Frisco is one of the oldest cities in the metroplex and over the years we have not stopped growing! Every day you see more modern buildings going up and more new developments along the Tollway. From the PGA to The Star there is always something to do! BUT, WHAT ABOUT MAIN? WHAT ABOUT THE HEART OF OUR CITY?
Just beyond the glamour and stadium lights of Toyota Stadium sits a unique and historic downtown. The downtown Rail District is home to an eclectic group of independent, locally owned restaurants and businesses. The district boasts unique street murals and one-of-a-kind shops. This historically preserved area offers visitors a glimpse into the “Real Frisco,” not the Touristy Frisco. The Rail district is surrounded by residents who enjoy living in the area and is home to locally owned small-town businesses that have invested in our community for YEARS. Now, they need the CITY TO INVEST IN THEM!
Yes, downtown needed to be REVITALIZED, that we can all agree on. It has taken the city DECADES to come up with a plan, and now they are moving right along! HOWEVER, residents and local business owners are asking COULD THE CITY HAVE GONE ABOUT IT A DIFFERENT WAY? The impact on these small businesses has been devastating! These are locals who have invested in Frisco for years, paid taxes, and now they are in trouble because of REVITALIZATION. It is time for them to realize the impact on downtown businesses and that it is NOT NATURAL. It HAS BEEN CREATED by OUR CITY! KEY POINT: The trouble they are in is not because of the economy; it is the IMPACT OF THE CONSTRUCTION that is #DestoryingMain!
The people finally had enough. And no, not the “enough” where you write a passive-aggressive Facebook comment while sipping your venti latte—this was real, in-the-flesh frustration. Residents and small business owners lined up one after another at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. Stepping up to the microphone, voices cracking between anger and heartbreak, to say what everyone driving down Main Street already knows: Main is broken, Businesses are broken, and it is time for the Council to stop pretending it’s fine.
Citizens Input: Main Street, or Main Mess?
FACT: Main is supposed to be the beating heart of Frisco. Instead, it’s looking more like endless traffic, crumbling infrastructure, and the ever-growing list of businesses just barely hanging on. Main isn’t thriving—it’s BARELY surviving.
The people who spoke didn’t come armed with consultants, shiny renderings, or buzzwords like “synergy corridors.” They came with lived experience: the store owner whose sales have dropped because customers don’t want to fight the chaos to park or try to cross the street without a Frogger-level survival plan. Main used to be a place you wanted to stroll on a Friday night.
LIMIT THE TIME
It started with Jeff Cheney looking for a motion to limit the time to speak from 5 minutes to 3 minutes (because there were more than 10 people). Keating, who hopes to be your next Mayor (remember that) was the first to motion to “CUT THE TIME,” which was seconded by Livingston. These are local businesses, and you can’t take 5 minutes to hear each one of them?
Next, Mayor Jeff Cheney did exactly what Mayor Jeff Cheney always does (side note: we are reaching out to the Texas Municipal League to see if our mayor may have violated the open meetings act), talking before anyone had taken the microphone to discuss an item NOT ON THE AGENDA! Why? He announced the city planned to allocate $500,000 towards Main, and they will hold a public discussion sometime around October 7th.
The Voices of Frisco Business Owners & Residents:
First Up: Erik Colberg spoke as a resident who lives in the Rail District
Lee Gonzales – Owner of La Finca Coffee & Bakery located at 7511 Main Street #150
Randy’s plea brought tears to the eyes of many sitting in the council chambers. Randy’s started his businesses here in 1993 and today Randy’s Steakhouse sits in the Old Victorian Style Home along Main Street that used to belong to Frisco native Vivian McCallum. The impact has devastated his business.
Steve Anderson – Music Services located at 6726 West Main St
Jason Taylor – Owner of Endur3Bikes located at 6699 Main St
Rich Vana– Chef/Owner of Heritage Table located at 7110 Main St
Samar & Luna Binat – Owner of La Suprema Market located at 6726 Main St, Ste 100
Taylor Lattery: Frisco Music Store
Scott Hoffner – Owner of Didi’s Downtown located at 7210 W. Main St
Local Frisco Resident: Paul Jessen
Local Rail District Resident: Brittnay Colberg
Council’s Response: Insert Shrug Emoji
Mayor Cheney (as usual) took his time to respond. The Texas Open Meetings Act states: The city council shall not deliberate on any item that is not on the agenda, and for such an item, members of council may either: (1) make a statement of fact regarding the item; (2) make a statement concerning the policy regarding the item; or (3) propose that the item be placed on a future agenda. As we have said before, we believe Cheney continually violates this during citizen input because he is not making a statement of fact, he is not talking about a policy he is pontificating his opinion.
As for the rest of the council, well, Keating wants a T-shirt! That will be good clickbait for his Mayoral Campaign website (once he announces his BIG secret)! As for the rest, the reaction was predictable. Council sat nodding politely, practicing their best “I’m listening” faces while probably drafting their next campaign slogans in their heads. Because what’s the use of listening if it is not a billion-dollar developer!
The Hashtag Heard Around Frisco
The people weren’t asking for magic. They weren’t asking for a monorail or a Disneyland Main Street redo. They were asking for action—basic, common-sense fixes, leadership, and accountability. Instead, what they’ve gotten so far is a year of excuses, construction delays, and much of the time businesses have been non-accessible.
