HR-GONE: The Mysterious Disappearance of Frisco’s Human Resources Trio
It’s been unusually quiet over at City Hall lately. It’s the kind of quiet that screams “Something’s rotten in the records room.” While most departments are humming along in their usual bureaucratic fog, the stench of an investigation is sweeping the building due to some major “Absences.”
A few weeks ago, Lauren “Sassy” Safranek and Jacinta Shanks, top brass in Frisco’s Human Resources Department, vanished like a bowl of queso at a Friday Night tailgate. Gone. Poof. Not a peep. Did they get lost on a ship stuck in troubled seas? Maybe they went ice fishing and fell in the hole? It’s like they just pulled a Houdini!
We reached out to some of our sources inside city hall. When something like this happens, it does not take long for whispers and rumors to begin. One whistleblower told us, “One minute they’re steering the ship, the next day they’re gone like a Margarita on Cinco de Mayo.” Did they quit? Nope. Did they announce a vacation? Were they abducted by an alien spaceship sent by fed-up municipal employees?
I mean, it’s not the craziest theory on the table. What we do know is this: Multiple sources allege they’re on administrative leave—which in government-speak often translates to: “Something’s gone sideways, and we’re pretending we have it under control.”
Rumor Tornado: Allegations Aplenty
Cue the local rumor mill which is working overtime, spinning out allegations faster than a ceiling fan in an August heatwave. Allegations range from forged documents, toxic workplace culture, and racist comments. And while we’d love to dismiss it all as wild conspiracy, here’s the truth: When that much smoke is circling, it usually ain’t from a scented candle. For a city who claims to have pride in their professionalism and diversity, something like this is not just smoke, somewhere there is a fire! Someone call the Fire Department!! (more about that in a sec)
If things weren’t already murky enough, we got word that Shamaria, another key player in HR, is also out. Administrative leave too? Vacation? Witness protection? We hope to tell you soon why people are just vanishing from the organization chart. We are just giving the city the courtesy of a comment request before we move forward. For now, they think no one’s talking. Not the city, not the employees, not even a cryptic passive-aggressive Nextdoor post. However, that is simply not true! They have more cracks and leaks than the Titanic.
At least when you email any of them you get back the “official” statement which is a robotic Out-of-Office reply that reads like it was written by ChatGPT on Ambien. The silence is deafening. No answers. No updates. Not even a cryptic “thoughts and prayers” from City Hall. So, what did we find?
HR Hotline Tellanovella
Case 61: Discrimination or Harassment! It was filed on 4/25/23 and closed one month later on 5/23/23 and the person identified in the behavior was none other than Jacinta Shanks – HR Manager. The report goes on to say that on April 10th while the Director was away, Jacinta pulled her staff into a meeting and yelled and screamed at them for two hours. It reads “she was screaming that they were bad in their roles in HR, was name calling, cussing, screaming, etc.” Not only could she be heard yelling through the department, but she could heard in the hallway too which the reporter said was abusive and unprofessional. The end result? The case was closed and no evidence was found.
Case 62: Listed as “OTHER” was reported on 5/4/23 and closed on 5/23/23. The hotline complaint is about the same “April 10th Issue” listed in Case 61 but this time the complaint is the initial report was closed out and never investigated by the HR Director, Laurn Safranek.
Case 64: Falsification of Contracts, Reports or Records was reported on 5/29/23 and closed out 6/22/23. We reported this in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog back in 2023. It was Day 3: Case 64 & HR Malfeasance and Day 9: Case 64 Responses. You can just click the Case names, and it will take you directly to those blogs. We know for a fact his true and it is why Lauren Safranek used a fake investigation to go after the Former Fire Chief, to cover up her own fraud. The complaint was closed out due to NO EVIDENCE FOUND!
Meanwhile, Over in the Fire Department…
You’d hope that while HR has hit the skids, all the other departments would be cruising along smoothly, right? Wrong.
Five employees have recently left the Frisco Fire Department. We’re not talking about minor attrition here—we’re talking about experienced professionals pulling the ripcord. Some retired early, which means, “I’m out of here because this will never get better,” while others just walked out of the job.
Why? The unofficial rumor is due to the lack of true Fire Department leadership and lack of support by city management. Tammy’s recent comments “caught on tape” sure didn’t help when they were called 300lb Bullies. They have realized it is not going to get better without change on the Dias and new fresh minds sitting in the seats on the council. Maybe that is why the Frisco Firefighters Association and Frisco Police Officers Association has endorsed Burt Thakur and Jared Elad in the runoff. One thing is clear for sure those that put their life on the line to save our lives and our property are sick of the city’s BS and jumping off the Titanic early while there is still a lifeboat to get them somewhere else.
Damage Control in Public Works?
HR, then the Fire Department? Surely, it’s a fluke – nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. Just a few weeks ago a lady spoke at citizens input about the “issues” in public works and how she was upset that a letter she sent it to recognize someone was never given to them. Well turns out there is a flood in the Public Works Department too and it goes back several years.
