Municipal Advisor Larry Kidwell filed a complaint in Chancery Court against the city of Crossville Wednesday regarding his contract and pay.
The complaint is the first step toward a lawsuit.
Kidwell’s complaint alleges that his contract with the city automatically renewed because neither party gave a 180-day notice prior to the end of the contract’s term. City Manager Valerie Hale sent Kidwell a notice that the contract would not be renewed in May 2024. The complaint says that the notice should have been sent by March 18, 2024, based on the day the contract was signed. It continues to say Kidwell has not been paid $400,000 that was stipulated in his contract with the city. The money represents 1% on the bonds issued for the recreation center.
The complaint says, “[Mayor RJ Crawford and Mayor Pro-Tem Art Gernt] both have stated on the record that Crossville will not pay Kidwell & Co. anything unless a court orders it to do so. Kidwell & Co. brings this lawsuit to obtain such a court order.”
“My thought process is if somebody feels like they’re still under contract, they can sue us. That’s what everyone else seems to like,” Crawford said during a city council work session March 4.
“It’s not fair for the taxpayers to pay this. If a judge tells me otherwise, so be it,” Gernt said during a Feb. 11 city council meeting.
The complaint says that the contract with the city covered some work on the Crossville Recreation Center that Kidwell did for the city before the Sports Authority existed in Feb. 2024. Kidwell has a separate contract with the Sports Authority, and while they have issued a check, the complaint says Kidwell has not cashed it yet.
The complaint also says that the city is not paying Kidwell for the financing of the new Crossville Fire Station, which he provided municipal services for. Hiring Cumberland Securities to close the fire station financing would be a breach of Kidwell’s contract, which says he has the exclusive right to provide municipal advisory services. The complaint says he is owed an additional $40,000 fee, or 1% of the bonds on the fire station financing.
The complaint also seeks a fee for Kidwell’s work regarding the Meadow Park Lake Dam Project.
At the time of publication, Crawford and City Attorney Randy York did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for comment.
Hale and Councilman James Mayberry opted not to comment on the complaint.