Fred Jones, Sr. was the mayor of Crystal Cove and the 'surrogate' father of Fred Jr.. On the surface he seems to only care more about making money from the town's mysteries rather than solving them, which conflicts with his son, contributing to an already awkward relationship.
In reality this is a cover for a much darker and obsessed personality, one who has gone to great lengths to complete the Planispheric Disk. He forced the original Mystery Incorporated to leave Crystal Cove and bargained away the guardianship of the son of Brad Chiles and Judy Reeves.
Personality
Fred Jones, Sr. is shown to be a selfish and greedy opportunist. He will do almost anything to make Crystal Cove into a tourist hotspot. He takes any of the paranormal and bizarre events that happen in Crystal Cove as an opportunity to promote the town's popularity regardless of the consequences and thus, he will willingly turn a blind eye in favor of reaping the benefits that they bring until it is too late (Menace Of The Manticore). In turn, his relationship with his son has become turbulent at best, with Fred Jr. slowly (but surely) realizing how selfish his father really is.