“Political Sign Wars in Frisco”

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.

Jared Elad – City Council Place 4

Candidate Information

Full Name: Jared Elad

Campaign Website and Social Media Links:

JaredForFrisco.com

Facebook.com/JaredForFrisco

Occupation and Background: Financial Advisor – I own my own Wealth Management Firm

Why are you running for Frisco City Council?

I’m running for Frisco City Council because I think we need to start serving the residents of Frisco more effectively, instead of serving the developers and Frisco elite. We need to slow down the density and address the traffic issues, as well as focus on public safety. I also want to focus more on fiscal responsibility and transparency and less on vanity projects such as the PAC and Universal.

Community and Development

What are your top three priorities for Frisco’s growth and development?

Slow down density/halt building apartment complexes; Focus on responsible, community friendly development on the east side; Address traffic in a meaningful way

How do you plan to balance economic growth with maintaining community character?

I’d like to focus more on smaller projects for the community and not so many mega projects. And, I’d like to focus on attracting more small businesses to Frisco.

What is your stance on residential and commercial zoning changes?

Not sure I understand the context of the question

How will you ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with growth?

I think we need to slow down the growth and let the infrastructure catch up. Future projects should have a plan for infrastructure built in at the beginning. And, it must be adhered to.

Density continues to be a hot discussion for Frisco Residents.  Cheney even did a video on Density seven years ago when running for Mayor.  He said in that video that the resident’s ultimate concerns was the concept of density and what the ultimate build out population number should be. 

At build out the city’s comprehensive plan allows a maximum capacity of up to 350 thousand residents (building with maximum density).  He then said in his campaign video that is not what people move to Frisco for, and he believed to maintain quality of life the population target goal should be around 280,000.  He continued, we need to build out with world-class level developments with more open space, less multi-family all over the city and an overall less dense environment.  In the last two years Cheney has changed his tune and said, “Density is a political dog whistle used at election time for political mailers.”  

What is stance on Density?

Density is a real issue for Frisco citizens. Many have cited this as a reason for leaving. And, it’s creating quality of life issues for everyone. The only way to address it is to slow down the growth and determine what the right population number is for Frisco. 350k residents seems too high.

Fiscal Responsibility and Budgeting

What would be your approach to managing the city’s budget while ensuring essential services are maintained?

First, make sure that essential services are covered. We need to take care of our fire and police departments as well as other city services. Beyond that, all expenditures need to be thoroughly and reasonably evaluated to determine if they are necessary.

Do you believe Frisco’s current property tax rates are sustainable?  Would you support any changes including cuts, increases or adjustments to the current property tax rates? Why or why not?

No. Residents can’t afford their property taxes based on the appreciation of their valuations. Even when the city and Frisco ISD lowers the tax rate, residents still don’t see it as their tax bill gets higher every year. I would be for reducing the rate but that isn’t enough.

What are your funding priorities for public safety, education, and infrastructure?

Public safety should be fully funded including additional police officers to handle the increased issues that will come with Universal (traffic, crime). See my previous comments about infrastructure.

How would you plan to handle Frisco’s increasing debt and financial obligations?

The debt can be handled by not taking on any more of it. The addiction to debt/bonds needs to stop to ensure the financial health of the city for years to come. TIRZ money can be used to pay debt obligations.

In December of 2021, the Mayor, Jeff Cheeney had to vote in a rare tie breaker vote in regard to an employee Health Clinic operated by Premise Health.   At the time city staff shared the results of a survey which collected responses from 684 of 1,239 city employees.  Out of those 684, a total of 89.75% said they were likely or somewhat likely” to use the clinic for urgent care needs.  Only 64.7% said they were likely to “somewhat use” the clinic as their primary care provider. 

Estimated expenses in the clinic’s first year total over $1.44 million, according to the proposed five-year budget. Those expenses include salaries, insurance, management/implementation fees and equipment purchases.  The clinic’s fifth-year budget is listed at more than $1.31 million. It was projected that the clinic will operate at a loss in its first three years.  The estimated cost for the first five years was $6.28 million.  At the time there was a concern about how many years it could take to break even on the investment and how many employees would use the option.  