#SAVEMAIN is more than a social media slogan—it’s a rallying cry. It’s the people saying: stop patting yourselves on the back for “economic development wins” when you can’t fix the most visible, most essential street in the city. If the Council won’t act now, when?
Frisco, the people have spoken. They showed up. They demanded better. Now the ball’s in Council’s court. They can either lead—or they can keep ignoring the obvious while the rest of us tweet #SAVEMAIN until our thumbs cramp. Because here’s the truth: the citizens already told you the answer. You just must stop pretending not to hear it.
Residents Should Be Asking…
Why now? For years, the councils have gone back and forth about the redevelopment of downtown Frisco. Why not do this during the Covid shutdown so businesses did not suffer twice?
When this started in June 2024 – what was the expectation for the future?
The businesses who are struggling from this construction – who is knocking on their door to “Buy or Save” their business?
What is a revitalized downtown without the heart of downtown – the businesses?
Stay Tuned for Part 2
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
When we dropped Part 1 about John Keating’s not-so-secret bid for Mayor, the inbox lit up like a Christmas tree in July. “Finally!” people said. “Someone’s talking about it!” Well, after a little digging, a little late-night reading of Texas law (because apparently someone has to), we have a few follow-up questions that deserve a big, neon spotlight:
Did our council members just break the law?
Let’s talk about the dreaded “Walking Quorum.” According to the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA), Section E, a quorum isn’t just when everyone’s packed into City Hall pretending to listen. Nope. TOMA makes it crystal clear that you can’t have a series of backroom, back-to-back, whisper-to-whisper communications about city business that add up to a quorum. Doesn’t matter if it’s by text, email, smoke signals, or gossip in the golf cart.
Section 551.143 spells it out: if you, as a public official, knowingly join even one of those off-the-books conversations, and the chain adds up to a quorum discussing city business? Congratulations—you’ve just committed a criminal offense.
ALL COUNCIL DECISIONS (LIKE MPT / DMPT) HAVE TO BE POSTED AND DISCUSSED IN PUBLIC. To be honest, I am not even sure if it is allowed in executive session – we are researching that further! Maybe the city puts it on the agenda under “Employee Deliberations” and the slip in the conversation that they should be having openly in the council meeting for the public to see. Who knows!
Have you ever wondered why when the council comes out of “Closed Executive Session” which seems to take a long time now how they never have any discussions on some key decisions. There was hardly any talk on the Dias about MPT/DMPT – they just went to a vote. Why? Because they had already discussed it! We believe our city council could be using “Executive Session” to hide important conversations that should be PUBLIC. It needs to be investigated by the authorities because right now it looks bad, very bad!
Now, what does that mean in real life?
Official #1 chats with Official #2.
Official #2 slips it over to Official #3. Boom. Illegal. That’s how the law reads.
And here in Frisco? We’ve got text messages. We’ve got John Keating saying he’ll “talk to Angelia.” Funny thing: we never saw those texts. Where’s the paper trail? Did they hop on a quick phone call instead? Did someone “forget” to turn over their emails?
Then we have Keating chatting up Laura Rummel about votes for Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem. We know this because Rummel submitted her text message in response to the PIR Request.
Question 1: Why didn’t John Keating turn over a copy of the communication with Laura Rummel. It clearly meets the PIR request. Laura Rummel turned it in!
Question 2: Where are the conversations between Keating and Pelham? Clearly, they were talking about Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem but neither of them turned in any copies of their messages or emails.
Now add Livingston to the mix, and suddenly we’re not playing with hypotheticals anymore—we’re at four. Livingston, Keating, Pelham, and Rummel. Keating led the charge, talking to Angelia and Rummel, and told Livingston he would talk to them. So, it was clear conversations were happening with Keating being the one bouncing around to the other three. That’s a quorum, folks.
And according to TOMA, that’s not just bad optics—it’s a violation.
Which leads us to a very simple question: How can someone who wants to run for Mayor not know the rules of the Texas Open Meetings Act? And honestly, how can any of them sit on the council and not know this?
If you’re going to lead Frisco, maybe start with knowing what you legally can and can’t do. Just a thought. But hey, we’re just the ones asking the questions.
Hopefully someone reading this knows the Texas Attorney General or Collin County DA because it should be investigated. Stay tuned—because something tells us this story is only starting to unravel.
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
In Frisco, secrets don’t stay a secret for long—especially when Frisco Chronicles can file a Public Information Request! Word on the street (and at every coffee shop from La Finca to Summer Moon) is that John Keating has his eyes on the mayor’s seat and plans to run for Mayor! The catch? He’s not exactly shouting it from the rooftops. Even with no formal announcement yet he is talking about it quietly behind the scenes with many different people. If you directly ask him, you get just a wink, a nod, but pay attention to his suspicious uptick in handshakes and photo ops.
Why the hush-hush? Maybe it has something to do with the City of Frisco – Home Rule Charter. Article V covers Nominations and Elections aka Filing for Office. Section 5.02 (2)(G) reads: The office of an incumbent elected city official shall become vacant when the person holding such office files an application to have his name placed on an official ballot as a candidate for any elective public office other than the one such person holds, unless otherwise prohibited by law.
What does all that mean? If John Keating announced he is running for Mayor, he would have to vacate his current seat on council / and his role as Mayor Pro Tem. John Keating is using his current role to have conversations about running for Mayor to gain support.
