Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another dazzling performance of Frisco’s Bond Ballet! A timeless masterpiece where the city pirouettes around financial transparency, leaps over budget concerns, and performs a breathtaking grand jeté over taxpayer skepticism—all while insisting, with a straight face, that no new taxes will be needed.

Every year, like clockwork, Frisco’s leadership takes center stage to pitch the latest and greatest “must-have” project—this time, a performing arts center. And just like in previous acts, the audience (a.k.a. the taxpayers) ask the same question: Where is the money coming from? But fear not! The City assures us that through the magic of bonds, reallocated funds, and a sprinkle of creative accounting, the show can continue without anyone noticing an increase in their tax bill. Bravo!

But why does this ballet feel so… familiar? Perhaps because it’s a revival of past performances—new costumes, same choreography. Whether it was the stadium, the library, or the latest infrastructure project, the script remains unchanged: Big dreams, vague funding plans, and a promise that it will all work out in the end.  They city just wants you to grab your playbill (or financial statement, if you dare) and settle in for another encore performance of Frisco’s Bond Ballet—where the numbers may not always add up, but the show must go on!

To understand HOW THEY PLAN TO FUND the Performing Arts Center you must first understand what the Frisco Community Development Corporation and the Frisco Economic Development Corporation do and what their funds are for!  Per the City of Frisco website, “Type A (EDC) and Type B (CDC) corporations were created by Texas law to help local municipalities encourage economic development. An Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is a nonprofit entity created to finance new and expanded business enterprises, subject to authorization under Texas law. Texas law defines what authorized projects EDC may participate in and allows for the adoption of sales and use tax to fund those projects. 

Type A EDCs are authorized under Texas law to fund, among other things, manufacturing and industrial development projects and the provision of land, buildings, equipment, facilities, expenditures, targeted infrastructure and improvements that are for the creation or retention of primary jobs for projects such as manufacturing and industrial facilities, research and development facilities, military facilities, recycling facilities, distribution centers, small warehouse facilities, primary job training facilities for use by institutions of higher education, and regional or national corporate headquarters facilities, and certain infrastructural improvements to promote or develop new or expanded business enterprises.”

Type B (CDC) corporations, also funded via a sales and use tax, are authorized under Texas law to fund, among other things, the development of recreational and community facilities, including parks, museums, sports facilities, auditoriums, amphitheaters, and concert halls, in addition to all projects eligible for Type A funding or other participation.

Now that you understand the basics of EDC and CDC funding, let’s focus on what Frisco’s Bond Ballet!  City leaders are trying to PITCH a state of the art performing arts center that will bring Broadway Shows.  To get your “BUY-IN” they are using a grand performance of confusion when it comes to the actual cost and how they plan to use creative accounting to pay for it – so you think “IT’S FREE!”

The City of Frisco leadership and the Frisco EDC Bond Propositions are pushing to rewrite the rules of the game allowing them to reroute sales tax revenues meant for Type A (Economic Development Corporation) Funds for Type B (Community Development Corporation) Purposes.  Citizens already voted in the past on how this money should be allocated to both the EDC and CDC so why are they trying to change it now?   IT IS THE ONLY WAY KING CHENEY, TONE DEAF TAMMY, BOBBLEHEAD BILL, and the rest of the council and city leadership can get a Performing Arts Center because they know you “the voter” won’t approve a property tax increase. 

Instead of using EDC money that is meant to keep FRISCO COMPETITIVE and stimulate local economic growth and attract businesses that bring good quality paying careers the city leadership and city council want to use it as their own personal piggy bank to fund their dreams and desires.  City officials are interpreting the local government code broadly, arguing that the performing arts center qualifies as an economic development project.

Let’s pretend a PAC qualifies economic development as the code is written today – then why is the city asking us to vote on Proposition A and B?  When you read both props look at the words we highlighted in BOLD and ask yourself why would they need me to vote on this? 

Proposition A reads “The Frisco Economic Development Corporation is authorized to use proceeds of its sales and use tax, including all amounts previously authorized and collected, for projects related to the proposed center for the arts project, including but not limited to, land, buildings, equipment, facilities and improvements found by the Frisco Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors to be required or suitable for use for the proposed Center for the Arts Project in accordance with section 505.152 of the Texas Local Government Code.”

Proposition B reads, “The issuance of bonds in the maximum amount of $160,000,000 for a City-owned Center for the Arts Project, and levying taxes sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds.”

By bringing Prop A & B the city can tell you…. IT’S FREE!  When you hear Smart Frisco tell you it’s FREE – it’s NOT!  It is your Sales & Use Tax that funds the budget for the EDC.  That means for every dollar you spend in Frisco, buying gas, groceries, or visit local businesses, a portion of the sales tax and use tax YOU PAY is GOING TO THE EDC!  While tourists spend money, trust me residents spend more here so clearly, we are paying for it! While it may not be a property tax increase when you spend money in Frisco you are FUNDING THE EDC.  The city is asking residents to be the Sugar Daddy for this project.

The latest act by the city, city leadership and the Frisco’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) starts with taking artistic liberties—not in the theater, but in the way it’s justifying the use of taxpayer dollars.  The city sees this as an open invitation to bankroll the arts center, citing potential economic benefits such as increased tourism and commercial activity.

We would argue that this is a classic case of bait and switch or mission creep—where funds originally intended to boost Frisco’s business landscape are now underwriting a cultural project that primarily benefits a select group.  Truth is we have done very well for ourselves in life, and we live comfortably, but Frisco is getting more and more expensive to live each day!  The city leadership and council care more about Tourism instead of those who live here. Tourism is important but IT IS NOT EVERYTHING!  What happened to Cheney Version 2017 where in his political video he talked about the quality of life for residents? 

Before you vote YES to either of these propositions ask yourself, “If I get laid off and look for another job locally near me could I afford to live on what a Theater Attendant gets paid?  What about a Park Attendant at Universal?”  Face it young kids are not working anymore, and current businesses are struggling to find labor and now we are going to add more hourly labor – how is that creating good quality careers? 

The question remains: Is this a wise and proper use of EDC funds, or is it just a budgetary sleight of hand to avoid putting the full burden on taxpayers? Either way, Frisco residents should be paying close attention. What starts as a reallocation for the arts today could and would set a precedent for future creative interpretations of economic development spending. After all, if a performing arts center is “economic development,” what’s next? A taxpayer-funded roller disco in the name of tourism?  Stay tuned—this show is just getting started. 

In our 15 to 20+ years living here in Frisco, this is the worst smelling project we have ever seen.  They can smell the Shit Stink in Celina, Prosper and probably up to Oklahoma.  The level of dirt our politicians use to cover up key details for this Performing Arts Center project from the public is unconscionable.  In our next blog, we talk about what the city is not telling you!  If it is city-owned who pays to operate it?  Have they inked a deal for a venue operator?  Over the years as the performance hall ages, who is responsible for the UPKEEP and how will we pay for it as it is a city-owned facility?  The 50 to 60 million they plan to raise from donors and corporate sponsors – have any of these deals been locked in?  If now, how do they know we won’t need to bring more money to the table?   How will the local arts community have use of this facility, can they even afford the rental fees to host events there?  How much time will we have on stage if we share it with Prosper ISD?  How does this benefit our local theater group if Broadway shows are always on stage?  Where do those funds come from?  They keep talking about Broadway Shows yet have they inked a deal with Broadway Across America?   Why would you vote to change how funding buckets are used when the truth is THE CITY IS WITH HOLDING DETERMINENTAL FACTS THAT COULD AFFECT YOUR DECISION ON HOW YOU VOTE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.