Sometime in 2024, Lauren Safranek (HR – now allegedly out on administrative leave) hired an outside HR Consulting Company, called Kathy Shields Consulting, to investigate the “alleged complaints through the HR hotline of an inappropriate relationship.” That’s right, the “ALLEGED” complaints involve Lover Boy, Kevin Grant, his alleged girlfriend, Loosey Goosey Gloria Martinez (who is married to someone else who works in the city).
Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works. The affair is alleged to have been happening for several years now, and the consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it. Well, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment you can see why it would upset those that work around her.
Piling High HR Allegations in Public Works
Case 55: Time Abuse was reported on 1/3/23 and closed on 1/30/23. The report reads that Office Manager, Gloria Martinez and Kevin Grant, Assistant Director for months would go off during work hours to donate plasma for extra money while still on the clock (meaning they were stealing taxpayer dollars and being paid for it). The confidential reporters said they believed the stolen time was equal to $50,000 dollars. Their report continued with all the CSR’s and other direct reports were aware of the happenings. HR found no evidence and closed the case.
Case 57: Offensive and Inappropriate Communication was reported on 3/17/23 and closed on 5/8/23. This report is about Marvin Redmond, a Supervisor and foul mouth in the office. HR found no evidence and closed the case.
Case 58: Nepotism/Favoritism Inappropriate Workplace Relationship was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/11/23. The report says Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works and Gloria Martinez, Office Admin, are having an inappropriate relationship and disappear at different times of the day for extended periods. It mentions Kevin has a DUI so he gets Gloria to drive him everywhere. They openly flirt in the office making others uncomfortable and awkward. The Director of Public Works, Gabe appears to do nothing and turns a blind eye. HR found no evidence and closed the case.
Case 59: Violation of Policy was reported on 3/20/23 and closed on 4/12/23. The report states that Gabe Johnson, the Director of Public Works knows that Kevin Grant, Assistant Director of Public Works was convicted of a DUI which is an issue because driving a city vehicle is part of his job to check on employees and job sites. The report notes others have been fired in the past for DUI’s but this time Gabe choses to look the other way. HR found no evidence and closed the case.
Interesting thing here, we did a simple search, and we found a DUI for a Kevin Grant – could it be the same Kevin Grant that works at the City of Frisco driving city vehicles?
Case 84/85/86/87/88: Multiple Reports about Public Works and the HR Cover up also reported to the hotline in 2024/25. The first starts with a 3-page complaint about Gloria Martinez, the Strategic Services Manager in Public Works (new title), related to her behavior and ongoing love affair with her boss. The case was closed when NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND!
We could keep going, but we don’t want to sound like a broken record. Sources from deep in city leadership told us NDA’s were required by everyone in Public Works during the investigation. The consultants couldn’t understand why people were bothered by it. Our guess, when one who is loosey goosey starts to get promotions and special treatment, you can see why it would upset those who work around her.
What we find interesting is each time they are closed due to no evidence found. One report, I could see its just petty employee behavior but when you have multiple reports in multiple departments and they are always investigated by the same HR folk (who are even named in the complaint) something tells me – there is some rotting shit in Denmark.
Let’s Talk About Leadership — Or Lack Thereof
Enter Wes Pierson, Frisco’s relatively new City Manager. According to the Tammy tapes, she just finished his “yearly review.” Don’t worry, we are filing a PIR for that blow pop sucker!
To hear some folks inside City Hall tell it, Wes didn’t just walk in with a chip on his shoulder—he brought the whole bag of chips on this back. There’s a growing sentiment that his arrogant, top-down leadership style is rubbing people the wrong way, all the way down to those “entry level employees.” Micromanaging? Check. Intimidating culture? Double check. Open-door policy? Not unless you’re bringing praise, apparently.
And here’s the kicker: this isn’t Wes’s first rodeo when it comes to morale problems.
Sources from his previous job in Addison say the same script played out there. Multiple departures. Low morale. Leadership complaints. Sound familiar? Because it should. History doesn’t repeat, but it sure rhymes.
Walking on Eggshells
Maybe it’s time we stopped asking what happened and started asking who’s driving the bus at the city. Insiders describe the current vibe inside City Hall as “walking on eggshells.” But in the absence of information, people fill in the blanks themselves—and right now, that blank is filled with rumors, stress, and enough anxiety to power every Keurig in the building. However our City Council Members want you to believe everything is just dandy – and the truth is the cancer is all over the city including our City Council.
Final Thoughts
To the City of Frisco: This isn’t Mean Girls. We get that HR matters can be sensitive and complex. But people deserve a straight answer—or at the very least, an acknowledgment that something is amiss. And to Mr. Pierson: you were brought in to lead, not reign. Arrogance isn’t management.Intimidation isn’t accountability. And silence isn’t transparency.