How do we know John Keating is allegedly running for Mayor? First, let’s travel back to the Tammy Tapes where Tammy says “Well, John sat me down and said he wanted to, you know, he’s like, I’m gonna be running for mayor. I’m like, I know John, I know. And he goes, there are rumors that you are running for mayor. And I said, “Well, those are just rumors.”
Whose Lying? Either Tammy was lying in that conversation, or John is misleading the voters now!
Recently we filed for the text messages between city council members talking about running for mayor, and the positions of Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem. We received messages from 3 council members. We know there is more because we have a copy of a message that was not included in the request from a source. Begs the question, which members of the council are holding their messages?
We compared the messages we received from John Keating and Brian Livingston. We received 16 pages of text messages from Brian Livington and only 2 pages from John Keating. We printed out both sets of messages, then we lined up the text messages that matched each other. The Result: We were able to determine the different parts of the message that our Mayor Pro Tem John Keating, withheld from the request. Everything below is from the Livingston text messages. Anything in “RED” was submitted by John Keating. Anything in “BOLD BLUE” is a question by Frisco Chronicles. Did Keating break the law by withholding parts of his conversation that clearly fit the PIR request and are subject to Public Information?
Tuesday, May 13
John Keating to Brian Livingston: “I had this sent to me last night.” Then it has a picture of the Frisco Chronicles blog called Tammy’s Hot Tea.
Brian Livingston: “Yep. Just checking that you saw it.”
John Keating: Any one can speculate if I’m running for Mayor; and I can say I’m “considering” running for Mayor, so ….
Frisco Chronicles: It appears John Keating, Mayor Pro Tem is using SEMANTICS to hold on to his current seat even though he has every intention of running for Mayor.
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John Keating: No, those are her words… There are other people who have said I’m running that I have never talked to…
Keating Continues: That’s like Dan saying he heard I said I’m running, or I told him I’m running, so therefore I’m running and need to resign… Doesn’t work like that for obvious reasons. Exactly what they’re doing now.
Keating Continues: I’m not that stupid, and have been over this more than once with Richard…
Frisco Chronicles: Richard Who? Richard Abernathy the CITY ATTORNEY? The City Attorney represents the CITY not John Keating and we hope the City attorney is not helping him break the rules of our city charter.
Brian Livingston: “HaHa” the comment
John Keating: I’m still “seriously considering” running for Mayor…! (Fireball Emoji)
Brian Livingston: I think you, Shona and Scott all missed a huge opportunity to separate yourselves from each other.
John Keating: I imagine you would support Shona, but I’d love to have you on my team!
Keating Continues:Scojo (Scott Johnson) has no chance. No money, and his ex will sandbag him the whole way…
Keating Continues:Shona is forgotten and out of touch. Coming back as Mayor after three years is asking a lot.
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Brian Livingston: They still think Tammy has a shot at being Mayor?
Keating: Thumbs Down Emoji to Livingston’s question
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Sunday, June 8 @ 9:15 AM
John Keating: Are you seeking DMPT / MPT? (stands for Deputy Mayor Pro Tem and Mayor Pro Tem)
Brian Livingston: xxx-xxx-xxxx for Jared and Yes, I would like to be MPT for my last year on council. I’m free for lunch tomorrow.
John Keating: Who would be DMPT? I’d support you for MPT, if either me or Angelica could be DMPT?
Keating Continues: I’m not sure where Laura lands with all of this, but under the circumstances, I’d expect her to get crushed next year…
Brian Livingston: I’d prefer you as DMPT and think that would be fun. But I have no problem with Angelia.
John Keating: And I am “seriously considering” running for Mayor, and would certainly love to have TX GOP support! As I’ve said before, I’d support you for county commissioner as Mayor…
Frisco Chronicles: Is this a violation of “Reciprocal Favors” in the City Charter under Section 2-302 Unfair Advancement of Private Interests? It says a city official may not enter into an agreement or understanding with any other person that official actionby the official will be rewarded or reciprocated by the other person, directly or indirectly. Keating clearly states that if Livingston endorses him and supports him for Mayor, then as MAYOR he would support Livingston for County Commissioner. That would be an “official action” in response to support.
John Keating: Let me bounce this off Angelia. She’s on vacation. I know she wants unity, and she’s definitely not on Team Tammy, Jeff, Lorie, Bill…Neither am I…! (smiling emoji)
Frisco Chronicles: Tell us how Angelia really feels Keating!
John Keating: Angelia is proposing MPT for her and DMPT for you, to show unity.
Brian Livingston: No, that shows the status quo.
John Keating: Agree
Brian Livingston: It’s my last year and I just turned the council.
John Keating: She knows I want to run for Mayor, and she will support me. I’m ok with her being DMPT, with you as MPT. I told her I would like to be DMPT until I announce, then I can resign my seat and DMPT, and she can take over…
Frisco Chronicles: It is not “considering” when Keating makes it clear repeatedly to other city officials that he is running – which is a violation of the CITY CHARTER!
Brian Livingston: She was part of kicking me off Budget and Audit, unity would be supporting me now. A split vote isn’t going to look good.
John Keating: I think the unity piece is in Angelia as DMPT, as much as I want it… It would show your magnanimity…
Brian Livingston: After that vote, let’s have dinner and talk about next year. My seat, mayor, etc. Maybe we can go somewhere in McKinney.
