
“If you are at home, watching this, type this into a search engine, you see this called many terms, including dirty money, I call this a huge mistake.”
Far from stopping, Contreras continued with, “Mayor Palmer’s criminal friend stole or conned between $30,000 to $150,000 from someone living in Parker County. And from the court documents found online, it appears the court ordered him to pay money back, but the available information indicates that no money has been paid back to the victim, but you received over $11,000 from him.
“Folks in Parker County are putting these puzzle pieces together that your campaign could have very well been funded with stolen money from an innocent Parker County resident.”
Contreras said he’s been contacted by numerous residents in Parker County that Hodge is going around trying to fundraise money.
“Residents, do your research and don’t be the next victim,” he cautioned.
Contreras, unfazed by Palmer’s growing anger, reiterated the importance of transparency and said he prays that she didn’t take him on as one of her clients in her financial services business.
“Can you please be transparent and tell us if he is or was one of your clients and did he or anyone in his family invest money with your business?” he asked.
Palmer said she could not reveal names of her clients. She then said, “Do not, do not think you’re going to smear Teresa Palmer. Don’t think you’re going to do it.”
Contreras also asked the mayor a question she has refused to answer for a couple of months. Who wrote the RFQ (request for qualifications) asking about attorney services?
“Folks, it has been 57 days and still no answer. Kind of hard to claim truth and transparency as a mayor with this record,” he said.
Contreras also stressed that he hopes Palmer doesn’t “call me anti-woman or a bully. Because we all know that isn’t true and that any claims would be a desperate attempt to deflect from your actions.”
Palmer previously tried to file harassment charges with the Georgetown police against outgoing City Manager Bryan Grimes when they were there for a governmental meeting. The police dismissed the allegations, saying it did not live up to their standards of harassment.
Once again Contreras quoted the mayor’s words surrounding her campaign, following with, “Are they hollow words or will you take action and hold yourself accountable?
“Or will you continue to avoid answering questions? The community believes you are being controlled by a shadow government. You could put that rumor to rest and show the community that you aren’t controlled by a shadow government and answer the questions right here, right now.”
Contreras addressed talk that Hodge had intentions of creating his own news source in the community, also reminding Palmer that “It is the free press’s job to hold government accountable and your silence to the free press speaks loud.
“Folks, have you heard the Mayor’s criminal friend is starting a news outlet and is seeking financial support for it? Does anyone honestly think this person would cover anything fairly?”
Contreras ended with a reminder that federal and state laws prohibit threats against public officials. Several of Palmer’s supporters have been accused of issuing such threats, especially on social media.
“I’ve been already threatened with physical harm and have been threatened politically as well. I told the mayor that one of her supporters threatened me in May, but Mayor Palmer has not toned down her rhetoric,” Contreras said. “The more you threaten me, the more I will expose the tactics of this shadow government that would do anything to try and destroy our community.”
Then, he closed with “I look forward to your apology.”
This infuriated Palmer even more as she snapped back, “You’re looking for my apology? Is that what I just understood?”
When it came for mayor comments in the meeting, Palmer repeated, “I will not be smeared by any council or anyone else. I’m a 66-year-old woman. I am a mother. I am a grandmother.
“You don’t have to respect Teresa Palmer the person. You don’t know Teresa Palmer the person, clearly, but I would hope that you would respect the mayor of Willow Park title. I would hope so. My biggest offense seems to be that I won the election. Clearly, that’s a problem, because I’m going to stand up and speak as the mayor, and I really cannot address all the things that you came up with.”
After the meeting, when this reporter approached the mayor with a question of whether she knew the funds to her campaign might have been illegally obtained, she responded that she is not speaking to the press. Then, before this reporter had the time to move away and was writing “no comment” in his notebook, she called the chief of police over to escort him away saying “We have a situation.”
Regarding the aforementioned property tax, council voted to approve a new property tax rate of approximately 42 cents per $100. It is a decrease from the current rate of just more than 43 cents per $100.
The decision came a day after the council approved the 2025-26 fiscal year budget. Per state law, the budget and tax rate cannot be adopted on the same day.
The tax rate and fiscal year 2025-26 budget go into effect on Oct. 1.
In his final city council meeting as Willow Park City Manager, Bryan Grimes offered thanks to the council, staff, and community. His final day will be Oct. 10 after he and council agreed to a parting of the ways following months of feuding with Palmer.
“It’s been a good eight years. I love Willow Park, I love the residents,” Grimes said. “My family’s better for being here.”
Grimes’ exit follows the resignations of former Major Pro tem/Place 4 Council Member Lea Young and former Place 3 Council Member Greg Runnebaum, both having served the city for many years before Palmer took office in May. Likewise for former City Attorney Pat Chesser, who also left after almost a decade this summer.
Council members offered praise and thanks to Grimes for his work and accomplishments.
“The city’s grown, and I attribute a great deal of that to you, and council as well. Thank you for your service,” Place 2 Council Member Chawn Gilliland said.
“I echo that as well,” said Scott Smith, who replaced Young on the council. “I was on PNZ (planning and zoning) when you started. So as you know, I hate to see you go - I understand the purpose and reasoning, but you’ve done an amazing service for this city. You’ve created a fantastic team that has been with you as well.”
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