The people who make this city run—from dispatchers to developers—deserve better than this circus. We’ve got talent walking out the door, departments on edge, and a leadership team that thinks “no comment” is good enough. Then to top off the Sunday, we have city council members getting caught on tape showing their authentic self in a safe space, acting no better than some of the city “employees” she thumbs her nose up at, who work for our city. Too bad we can’t file an HR Complaint with the hotline about Tammy.
If you read this and don’t think we need a change in our city, you are simply delusional! If you want to try and discredit us because we are anonymous – go ahead. Companies and cities cannot operate this way.
Years of HR HOTLINE COMPLAINTS, which name HR as part of the problem investigated by none other than HR. Simple No Evidence Found! Years of complaints about issues in Public Works, but simply no evidence found! More reports about other departments from PD, Facilities / Maintenance, and Professional Services, simple, no evidence found!
A city’s HR Team doesn’t go POOF IN THE NIGHT, unless there is a serious issue! If you want to believe our Fire Department is a group of bullies, we can’t change your mind. The fact is that a fire department does not lose tenure like our department has in one year unless there is a reason for it. If you want to believe that our Public Works department has no issues after 15+ complaints have been reported for the same thing by different people, then we can’t change your mind. How many cities have to hire this many outside consultants or investigators to look at an issue and still find no evidence? What you should care about is that it is your tax dollars paying for it.
For years, the city has operated with the mentality to protect the ones they like and cut the ones that could or will “uncover the problem”. Hence, our former Fire Chief and several other employees across other city departments. If you want to blame the wrong people and keep denying there is a problem, better yet, that there is a cancer in the city that starts at the top, then you are blind and stupid. The problem starts with our city council leaders and trickles down through the city. I would love for someone to explain to me how one city has so many problems! Don’t believe us, fine! We can’t make you see what you choose to close your eyes to. Just continue to be sheep!
City of Frisco Motto: Keep the cancer, eat the innocent!
In April of 2021 you would have thought an El Paso dust storm full of tumbleweeds came through Frisco and upset the equilibrium of our city. As we discussed in our earlier blogs Where There Is Smoke PT 1 and There is Fire PT 2, there has been a long standing point of contention between the Frisco Firefighters Association and the city in regards to workers compensation.
In 2021 the city opposed House Bill 2242 brought forward by Jared Patterson, Texas State House Rep for Frisco. In 2023 the FFA and Patterson brought HB 471, and they have been working extremely hard to get it or similar legislation passed in Austin that would protect first responders across Texas. The fight for more protection by the FFA and Jared Paterson has continued into our 2025 Texas Legislative Session.
Even though we knew about the El Paso dust storm, my wife and I were still shocked on May 16, 2023, after tuning into the city council meeting online, like we have done every other Tuesday for years. Mayor Cheney presented a proclamation to Denton County MGMR, for all the work they do each day relating to mental health. Mental Health Awareness Month aims to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities in need of mental health support.
At that same meeting, during Citizen Input (23:00 minute mark), Frisco Firefighters Association President, Matt Sapp, along with Retired Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland, and Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer to address the termination of Kraemer, a 27-year Veteran of the Frisco Fire Department.
What? After 27-years serving our city and its residents without hesitation, Kraemer was terminated BY EMAIL while on medical leave and under medical supervision for PTSD which we go into more detail about in our blog Backdraft which we really encourage you to read.
By the end of the meeting, I wanted to scream like Alanis Morrissette…
Isn’t it ironic? Don’t you think? A little too ironic
Where are we two years later? It is Mental Health Awareness Month again, and the second anniversary of Kraemer’s termination BY EMAIL while on medical leave. The fight is not over, not even close! It’s time to peel back the curtain on a firehouse-sized problem simmering here in Frisco? Buckle up, this one’s got smoke, politics, and no small dose of Texas-sized irony.
Smoke, Stigma & Silenced: Mark Piland
Since then, Retired Fire Chief Mark Piland has had his name wrongfully smeared and his 40-year stellar career in public service wrongfully attacked by City of Frisco leaders for speaking out on behalf of Kraemer and the Frisco Firefighters Association when he attempted to run for Frisco City Council.
The Legislative Lifeline
When your city will not support you, what do you do? The Frisco Firefighters Association has continued the fight and has been in Austin off and on the last several weeks with local State Rep Jared Patterson to fight for more protection for public safety employees in the State of Texas. Just today, HB331 officially headed to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law! The bill marks the final piece of legislation language from last session’s HB471 that our Frisco Firefighters have been advocating for the past three legislative sessions.
A Firefighters Fight: Cameron Kraemer
And Cameron Kraemer, where is he? Kraemer, while still under medical supervision, started the fight of his life against our very own City of Frisco. After a hearing on September 21, 2023, before the Texas Department of Insurance, the DMN reports that the administrative law judge hearing the case ORDERED THE CITY OF FRISCO, which is self-insured, to pay Kraemer benefits and any accrued but unpaid income benefits in a lump sum with interest as provided by law. According to John Riddle, president of the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters, Kraemer’s case is being watched throughout Texas, and it is important to the state’s 18,000 firefighters in 195 communities. Riddle said in the DMN, “For now, Frisco is among the most aggressive cities in fighting its injured employees at City Hall and the Legislature — and because of that, employees like Cameron Kraemer pay a high price.”