John Keating: or AZ…(smiling/laughing emoji)
John Keating: Angelia will take DMPT, but suggests we vote on DMPT first, make sure she gets it, then support you for MPT. You’ll get it either way, as I will promise to support you, so you have the 4 votes you need. More would be nice. Could be 6-0 for you upstairs and downstairs if we do this right…
Brian Livingston: I am fine with that. She not trust me? Have you reached out to Tammy? Should I text Gopal?
John Keating: She feels you villainize her and ran Redmond against her. She had nothing to do with Budget & Audit and couldn’t (not legible)
Brian Livingston: Odds that somehow, I get fucked over for MPT?
Frisco Chronicles: Livingston must have futuristic powers because he knew John, Angelia, and Laura were going to screw him overfrom what it sounds like.
John Keating: I think you’re good to go! Angelia and I are on board.
Brain Livingston: I’ll remember that. I promise.
John Keating: Thumbs Up Emoji
John Keating: And you, Jared, Burt, me support Angelia for DMPT…!
Brian Livingston: Done
John Keating: Brian: MPT & Angelia: DMPT
John Keating: I’d like to get your perspective on Mayor’s race next year. It seems pretty clear Jared P will endorse Shona, along with the Colberg’s several others. IMHO, bringing Will and Shona back is a bad idea!
Brian Livingston: I think right now it’s a dead heat. Nobody is doing anything to differentiate themselves. Probably between you and Shona unless someone jumps in and surprises us. You need to separate yourself from Jeff without going nuclear. Look mayoral and statesman like. Your biggest advantage is that you are a sitting elected official. Need to solidify GOP support. A lot can change in a year. We’ve just seen that.
John Keating: I am thinking about MPT, so we should talk. I’m thinking if I want to run for Mayor, I should be MPT. If I do run for Mayor and lose, this would be my last year…! I do want to be Mayor and would endorse you for county commish, that hasn’t changed.
Frisco Chronicles: I do want to be Mayor! John Keating again proves his word is useless. Everything is about him, only him and no one else matters
Keating Continues: I am surprised to hear about the social media stuff. Not sure what’s driving that or why this would happen now…? Is there another Whistleblower article???
Frisco Chronicles: How would Livingston know if there is another Whistleblower article coming? He has nothing to do with Whistleblower!
Brian Livingston: Nope people just started calling me saying Jeff unfriended them so I looked on Facebook.
Friday June 13 @ 11:24 AM
John Keating: At the same time, I want to honor my commitment to you, and distance myself from “Team Tammy”…
Frisco Chronicles: Clearly, John Keating does not understand the term “honoring my commitment,” and of course, he wants to distance himself from “Team Tammy.”
Brian Livingston: I’ll be honest, I was taken aback by that text. This is my last year no matter what and I think I have earned the MPT. While I like and respect you, that would definitely change our political relationship at this point.
John Keating: I’m concerned about Shona running for Mayor and what level of support she will get. It seems pretty clear JP will support her. I don’t want to look foolish supporting you for MPT, and then you endorse her. Not a good look for me…
At a US Army luncheon…
Frisco Chronicles: Welcome to the Keating Show, where everything is about … Keating!
Brian Livingston: I think you should do what you think is best. I’m not going to trade an endorsement for MPT as that is unethical (not saying you suggested that in any way). Most of my thoughts about this don’t need to be texted and probably not even said. Just remember you gave me your word in front of Burt. Have a Happy Father’s Day weekend.
Frisco Chronicles: This is the best statement in the whole text thread. Livingston makes clear it is borderline unethical – but that is the Frisco Way!
John Keating: Yes, agree. Happy Father’s Day!
Monday, June 30th @ 2:30 PM
Brian Livingston: Rumor is that Tammy is going to run for your seat when you announce for Mayor. You have picked someone already?
John Keating: Rob Altman has asked about it. I’d like to get TX GOP support for me and him, maybe for Ann Anderson – she wants to run for your seat… I’m obviously not supporting Tammy for anything…
Brian Livingston: Colberg may step in and if she does, I’ll probably support her. No idea for what seat. I just want us to have a head start on Tammy.
John Keating: LR is pissed about DMPT
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Brian Livingston: Also, you and Altman will need to work on Elad and grassroots since you supported Gopal. Plenty of time just can’t waste it.
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Brian Livingston: Between us, I get really flexible on things after getting MPT.
Frisco Chronicles: Ding, ding, ding – Brian Livingston is correct. It was on the agenda! It doesn’t take a genius to know that.
Let’s Break It Down
Is John Keating Running For Mayor? Yes! He has made that clear to Tammy Meinershagen (which she repeated), he has made it clear to Brian Livingston (based on text messages). Then we have his statement “She (referring to Angelia Pelham) knows I want to run for Mayor, and she will support me.” If you have made it clear to Angelia Pelham that you are running for Mayor, she should be calling for you to step down. Is she bending the rules for you?
Residents should be calling on the City Attorney, City Manager and City Council and enforcing the City Charter that requires him to step down!
Is John Keating Mayoral?No! When you represent our city (even in private) you should hold yourself to a high standard. Talking shit about current and former council members and previous employees is inappropriate. Saying Shona Sowell is forgotten, out of touch and asking a lot to come back after three years is disgraceful especially when you know the reason she chose to step down was to focus on her personal health and her battle to beat breast cancer. Just one thought, Mr. Keating at least she had the courage to step away.