At the five-year mark if the clinic is still not breaking even would you support closing the Employee Wellness Clinic or continue to operate at a loss?

Yes, I would support closing the clinic if it’s not at break even.

Should the city be in the business or running an Athletic Center, Performing Arts Center, or any other type of business model that mirrors a commercial business which has annual operational costs paid for by tax dollars?  

No

Transparency and Accountability

How will you ensure transparency in your decision-making process and open communication between the city council and residents?

I will explain my decisions on key votes so that the community understands my reasoning. I will also make myself available to meet with residents by hosting regular town halls and I will also listen when community members speak at city council meetings and read their emails.

Currently only the city council meeting is aired live, however many residents believe they should have access to live meetings for the different boards and commissions as well as well as the published minutes of the meetings should be more detailed as to what was discussed. 

Do you support more increased public access to city council meetings, boards and commission meetings?

 Yes

What steps would you take to improve access to meetings, meeting minutes and public records?

I would see what other cities do and replicate the good ideas in Frisco by submitting a proposal for change.

What is your definition of conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest is when someone could potentially benefit from actions or decisions made in an official capacity.

Do you support implementing a stricter ethics policy that puts a check on the influence of money in local politics which would require council members to recuse themselves from votes that could benefit donors who contributed more than $1000 or $2500.00 to a political campaign?   

Yes

Do you believe active members of the city council should be on the front lines advocating as “private citizens” for Propositions on the ballot during local elections?

No

Community Services and Quality of Life

What are your plans for enhancing public parks and recreation on Frisco’s East Side of the DNT?

If Brinkmann Ranch is to be entirely sold, I would work to ensure that some of the land be allocated for public use. The city could require the developers who purchase the land to fund the project/s. That is probably the best location. I would like to see some of the land kept for the cows to graze as that is part of Frisco’s history.

How do you plan to address traffic congestion across Frisco?

Work to ensure the traffic signals work more effectively. Remove concrete medians where the left turn lane traffic spills into the center lane regularly (at DNT and Eldorado for example).

Do you think Frisco has a public transportation need? No

How will you engage with and listen to diverse voices of the community?

See question 1 in the previous section

Public Safety

What measures will you take to ensure Frisco’s Police and Fire Department remain well-funded?

I will ask the departments what they need, validate that by looking at other city models and then advocating for funding.

For years the Frisco Firefighters Association has taken to the citizens input pulpit asking for more staffing (specifically going from a 3 Man Truck to a 4 Man Truck).   Turnover has been high recently with Firefighters taking retirement and then going to work for other cities who are more supportive of their First Responders.

Do you support increased staffing and moving to a 4 Person Truck?  Yes

What will you do to start repairing the relationship with our first responders to stop the turnover, so they stay here in Frisco, and we don’t lose that much needed experience and wisdom.

I will meet with the fire fighters regularly and listen to their concerns. I will also ensure that retention is improved by implementing a target and holding the city manager and fire chief responsible for achieving it. I would start with a 2% decrease in turnover and go from there.

As Frisco continues to grow, do you believe Frisco’s current policies on crime prevention and emergency response are sufficient? Why or why not?

I don’t think we are staffed appropriately for Universal and need to evaluate what is needed before situations escalate. The recent stabbing of a Frisco ISD student shows that this is not the same city it was a few years ago. We need to staff for the situations we encounter today.

Would you support removing Animal Services “out” from under Public Safety and turning it into its own department?

Yes

Residents have been advocating for an animal shelter (instead of the partnership with Collin County) and the city keeps stalling, saying they are open to one with a public-private partnership.   Do you believe Frisco should have its own Animal Shelter and Education Center?  Do you believe it is a city service, or should it be a public-private partnership?

Yes, and yes it Is a city service?

Closing Statements

Is there anything you would like us to know about you that we have not asked?

Do you have any final messages for the voters?