The battle continued as Kraemer took his case before the DOJ for them to determine if he was able to sue the city for wrongful termination which we wrote about in our blog Big Time Casino Payout. The DOJ ruled Kraemer could move forward with a lawsuit so in August 2024 Cameron Kraemer filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination against the City of Frisco in Collin County. Based on the research we have done, Kraemer is going to win, and we think he will win big! You can learn more in our December 2024 blog Kraemer vs City of Frisco that we wrote which lays out the details.
Final Thoughts from the Hillside Winery Whistleblower
Ask yourself why. Why is the city spending hundreds of thousands on a private law firm to fight so hard and drag this out for so long, when clearly, they are in the wrong? Why is the city spending tax dollars fighting our public safety employees instead of protecting them and just doing the right thing? What will this cost us, the taxpayers, when he wins? Our guess…. MILLIONS! But that is not all. We are hearing rumors of other lawsuits that have been or will be filed by former employees of the FD against the City of Frisco. We are digging into that now!
They had all the time in the world to prance around asking us to vote to change the use of EDC funds for a Frisco Center For The Arts but they cannot simply make things right with the firefighters. Instead, we have Councilwoman Meinershagen calling them 300lb bullies and complaining that they are fighting for protections that directly affect their life. We have Bicycle Bill Woodard, who wants you to believe the firefighters are lazy (his words during the May 2024 election), and they want to bankrupt the city. You can’t get a paycheck from a bankrupt city, so why would they want to do that? Cheney and Keating want you to believe that our RETIRED Fire Chief was fired after a stellar career with the city and 10 years of perfect performance reviews. Not to mention, in our PIR requests and federal FOIA’s, we found his entire 40-year career was stellar with not one deficient performance review. Lastly, no one is paying attention to the fact that in the last 6 to 8 months, several (rumor is 6 to 8) of our firefighters are saying Hasta La Vista Baby either via retirement or quitting their job. They are going to work for other organizations and cities where they are valued.
Just hope and pray your house does not catch fire because we were already short staffed and now it is getting worse! The city loyalists just turn a blind eye as always, and function as if nothing if wrong. They want you to believe we have nothing to be worried about, but as a taxpayer you can bet, I am worried! Big Time Payouts, the loss of experienced firefighters from our roster puts citizens and businesses in jeopardy.
Back in the day, Frisco was known as a dormant suburb, north of Dallas, but today Frisco is a community undergoing vast changes and becoming its very own urban Metroplex. Gone are the rural days when everyone knew their neighbors, and a trip to Stonebriar Mall was the excitement for the week. Today, we are at a crossroads of transformation, and the experience of change has been both loved and hated along the way.
The reason my wife and I moved here was because we loved the sense of community, the schools, and the feeling of being safe. The truth is all of that has changed with the massive development that has taken place in the last 10+ years. Yes, we knew Frisco would develop and we looked forward to that at one time. However, that is when you had a city council who engaged and listened to the residents and decisions were made based on what was best for the community.
Frisco has changed, and to be very honest, it is now filled with dirty politics on all sides. Secret deals are happening, and our city council is misleading us to approve projects that are in their best interest, and they are leading with iron fists. Our priorities have shifted, and our sense of community is disappearing every day. Today is election day, and each of us has a chance to vote for change.
We debated on releasing the tape of Tammy Meinershagen when we received it. In the end, we felt voters have the right to know who they are electing. Meinershagen’s statements against the South Asian community are offensive. Calling both South Asian candidates idiots and other names is disgusting and shows a lack of leadership and integrity. She then goes on to talk about how she is not afraid of bullies, even if they are 300lb firefighters or a black woman. Since when are those who protect and serve bullies? Her reference to a black woman being a bully because they disagree on how to do things would be the same as calling her an angry black woman, which I am pretty sure the black community would find an offensive stereotype. Then she references that the Frisco population is only 1% Asian, so she has no base here, and with a laugh, says that means she is white. Frisco’s lack of an Asian population does not make you white, Ms. Meinershagen, but it is clear that you want to be.
Then she goes on about her opponent saying she is “offended and insulted that he would run for city council.” So, she is offended that a citizen who had every right to run, is running? She pointed out at the Chamber Forum and on this tape how her opponent ran for Congress and lost – well Ms. Meinershagen, John Keating ran for higher office as well. In fact, he left his seat early to run and when he lost he came back and took over another seat during a special election so does that make him incompetent to run?
Ms. Meinershagen continues to talk about other local leaders, Scott Johnson, Jared Patterson, and Shona Sowell. Then she talks about residents who are or have taken a chance to run for office, like Mark Piland, Burt Thakur, Jared Elad, and Gopal Ponangi. While many may be upset, we released these tapes. The bigger question is, WHY ARE YOU NOT UPSET ABOUT WHAT TAMMY MEINERSHAGEN SAID?