Saying Scojo (aka Scott Johnson) has no chance because he has no money, and his ex will sandbag him, is also disgraceful. Whatever Johnson did in private is none of our business, unlike YOU, MR. KEATING, who got caught in a community public pool on a holiday weekend with a woman who was not your wife! Wouldn’t it be interesting if Keating’s EX ever got the guts to sandbang him? Gloating that his wife will sandbag him is the pot calling the kettle black! Also, it is not MAYORAL, nor are posts like joking around about getting naked.
Then let’s talk about your comments on Laura Rummel, “under the circumstances, I’d expect her to get crushed next year…” What circumstances are you referring to Mr. Keating? While we don’t disagree with you, we are not running for office. Have you said this to her face? Probably not! Two-faced statements are not very becoming of a Mayor.
Keating’s behavior over the last several years has been far from Mayoral! Then he wants to sit on this thrown and judge others – is that who want leading the city?
Keating wants the local GOP support. Keating knows how to hob knob with the establishment liars, but both theCollin and Denton GOPs are more “grassroots” republicans. Keating has endorsed democrats and donated to democrats, which is a HUGE party NO-NO! He has done nothing over the years to establish a relationship with the grassroots republicans. He is the definition of what many call a RINO!
Quid Pro Quo Offer. When John said he was “seriously considering” running for Mayor and would love to have Livingston’s support, and in return he would support him as Mayor for Denton County Commissioner, he violated the City Charter again. The City Charter (Ch 2, Sec 2-302) clearly states (2) Reciprocal favors: A city official may not enter into an agreement or understanding with any other person that official action by the official will be rewarded or reciprocated by the other person, directly or indirectly. Keating said if you support me, then AS MAYOR (which is an official capacity) he would support Brian. That is probably why Brian quickly responded that his text was borderline unethical!
Closing Thoughts
Keating’s playing the “mystery candidate” card. By keeping it quiet, he avoids early scrutiny, dodges critics who’d love a head start, and keeps potential rivals guessing. Think of it as political poker: he’s hiding his hand until the pot’s just right. But let’s be honest—Frisco isn’t buying the act. When a politician suddenly cares it’s not out of pure civic joy. It’s campaigning in disguise.
Keating is lying to VOTERS and we have said it before this council runs with Rules For Thee, Not For Me! Is it MAYORAL to lie to residents about your plan to run for Mayor so you can continue to hold on to your seat on council? Is it MAYORAL to negotiate the Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem positions?
At this point, we are asking the City Manager and City Attorney to have John Keating step down because clearly, he is running for Mayor. It is not “considering” when he makes it clear to multiple people he is running. It is a violation of the CITY CHARTER – it is time for the CITY OF FRISCO to do the right thing!We are also calling on the City Attorney, City Manager, and City Council to respond to the PIR’s in full. Did Keating violate the law by leaving quite a bit of his conversation out of the response that fit the PIR request? Why would he do that? Is he trying to cover something up? Is that Mayoral? Also, we would like to know if his comments violated the city charter section on “Reciprocal Favors?”
Stay tuned—because the only thing more entertaining than the race itself will be watching how long he can keep pretending he’s not in it.
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
Frisco Chronicles: What Lies Beneath … in the Agenda?
Every other week, like clockwork, the Frisco City Council releases an agenda packed with the usual suspects: zoning changes, budget adjustments, proclamations for pickleball appreciation month—nothing to see here, folks. Move along.
You ever hear that old saying, “The devil’s in the details?” Sometimes, here in Frisco, the devil doesn’t just visit the details—he rents a room in the city council agenda. But this week is a little DIFFERENT! Let’s Dive In!
First Up: Executive Session: The Vault
This is where transparency goes to die. Behind closed doors, council members discuss land deals, lawsuits, and personnel matters—away from public ears and cameras. Yes, some of it needs to be private. But some of it? Let’s just say if the public heard the full audio, they’d be polishing pitchforks by sunrise. So, what is happening during The Vault this week? Agenda Item 2(C) is about Personal Matters, and it says they will “DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT OF MAYOR PRO-TEM, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO-TEM AND CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES.”
The actual vote will happen under the “Individual Items” and our vote is for Brian Livingston for Mayor Pro-Tem and we encourage everyone to email you council members today and tell them to vote for Livingston for Mayor Pro-Tem for the last year of his term.
Second: Individual Items – Special Events
We expect the council chambers to be packed with supporters of Burt Thakur and Jared Elad on Tuesday night as they will be sworn in. There has been a buzz in the air since the election night of the runoff race. Seat will be filled, cameras will be rolling, and the room will be electric with that rarest of municipal emotions: hope.
Because Tuesday is not just another city council meeting it is changing of the guard! With right hands raised and left hands resting on the city charter, Burt Thakur and Jared Elad will be officially sworn in as the newest members of the Frisco City Council.
Why is this important, because they were not appointed to the seat, they were elected by you! By the small business owners tired of red tape. By the residents who want Frisco to thrive, not just survive. And they came in not to blend, but to stand.
The room will be electric, and you will be able to feel the shift in the room. Smiles from supporters. Side-eyes from the establishment. A few city staffers quietly clutching their blood pressure meds. It will end with applause. Loud. Sustained.
