FULTON – To say Fulton Mayor Jimmy Kendrick is unhappy with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association would be an understatement.
“TWIA has not accomplished what Texas needs for Texans,” said Kendrick.
Among the Texans Kendrick believes TWIA has failed are the roughly 1,400 who call his community home.
“Every citizen in Fulton, in Aransas County needs help,” said Kendrick.
You can count Kendrick among them. He’s had his own issues with TWIA. Like many of his neighbors, Kendrick has had trouble getting TWIA to pay his claim, even though fulton was battered by a devastating windstorm.
“We need to let everybody know what TWIA is doing to people,” said Kendrick. “TWIA is not fulfilling their obligation, TWIA’s obligation is to cover windstorms and hailstorms only.”
And while Fulton recovers, TWIA wants to hit customers with a 10% rate increase. Kendirck says that’s too steep at the wrong time.
“That’s a heavy increase, especially if you’re trying to bring companies in like we are after what’s been destroyed,” said Kendrick. “Our mom and pop shops are trying to get started again.”
Kendrick would like to see TWIA expand its board by two to 11 members. He also wants to see the Coastal Bend represented on the board, so that the communities most affected, like his, have a voice.
“TWIA doesn’t have anybody to answer to but the people, and right now they’re not helping the people,” said Kendrick. “They’re not working for the people, they’re working for the company, and that’s a problem.”
He also wants the TWIA board to see what’s happening in places like Fulton.
“They need to come be part of this community, come down here and see what’s going on,” said Kendrick. “I challenge that board to come down here and see what’s happened.”