Today Jamie Heit posted on her FRWC page that we have some shady behavior by certain candidates this cycle including that of a current candidate running for office. Heit ignores all the shady behavior her best friends have done in the past and finds excuses for that but now she sits upon a hill of moral authority accusing this candidate of secretly recording a conversation, questioning her morals and integrity.
Here is the problem with Heit’s statement: how does she know it was secretly recorded? Who told her that? Who told her that the conversation was with this candidate? There are only 3 ways you would have known the who, when, where and if it was secretly recorded:
1) Ms. Heit you were there, and you participated in the conversation and if that is the case why were you not disgusted then with the comments by Meinershagen? We know you were not there so we know this option is not possible.
2) Tammy Meinershagen would have had to tell you who this conversation was with and that she was unaware of it being recorded. If that happened, it means TAMMY IS ADMITTING TO THE CONVERSATION AND WHAT SHE SAID IN IT?
3) The candidate whom you have accused of doing this would have had to tell you they did it. We are pretty sure that did not happen. It would make no sense to be a whistleblower and then yell from a rooftop “It’s me!”
Our guess: Ms. Heit, you know about the conversation because Tammy told you, which means she is admitting to her statements. Secretly recorded or not, nothing illegal was done as Texas is a 1-party state. That means Tammy is admitting to her offensive and objectionable conversation. Someone like that should not be a leader in our city, as her statements clearly show she Tammy has no integrity or ethical morality laying out everyone’s personal business to someone.
Then you have Jake Petrus, otherwise known as the “Town Bully” for the cabal. He posted that this was a private conversation, secretly recorded at xxxx home. The only way Jake would know who the other person was or where it was recorded is if TAMMY TOLD HIM! If he is right, that means he talked to Tammy or someone who had talked to Tammy, to know how and when. THAT PROVES THE CONVERSATION IS LEGIT AND THAT TAMMY IS CONFIRMING HER ROLE AND STATEMENTS.
Either way it doesn’t matter if Tammy knew or didn’t know – what matters is Ms. Heit and Jake Petras would not know “the how, when and with who” without Tammy confirming it. That means she knowingly said nasty, hurtful, demeaning, racist things and spread the personal business of those who had trusted her to others in the community like a game of show and tell. Personally, if I were Johnson, Keating or Pelham, I would be glad to know about this. Clearly it shows they cannot trust Tammy, who they thought was a confidant/or a friend.
I don’t think those who considered her a friend would have ever guessed she is spilling the secrets of their lives and private conversations too others. While we are not the greatest fans of Angelia Pelham and John Keating the fact is they have the right to know their fellow city councilwoman was talking trash about them to others in our community. Simply put, this was probably not the first time Tammy allowed her loose lips to talk trash – it was just the first time she got caught.
If Heit or anyone, for that matter, wants to claim that someone who recorded this is not fit to be a leader, then we want to know why Tammy’s statements and behavior which clearly show a lack of integrity, knowledge or ethical morality is not being called out to be a leader in Frisco? She should resign!
In closing, Tammy kept referring to Frisco as “my city, my city, my voters, my budget, …” – this is not her city, it is our city! She seems to have forgotten that on her quest for Broadway or to be on Broadway. We also want to be clear that we will always protect our sources at Frisco Chronicles. We do want to make it very clear; WE DID NOT RECEIVE Pelham’s text or the Meinershagen conversation directly from the candidate Heit and Petras are currently calling out. We received the text from Source A and the recording from Source B, and neither of them was the candidate Heit and Petras are attacking online.
As for Broadway Frisco – Prop A & B we would ask you to consider this before voting:
Today, we hear “Tourism, Tourism, Tourism,” and most recently, how we need to be more like Nashville. The thing is, Nashville has a deep history back in the 1920s. They had a thriving publishing industry, then came the advent of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925. When WSM began broadcasting live performances from the Grand Ole Opry, it positioned them to become “Music City USA.” By 1945, it was one of the most popular radio programs in America and established Nashville as a hub for country music. They made urban renewal a priority and renovated several landmarks, including the Music Hall of Fame and The Sommet Center. Broadway (similar to 5th Street in Austin) became known for bars and a honky tonk music scene. It was the cornerstone for emerging young artists and a short distance trolley ride from the iconic Music Row. Major record labels headquartered themselves in Nashville, and it became a gathering place for the arts, entertainment and music. They did not simply build a 340-million-dollar Broadway, and become Nashville overnight!
What is the problem with Frisco being more like Nashville? We never implemented our identity as we began to grow and develop into a Nashville. Purefoy took us down the road to being Sports City USA! It worked! Now the city council says we must be more like Nashville to compete, or else! With every development, we have heard Mayor Cheney say this would have a HALO Effect on our city, making us the greatest city in America. Now, all of a sudden, if we don’t spend $160 million or $340 million to get FRISCO BROADWAY, we will lose the economic boom to Nashville? The AMC Awards are happening here, not in Nashville, why? It is being held at a great venue. We didn’t have Frisco Broadway to win over the AMC Awards. We are not Nashville! We will never be Nashville! We are Frisco, Texas!
