Residents and board members tell Jonesboro council of alleged youth-sports financial misrepresentations, call for independent oversight
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Summary
Public commenters and the chair of the Public Facilities Board alleged longstanding misrepresentations in City Stars finances and urged the council to empower an independent sports-advisory committee or third-party operator; speakers said attempts to get mayoral action failed and several board members resigned.
Members of the Public Facilities Board and residents used the council forum to describe what they said were repeated financial misrepresentations by a parks-related booster or program manager and to press the council to assert independent oversight.
Matt, identified in the meeting as the chair of the Public Facilities Board, said board members repeatedly questioned a line item described as a 'field usage fee' that appeared on financial summaries but for which no check or payment could be found. "I'm concerned that he's lying about money," Matt said, describing repeated requests to the mayor from July 2024 through January 2025 and text-message exchanges in which the mayor allegedly promised action but did not follow through.
Matt said in April a text the mayor sent to a board member about canceling the program prompted him and other board members to resign and that a Department of Justice/FBI matter involving the parks official was known publicly; he said the resignations were intended to draw attention to transparency and accountability concerns.
Daniel Gary, a long-time volunteer, told the council the board had raised red flags for months and accused the mayor's office of "empty promises" and insufficient action. "An apology has never been offered, and that's a shame," Gary said after recounting meetings and written requests to administration staff.
Council discussion included repeated calls for clearer cash controls and governance changes. Several speakers urged the council to empower a sports advisory body that includes representation from the A&P Commission and the Public Facilities Board to review programming and vendor options, and to consider moving some youth-sports functions to an independent vendor model to avoid conflicts and improve transparency.
A speaker in the meeting later said investigators had found no wrongdoing regarding alterations to meeting minutes; council members also noted there is an ongoing investigation and said certain details remain subject to that process. The council did not take immediate formal action at the meeting but several members asked staff to provide options for independent oversight and clearer financial controls for parks programming.
