#GrandPrairieDeservesBetter: It's Time To Protect Our City's Progress
Calling for higher standards, mutual respect, and accountability from our elected officials — across both City Council and School Board.
Grand Prairie has worked hard over the past decade to rebuild its reputation. When I was growing up here, it wasn’t uncommon to hear unflattering nicknames — “the Armpit of the Metroplex” or “Ghetto Prairie.” On news stories about bad behavior, people would say things like, “That’s why I moved out — you can always count on GP to keep it classy.”
But that’s no longer our story. The city’s progress — and I give Mayor Jensen credit for what he’s done — has transformed how people view Grand Prairie. Today, it’s something to be proud of again. I live here, I own businesses here, and like so many others, I care deeply about this community we’ve worked so hard to uplift.
That’s why it’s discouraging to see our progress put at risk by the behavior of a few elected officials. We all understand that disagreements and mistakes happen — that’s part of public service. But intentional actions that embarrass the city or disrupt the work of governing reflect poorly on everyone and undermine what we’ve built together.
And this isn’t about one isolated incident or one governing body. Concerns have been raised about behavior on both the City Council and the School Board. The community’s frustration is bigger than one moment; it’s about expecting higher standards across the board.
According to the mayor, there is an upcoming vote at the next council meeting on August 5 to censure a councilman for such behavior, and many residents are watching closely. The expectation is simple: we want our leaders to set a standard for respectful conduct and show unity when addressing clear breaches of that standard. Those who stand against that expectation will find it a much harder election to win when voters return to the polls.
We value our city council and school board members and the service they provide, but some of the behavior we’ve seen suggests that respect for the community may not be mutual. And make no mistake — this concern is not held by just a few people; it reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Grand Prairians who are paying close attention.
It’s time to stop letting immaturity and disregard for rules and decorum define the work of our city. Stop letting bullies set the tone.
Share with your fellow Grand Prairians - use #GrandPrairiedeservesbetter and feel free to post the logo on your social media to show support for maintaining high behavioral standards for our leaders representing our city.