Please vote no to the propositions in order to protect our community and the residents who live here.
Tammy says, “I don’t like bullies! I don’t care if they are 300lb firefighters or black woman!”
Tammy on Scott Johnson: “He is the weakest leader I have ever seen.”
Tammy continues, and it sounds like she is gloating when she talks about his divorce and his wife potentially spilling the tea if he runs for Mayor.
Tammy on Angelia Pelham: “She also voted Republican for the first time. Why would she do that? She is a staunch democrat.”
Tammy continues to talk about Angelia’s poor leadership, how she doesn’t care if she ever talks to Angelia at an event, how she doesn’t have a lot of respect for Marcia (John Keating’s girl), and how Angelia has not done anything for our city.”
Tammy on Shona Sowell: “She was a nice person at the beginning, I heard, but at the end of the six years, she was a monster.”
Tammy, the reason you gave in this conversation is not the same reason you have previously stated as to why you ran against Shona Sowell. Which one is the truth?
Tammy on John Keating: “He should not get married until after he loses the Mayoral race to see if Marcia sticks around.”
Tammy continues to talk about John, his ex-wife Leslie, his kids, and we are curious why you would ever have a conversation with someone and discuss someone else’s personal life. You are okay spilling others’ secrets and talking about their lives, so let’s see how you like now that it is happening to you.
Gossip is human nature. At some point, we all talk about others or are talked about. Not all gossip is evil. Some of them are mindless chit-chat. But it can hurt someone else and also backfire. Those who are busy discussing your life are probably not happy about theirs. Tammy needs to take a good look in the mirror and re-evaluate her choices. She doesn’t want folks talking about her husband’s Ketchup Caddy, yet she thinks it’s okay to expose anyone and everyone’s secrets.
It’s campaign season in Frisco, and you know what that means: political signs are vanishing, alliances are shifting, and hypocrisy is doing cartwheels down Main Street. We have heard from a few citizens asking us why we have a “Double Standard” when it comes to calling out current city leaders who support Smart Frisco while we have said nothing about Brian Livingston who is supporting the Citizens For A Smarter Frisco PAC. We have been asked why we have not disclosed how the Vote No PAC – Citizens For A Smarter Frisco is funded? Honesty matters so here you go!
Let’s rewind the tape.
Let’s talk about the political elephant in the room—Smart Frisco, the feel-good PAC with a slick name, big-dollar backing, and conveniently aligned with current city leaders. Councilmembers Bill Woodard, Jeff Cheney, and Tammy Meinershagen have all publicly supported this PAC as well as previous PACs in the past while claiming to be wearing their “private citizen” hats on. We cannot pretend their alignment with Smart Frisco doesn’t carry political weight. Ah yes—the magical invisible hat that somehow lets you hold public office and advocate for propositions without consequences or accountability. It’s like Clark Kent glasses for ethics.
In the previous election Brian Livingston took no position and clearly said it is up to voters to decide and this time around he dared to speak up about his own concerns regarding the Frisco Center For The Arts during council meetings. It was not until the current city council members came out for a second time advocating for a PAC trying to influence the vote that Livingston clearly had enough and said what is good for the goose is good for the …..
Now critics cry foul and the pearly clutching begins! The cabal acting as if he had crossed a line even though they set the precedent crossing the sacred boundary. Livingston dared to voice his concerns and support for the Citizens for a Smarter Frisco PAC, which is advocating against the current Performing Arts Center deal and now critics cry foul, as though he’s crossed some sacred boundary, they themselves trampled over a year ago.
Behind Citizens For A Smarter Frisco PAC
Based on records filed with the city the PAC started a few weeks after Smart Frisco. The treasurer is listed at Chris Fields and from what we can tell he has no criminal record, does some political consulting and works in the IT Field. We pulled their campaign finance report, and they have $0 listed, $0 donations and until the next report is out, we will not know who funded the PAC. We messaged Chris Fields and asked why the PAC developed and he responded, “out of citizen concern.”
Livingston has been front and center for the PAC at forums and reposting their content but nowhere near the extent of the city leaders on the side of Smart Frisco. Do you feel that as a representative for the city council you should be representing a pack against the performing arts center?
Livingston: Honest, Direct, and—Let’s Face It—Right
We sent Mr. Livingston an email and asked him Do you feel that as a representative for the city council you should be representing a pack against the performing arts center and why he has chosen to support Citizens For A Smarter Frisco and this was his response.
Livingston wrote, “I want to be clear—I never wanted to represent a political action committee in this way. However, a precedent was set last year when other members of this council chose to publicly support a PAC while claiming to do so as private citizens. That action opened the door for elected officials to engage in public advocacy while still holding office, and I believe it’s important to be honest about that reality.