Welcome to the table, Burt and Jared. Frisco’s watching!
Next up, The Consent Agenda: Where Democracy Goes to Nap
We have said it before, and we will say it again, the most exciting thing most Frisco residents glance over is the “DETAILS” in the CONSENT AGENDA. If you stop, squint, and scroll past the “Consent Agenda” (which is code for “let’s pass this all without discussion”), you’ll find the real story. Because what lies beneath those bland agenda titles are buried treasures—or more often, ticking time bombs.
This is where the “Devil Is in the Details!” Basically, the Consent Agenda is where they stash the stuff they want to hide. Think of it like the junk drawer of city government—contracts, appointments, expenditures, land swaps, and sometimes even lawsuits—all passed with a single vote and zero debate.
After our blog “City Halls Troubled Sea’s” everyone was quiet about the mysterious disappearance of the HR Director and several others in her department. In fact we have had PIR’s in for over a month a now and they are delaying them and going to the Attorney General. According to item 24 in the consent agenda they will approve a settlement agreement and release between the City and Sassy Safranek. We will file a PIR for that settlement agreement.
Yes, this is the same Lauren Safranek who led the witch hunt against Former Fire Chief Mark Piland and continues to oversee the court case against Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer. She has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary investigations to cover up her flagrant forgeries and other mistakes!
What we find interesting is that the city could have settled with Cameron Kraemer, who WON his PTSD Injury Claim by the TDI Workers Compensation Division in Dallas. You can read more about in The Local Profile, but instead, Safranek and the city pushed forward, continuing to spend taxpayer dollars on a losing case. Something in the Council Chambers smells like the crap in Exide. Why will the City settle with Lauren Safranek and not Former Asst. Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer? Demand answers, Frisco!
Learn more about Lauren Safranek in a few of our old blogs:
Last Up for The Night, The Regular Agenda – aka The Cryptic Language 101
Usually, items here are often worded in such vague terms that only a decoder ring or a PhD in municipal bureaucracy could translate it! Most of the time this section can be pretty boring but NOT TONIGHT!
Remember when Brian Livingston supported Mark Piland two years ago against Mayor Cheney – well he was removed from all the committees he served on and so were many of his supporters. Why? They didn’t play Cabal Ball. In the past, you didn’t walk away from that, like nothing happened. No, instead you were punished! Well tonight Livingston and hopefully our new council members will take their rightful place on these committees again!
It’s time to speak up and demand changes not with our council representatives but what happens deep down in the city on these committees. It is time for us to make our voices heard! There are more Cabal Busters than Cabal God Fathers.
What Can You Do? Read the agenda. Seriously, someone must. Ask questions. Email your council members. Show up. Be annoying. Speak out at Citizens’ Input, have your message included in the record. Demand clarity. If an item sounds vague, ask why. If they dodge, follow the money. Watch for patterns. When the same developer keeps getting breaks or the same contractor keeps winning bids, take note.
Help us! Share what you find. That’s what we’re here for. To shine a flashlight into the shadows and say, “Hey… what the hell is this?” Frisco isn’t just growing—it’s morphing. And what gets decided in those meetings shapes the city we live in, the traffic we sit in, and the taxes we pay.
Lastly, tomorrow you can bet some Cabal Godfathers will be upset. Maybe one will write another HAIKU on her page full of hidden meaning and endless blah, blah, blah. The Cabal will all respond to it on queue for sure as they are supposed to do. Don’t worry, we know they are butt hurt but we are moving forward with change while they wallow on yesterday. Most of all remember, the next time someone tells you the council meeting was boring, just smile and say: “Sure… until you read what lies beneath.”
It’s a new dawn It’s a new day It’s a new life for Frisco Taxpayers Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo And they’re feeling good
Today I was thinking, it is the start of a new beginning and soon two new city council members will join the Dias. Burt Thakur and Jared Elad will be sworn into office at the July 1st City Council Meeting. We hope their supporters come out and support them during the swearing in at the start of the meeting.
But what is happening before the meeting? Well, apparently there is a City Council Work Session on June 26th. They just posted the agenda and it appears under the Regular Agenda they are going to do a traditional welcome, agenda overview and set the theme for the session. Then they are going to discuss a book called Great by Choice. Lastly they will talk about the traits of successful teams.
Then they will convene back into the “Regular Agenda” and finish with a Review of Councils 2025 Progress Goals, have a discussion regarding the FY2025-26 Initial Budget Considerations and closed with a “Ted Talk” regarding 5 Bold Steps to a Bright Future. Interesting! This is where we have questions.
Outgoing council members Tammy Meinershagen and Bill Woodard will be there as they still hold the seats for city council until July 1st. and then Burt Thakur and Jared Elad are sworn in. Because of the runoff Thakur and Elad’s swearing falls after the meeting, but “THE BUDGET” is a big discussion that the new council members may have questions or input on. Here is what we are interested in;
1. Did the city extend an invitation to the two newest council members to participate and learn at this work session like they have done in the past.
2. Will they host the meeting live on Frisco TV so residents can watch and learn and be more transparent for Frisco Residents?
