Dallas’ Park and Recreation Board chairman has promised full financial disclosure if the cricket league he leads pursues business with the city, coming a week after a fellow board member resigned over a no-bid city deal.
Arun Agarwal, who chairs both the city park board and the National Cricket League USA, told City Council members Tuesday the league would be open to moving from its home in Richardson and seeking a new stadium and training facility partnership in Dallas.
While Agarwal said he was not now making a formal request, council member Paula Blackmon questioned him about his role and financial interests in the league, emphasizing the need for openness.
“What is your role in this organization? And is there any financial benefit? And have you disclosed this?” Blackmon asked. “Because we found out that our processes are very fragmented, and I’m hoping that we get it more conformed and open and transparent.”
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Agarwal acknowledged that as league chairman, he holds “some financial interest” and promised any future business proposal would come with full disclosure.
“We will be very vigilant if we come with an ask, which hopefully there’s some partnership in the future,” he said. “But thanks for alerting us.”
The exchange came a week after Ernest “Bo” Slaughter, a Park and Recreation Board member, resigned when The Dallas Morning News reported that city staff had recommended a lease for his newly formed company to operate a restaurant at Dallas Executive Airport.
The no-bid deal was not publicly advertised and raised conflict-of-interest concerns among council members. The city Aviation Department later pulled his deal and said a solicitation process for proposals will begin.
Agarwal was among several National Cricket League officials who appeared Tuesday to the council’s ad hoc committee on sports recruitment and retention, outlining what an expanded cricket footprint could bring to North Texas.
The league had planned to build its first field in Dallas’ Cadillac Heights neighborhood. Permitting delays and stalled development agreements pushed the league to the University of Texas at Dallas’ cricket field in Richardson.
Launched in 2024, the National Cricket League is one of two professional cricket leagues operating in North Texas, alongside Major League Cricket, based in Grand Prairie.
At the start of his presentation, Agarwal said he was “honored to serve on the Dallas Park and Recreation Board” and alluded to Slaughter’s resignation but didn’t disclose his role as league chairman until Blackmon’s questioning.
She said the need for transparency and public trust are important and that the city needs to tighten its oversight.
Blackmon said the episode underscored the need to restore public trust by tightening city oversight. “It’s not that it’s illegal … but it needs to be transparent,” she said.
While the Dallas charter prohibits city officials from entering into contracts with the city, the clause does not apply to members of council-appointed boards, such as those on the park board.