As a councilman, my first responsibility is to be transparent with the residents of Frisco. I have taken this position with the “Vote No” PAC because I firmly believe the current Performing Arts Center deal, as written, is not in the best interest of our city. I also strongly disagree with the proposed change in use of EDC funds, which were never intended to support projects of this nature.
This isn’t about opposing the arts—it’s about fiscal responsibility, honoring the original intent of our economic development tools, and making sure every deal we enter into reflects the long-term needs and values of the Frisco community.”
That’s what you call “owning” the situation. No spin. No double talk. Just a clear admission that if we’re going to play by these new rules, let’s at least acknowledge them out loud. Whether you agree with him or not, you can’t deny that what he’s offering is rare: a transparent position, rooted in fiscal concern, with zero political waffling.
What’s Good for the Goose…
Here’s the core issue: you can’t praise transparency when it suits your narrative and then screams “conflict of interest” when someone else plays by the rules you created. If it’s okay for Cheney, Meinershagen, and Woodard to champion a PAC two years in a row while in office, then say Brian Livingston’s advocacy for fiscal responsibility and public transparency is not appropriate and unnecessary. This isn’t about theater. It’s about trust. And whether you support the Performing Arts Center or not, you should support honest governance over political theater.
The Bottom Line
Frisco deserves better than this convenient amnesia and selective outrage. If elected officials want to play the PAC game, they should at least have the decency to stop pretending they’re playing as “private citizens.” And if a councilman speaks up about a shady deal and does so publicly, let’s not crucify him for being the only one saying the quiet part out loud. It would be totally disingenuous to pretend this isn’t political coordination masquerading as “just a concerned citizen.” The real issue isn’t who’s supporting which PAC—it’s why some voices are allowed a microphone, while others get handed a muzzle. Frisco voters are smarter than that. Let’s act like it.
There are several important dates to know when it comes to the ballot propositions:
First day of early voting—April 22
Last day of early voting—April 29
Election day—May 3
Want to weigh in? Got receipts or screenshots? You know the drill. 📩 FriscoWhistleblower@protonmail.com – Anonymity is our love language.
While the world tackles climate change, AI ethics, and the moral collapse of TikTok, Frisco is dealing with… loss of our children’s innocence, assaults and stolen/vandalized political signs. That’s right, political signs! Welcome to the great political crime spree of 2025 in what our Mayor and Council claim is one of the safest cities in America, or is something else going on?
If you’ve driven down Preston, Legacy, Main Street, or Eldorado lately, you may have noticed something peculiar: political signs popping up like spring weeds, then suddenly poof—gone. Others are bent, knocked over, or tossed into ditches like yesterday’s Whataburger cup. Some have been found face-down in drainage ditches, others mysteriously sliced like a scene from a low-budget political thriller.
On March 30th, we had a candidate reach out to us letting us know that 15 of her political signs were stolen and several more intentionally damaged. She also stated that zip ties were cut, poles were pushed over, and some poles were completely missing. She documented the damage with pictures to us and said she would be filing a police report. We decided to pull a PIR and research the issue because last year we got the same complaints from candidates.
Now, don’t get us wrong, sign fatigue is real. By week three, those smiling headshots and bold promises start to blur together. But here’s the twist: it’s not just Mother Nature or rogue sprinklers. Nope. It seems there’s something more coordinated—and sneakier—going on.
Reporting Political Signs
First step, we indexed the reports in order. What we found or should we say who we found reporting them – was quite interesting!
1/26/25: Email to City Secretary from Mel M (kookykate) asking how she would make a report for political signage being out more than 90 days before the election.
1/26/25: Email to City Secretary from Councilman John Keating, yes, he used his official city email to report a Elad sign at Legacy & Eldorado. He wanted to know when signs can go up and reported that it does not have Place 4 on the sign. Kristi Morrow replied to him they can go up 90 days prior to an election and nothing in the state code says it has to have a place number on it.
Side Note: Keating has endorsed Elad’s opponent, he is one of the longest councilman in the history of Frisco, he has run several times – so shouldn’t he know the rules by now? Nope. He has to email the City Secretary to ask which shows off his complete incompetent nature.
2/25/25 Case 25023400: Reporting Party said a political sign struck a water line for the HOA water which has now been turned off and they wanted to file a vandalism complaint and complained to be with the HOA. The reporter was unsure if it was a city pipe or commercial pipe and he was told to contact the city water department.
2/25/25 Service Request 4914712: Ann Anderson reported a political sign at the corner of Preston / Warren and wanted to know if it was allowed to be there because she has never seen signage in Stonebriar area of the city.
2/27/25: Email to City Secretary from John Lettelleir, Director of Development Services for the City of Frisco. He was concerned about a sign located on the west side of Independence Pkwy, just north of SH 121 (in front of Race Trac) and was concerned if that was city property. Kristi Morrow, City Secretary responded she also noticed there are signs in the right-of-way along Dallas Parkway / Cotton Gin, and Dallas Parkway / Main. She went on to say some seem to be running down Dallas Parkway by the hospital but not necessarily at an intersection but placed close to the road.