3. What is the social event they are going to afterwords at Perry’s Steakhouse and is that on taxpayer dollars?
Now many may say, they are not sworn in yet so they can’t participate but exceptions have been made in the past. In our article No Business Like Show Business we told you about how in March of 2022, our newly “APPOINTED” council woman Tammy Meinershagen went on the Frisco Chamber of Commerce Leadership Exchange Trip to Cary, North Carolina. Why was that interesting to us at the time? Well, Tammy Meinershagen had NOT YET BEEN SWORN IN as a council member yet.
In that article, we asked the question of how Meinershagens’ trip was paid for. Did she pay for it – remember she was not a SWORN IN council member or did TAXPAYERS pay for it? Then we laid out the emails showing that on March 3, 2022, Mayor Jeff Cheney sent an email to Holly McCall, and said Tammy has expressed an interest in going on the LEX trip. Cheney thinks it would be good for her to join to get a head start on her development and start building relationships. He specifically notes, I know she will still be a council member elect as the time so not sure what hoops we need to jump through. McCall, the Sr. Administrative Asst. to the Mayor & Council responds, “I’m sure it will be fine to pay for Tammy. We’re just waiting on confirmation/advisement from the attorney’s office before proceeding.”
Then on March 7, 2022, in an email from Tammy Meinershagen to Tony Felker, President/CEO for the Frisco Chamber she states it looks like she will be able to join “representing the city council” so can you let me know what you need from me.
Tony responded with an email asking Jeff Cheney what the best way for her is to register and then Jeff responds Holly McCall, the Sr. Administrative Assistant to the Mayor & Council, can book it.
McCall responds again that she believes it will be fine to pay for her to go but she is waiting for the official city approval. Fast forward to the April 19th, council meeting, Item #20 under the Consent Agenda (remember that is where they hide things) there is an action to consider and act upon approval of the attached reimbursement request presented to the Mayor and Council. The memo reads that the $3000 request was the cost for Tammy Meinershagen to travel to Cary, North Carolina for the LEX trip hosted by the Frisco Chamber. It states she is a ‘CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL RUNNING UNOPPOSED.” It then reads, Minershagen will begin her term in May, but members of the council believe the trip provided knowledge and experience that serves the public purpose of the city and was beneficial to the duties of a city council member.
Guess what, THE COST WAS APPROVED!
At the time we wrote this article in October of 2023, we said we were alarmed that she would be going representing herself as a councilmember – when she had NOT YET BEEN SWORN IN and taken her OFFICIAL OATH. We were adamant that running unopposed or not should not matter – what should matter is she was not sworn in to uphold her official duties as a city council woman. We still believe that today! However, what we think about the situation and what happened back in 2022/23, is irrelevant! The City of Frisco, The Chamber of Commerce and our City Council “SET A PRESCENDENT” that you do not have to be SWORN IN to present yourself as a council member and have the bills paid for by the city if you are appointed to your seat.
Fast Forward to 2025
How does that change when two council members, who have officially been ELECTED, and are less than 7 days away from being sworn in, when it comes to them participating in the Summer Work session, in meetings that affect their upcoming term, etc.? The session clearly says it is Councils Goals for the remaining time of 2025 and the future Budget for 2025-26! I am guessing if you ask the two future elected council members what they think, they will agree with us!
That is the problem when you set a PRESCENDENT like they did in 2022 with Meinershagen, because now to be fair to the newly ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS – the city needs to invite them, allows them to participate, talk to leaders and city management, for the “experience it gives them, for educational reasons and benefits it presents them,” as it will help them grow in their council positions the same way they did for Meinershagen in 2022.
Now, we wait and see – what happens? Better get the city attorney on the phone and make allowances for the same concessions –
at least allowing them to attend s work session, doesn’t cost taxpayers $3000 this time!
Since the release of the now-infamous Toxic Tammy Tapes, we’ve seen just about every excuse imaginable tossed into the public arena to discredit them:
They’re fake.
They’re deepfakes.
They’re AI-generated.
They’re illegally recorded.
They’ve been “heavily edited.”
There’s an “ongoing investigation” into them by Frisco PD
But here’s the thing: in Frisco, when someone’s caught saying the quiet parts in a safe space out loud, suddenly the how/why/when it was recorded becomes more important than what was actually said.
Even spouses of current Frisco City Council members have taken to social media soapboxes, proclaiming—without evidence—that some shadow investigation is under way. “Illegally recorded tapes!” they cry. Well, we filed a Public Information Request (PIR) with the Frisco Police Department over 10 days ago asking if there was any investigation into the origin, legality, or content of the recordings.
So far? Crickets.
How Did We Get The Tapes
How did we get the tapes? Simple. An insider—tired of the two-faced politics, of the backroom manipulation, of the fake smiles and public gaslighting—decided the people of Frisco deserved better. They handed us the recording because they trusted us to tell the truth, and that’s exactly what we did. Again, we want to make it clear that it was not a candidate for Place 4, but it was someone within the person’s circle and from what we understand that could be a lot of people.
We made a few promises when we were approached about the tapes. The first was to remove the voice of the second person, we did! We did not know at the time how difficult that would be and time consuming because we did not want to alter the message communicated. The second request was to remove the identifiable background music we did! The third request was from the source who delivered the tapes to protect them, we did! We will say the source proved to us how they received the tape and the conversation they had about the tape being released to Whistleblower. We can say nothing illegal was done, how it was obtained was not illegal and it was not recorded in any way that was illegal.