2/27/25: Email to City Secretary from Cindy Hons asking for the city to check the placement of the following signs below.
Muni Sign: NE corner of 121/Preston
Sangita Sign: SE corner of Gaylord/Preston
Sangita Sign: SW corner of Warren/Preston
Sangita Sign: SE corner of Eldorado and Dallas Parkway (alongside Eldorado)
Side Note: We can only assume Cindy Hons makes her away around the city often to see all these signs in one day.
2/27/25 Case# CE25-00618: Randy Archambualt called code enforcement to make a complaint related to “incorrect sign placement” regarding a Burt Thakur political sign on teal parkway. It is interesting that Randy was once married to Rene (Frisco ISD BOT) and is a known supporter for the opposite side of the isle.
2/28/25 Email to City Secretary: Ginni Scott emailed the city secretary regarding the political sign she felt was a “safety concern” at the intersection of Teel Pkwy / The Trails Pkwy.
2/28/25 Email to City Secretary from Ben Brezina Assistant City Manager regarding a “big giant political sign” for Burt Thakur at Teel / The Trails Parkway and he is concerned that is hard to see oncoming south bound traffic when trying to turn south on to Teel.
Amy Moore, Code Enforcement Supervisor immediately sends it to Amy Smith telling her to have it checked TODAY and if this is VISION CLIP to remove it. She specifically notes “THIS IS FROM 5TH FLOOR AND BEN LIVES OVER THERE”
Side Note: Why does it matter that it came in from the 5th FLOOR? The fact that Amy Moore wrote that in her email, clearly shows a bias. Ben Brezina works for the City Manager’s Office, who clearly supports the encumbant and the FCFA. If it is not a targeted attack by all of these folks – it sure looks like it.
3/4/25 Case# CE25-00681: Reporter listed as ADMIN sent an email (which the city did not provide us) lodging a complaint for “Incorrect Sign Placement” at the NE Corner State Hwy 121 and Preston for a MUNI sign. It was determined by code enforcement that the sign as NOT in violation. Who is the ADMIN that reported it?
3/4/25 Case# CE25-00695: Email complaint received by Caleb Davis for a Burt Thakur sign located at the NE Corner of Preston / Lebanon and it was later determined it was NOT in violation.
3/4/25 Case# CE25-00697: Email complaint received by Caleb Davis for a Burt Thakur sign at the SW Corner of Preston / Lebanon and it was later determined it was NOT in violation.
Side Note: We researched the number on the report for Caleb Davis and funny thing – the number did not come back to a Caleb Davis nor anyone that lives in Frisco.
Is This the Pettiest Political Season Yet? Yes! City officials and supporters of specific candidates are now going around documenting and reporting their opponents’ signs to the City—for being too close to the curb, for not having the right permit, or just for existing in the wrong median. It’s like Mean Girls but with clipboards and zoning codes.
Sign Stealer in our Midst? Multiple candidates have emailed us that their signs have been damaged or stollen. Removing your opponent’s signs doesn’t make your message stronger, it makes you look desperate. It’s political sabotage with the maturity level of a middle schooler sneaking gum into detention.
For those thinking of tampering with a campaign political sign – don’t! In Texas, tampering with campaign signs is a crime and is a Class C misdemeanor. That’s the same category as public intoxication and fireworks violations—basically, it’s for people who lack impulse control and creativity.
Why the Drama Over Corrugated Plastic? Is it just ego? Control issues? The thrill of a late-night mission to liberate signs from a busy intersection? Maybe. But more likely, it’s a symptom of something deeper, a political culture that’s forgotten how to win people over with ideas and instead relies on eliminating competition by any means necessary. Including sign sabotage.
What does this say about us as voters, as neighbors, as a city? Maybe it says we need to start demanding more maturity from the people asking for our votes. Or maybe it just says that campaign season turns otherwise reasonable adults into territorial raccoons with a hammer and a clipboard. Either way, the message is clear: Frisco deserves better. We can disagree on policy without disappearing each other’s signs in the dead of night. Let’s raise the bar, not just the yard signs.
We want to hear from you: Do you think Burt Thakur, Muni, Jared Elad and Sangita Datta are being targeted?
Seen any suspicious sign activity? Know someone with a trunk full of political signage that doesn’t belong to them? Report it to the police or drop us a line—anonymity guaranteed.
Oh we are pretty sure we know who it is. They have sent emails to! We are not worried.
Ok, this is what we have: The mayor, well you know The FISD has a clown running it The city…
Expose the person making threats!!! This is ridiculous threatening someone life because they don’t want the truth exposed
You should definitely report this seems like a threat
Another threat! Proofed? Do you mean if it is proved? Inmost? Do you mean inner? Maybe learn to spell before…