With that mutual agreement … We had the tape. It is very real. It is raw. And now, they have been fully transcribed, verified, and timestamped throughout.
How Were The Tapes Transcribed:
We ran the recordings through Otter.ai, which created the first draft of the transcript. Then we did what no AI or spin machine can do: we sat down, put on the headphones, and listened very closely to every inch of the conversation again. All of it. Start to finish. We painstakingly cross-checked each statement, verified speaker identities, and confirmed the accuracy of every quote.
In places where the background noise (music, clinking water glasses, running water or fountain sound) made things tough to hear, we noted it. We didn’t guess. We didn’t fill in blanks. We kept it honest—because the truth doesn’t need editing.
Why We’re Releasing It:
After much debate with our team, we have decided to release the transcript of the whole recording because it does not violate any of the three things we promised. We also feel the reputation of FriscoChronicles was put on the line and we have always been above board. We understand from the public perspective it appears the recording was released with selective leaks which could appear to have been a politically motivated spin, and we can assure you that was not the case. We release things when we get them and after we confirm the info to be factual. We released the tapes less than 2 days after we received them and after we confirmed them – business as usual.
Truthfully, citizens deserve to know what was said, who said it, and the context in which it happened. Tammy Meinershagen claims to represent our values on the City Council.
And Now… The Backstory We Received
Everything has a backstory, and we are going to share what we were told as it adds to the context in our opinion. The meeting occurred sometime in January of 2025, and it was Tammy Meinershagen who reached out to Voice #2 asking for the meeting. After offering to meet at a local restaurant it was Tammy Meinershagen who insisted on coming to the home of Voice #2.
The context given for the meeting was that Tammy was hoping to advise her on her campaign and help answer any questions (good or bad) the candidate may have. At this point several “cabal leaders” had already reached out to this candidate and told them not to run. Why? It would hurt Gopal who was running for the same seat. The candidate had already made the decision to run and was not going to change their mind or back down and when Tammy reached out the candidate was excited that someone actually wanted to give campaign advice and offer clarification on things they may not understand about the process.
The day Meinershagen came over, the candidate took notes with a note pad and had the phone on the table recording it so they could fill in the blanks later of anything they missed. No evil intent behind it!
A few sources have told us (we have not had this confirmed by the candidate) that it was the direction the conversation went that first upset the candidate and while she didn’t tell Tammy at the time, she felt when it was over that Tammy had been very derogatory to her people, and others and that she had never seen Tammy wish such venom. The candidate felt this was another attempt to for someone to come over and to tell her not to run because it was constantly about “splitting the votes” and that would hurt Gopal. Things progressed in the election cycle and the candidate moved forward running for office and that was the end of it.
Now that is all we were given as backstory, we don’t know more than that but it does align with what we heard in the conversation.
Diving Into The Transcript
Part 1: Small Talk about Place 4
Part 2: Talk about Place 2
After talking about who may or may not be running in Place 4, Tammy stated she believes she will have some opponents, too. The candidate, surprised, asked who? Tammy says, well, first of Sai “Idiot Sia” … she was not prompted to say that. She was not lured into calling Mr. Krishna an idiot. She said what she believed! Why? Because she thought she was in a safe space to speak the TRUTH! Up to this point, there had been no name-calling of any candidates or potential candidates – Tammy threw the first flame! Oh, and Tammy continued to throw the flames without any leading questions or being tricked into saying anything.
The truth is Voice #2 – The Candidate, got quiet when the conversation turned, which matches what we were told, that she was surprised at where the conversation went.
We invite you to read the transcript for yourself. Don’t let someone else think for you – find the link at the end of the blog.
You Decide
It goes on, and on, and on! In our opinion, Tammy was not led into any of her statements. They were said of her own free will, they are her thoughts and she made the choice to say it! I think the candidate whom she was speaking to that day learned some things about her Friend that she didn’t like. Tammy’s true colors began to show and anyone would wonder – what does she say about me when I am not around?
Personally, while everyone is condemning “the recorder” or the person who transferred it to us, we think they deserve a community applause. As voters we have the right to hold our city leaders accountable and to a certain level of professionalism. We also have the right to know what they truly think of the population they represent.
What the South Asian or Desi community needs to understand is that their VOTE for Tammy Meinershagen contributes to this continued behavior. They have only shown up to get your donations or your vote – where are they the rest of the time? Are they attending your HOA meetings, are they showing up late to the festivals, just have to have their picture taken at the end to say “we were here!”
That is how it appears to most of us and honestly if the South Asian community is not offended by that – then let us know so we are not offended for you. We are going to let you decide! The full transcript is just as bad as the shortened portions we published earlier. In fact, we think its worse because you clearly see this is who Tammy Meinershagen is.
We could call out her supporters and their attempt to discredit, hurt, and attack Burt Thakur, another South Asian, and Jared Elad to help you forget about the tapes, but we won’t!
Before you believe the latest PR PUSH to blame AI, or that she was tricked into her comments read it and come to your own conclusions. At Frisco Chronicles, we believe sunlight is the best disinfectant. And this, dear readers, is one hell of a toxic spill.
Please excuse any typos or grammatical errors on the transcript, we did not want to change what was transcribed. We only made sure it matched the recording and that the statements were assigned to the right person.
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Interesting Article
I don't know, Patrick, and I'm not familiar with SREC, so I'm unable to answer your questions.