“Diet Developers, Family Plans, and the Dollar Menu of Democracy”
If Part 1 of Follow the Money felt like a black-tie developer gala with valet parking and six-figure checks, then Part 2 is more of a backyard barbecue. Still political. Still smoky. Just… different and fewer lobsters.
This round, we cracked open the campaign finance reports of Shona Sowell and Rod Vilhauer, two mayoral candidates whose donor lists tell very different stories, neither of which includes a $100,000 developer cannon blast like John Keating.
Shona Sowell
At first glance you notice some developers but a scroll through the whole campaign finance report feels more like someone who has there feet on the ground. The report covering July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 shows:
Total Monetary Contributions: $40,073.71
In-Kind Contributions: $8,000
In Frisco politics, that’s not chump change—but it’s also not “who just bought City Hall?” money.
Donations Over $1,000 (aka: The Grown-Ups Table)
There’s a mix here: locals, professionals, and yes… developers. But unlike other reports we’ve seen, this list reads more like a community fundraiser than a developer convention.
A few highlights:
Trevor Huber (Frisco, Modera Clinic) – $5,000
Fehmi & Elisabeth Karahan (Fields Development) – $3,000
Robert Shaw (Columbus Realty Partners / Legacy West) – $3,000
John & Eleanor Landon (Landon Homes) – $3,000
Yes, developers are present. No one’s pretending otherwise. But this is more “sprinkle” than “avalanche.” Think side salad, not the whole buffet. Also worth noting: a solid number of Frisco residents, modest four-figure donations, and contributions that look personal—not corporate firehoses disguised as civic pride.
The Amended Report
Sowell’s amended report (March 2 – June 30, 2025) adds a little spice:
Dr. Tim & Kathi Schacherer (Frisco) – $10,000
Frank Peinado (Construction, Aubrey) – $10,000
Jared Patterson Campaign – $7,500
3 Peinado Construction Executives – $3,000 each
Kappi & Steve Helms (Frisco) – $5,000
Monica & Marty Wood (Real Estate) – $2,500
Ryan Griffin (President of FCS) – $5,000
Is construction money here? Yes. Is it coordinated? It looks organized. Is it eye-popping compared to other mayoral candidates? Not even close. This is developer money with the volume knob turned way down.
Question for voters: Is Sowell managing influence—or just keeping the lights on without selling the building?
Next up, Rod Vilhauer: “Keep It in the Family” Edition
Now let’s talk about Rod Vilhauer, whose first campaign finance report (filed 10/28/25, covering Nov 1 – Dec 31, 2025) shows:
The Donor List (Short. Sweet. Familiar.)
Clark Vilhauer – $20,000
Jerry Vilhauer – $1,000
Rod Vilhauer – $1,000
Angela Carrizales – $2,500
Kristen Lively – $1,000
That’s it. No developers. No PACs. No LLC alphabet soup. No mystery money from three cities over. Just family, friends, and one very generous Clark Vilhauer carrying this thing like an Olympic torch. If this were a movie, it wouldn’t be Follow the Money. It would be We’re Pooling Resources.
Question for voters: Is this independence—or simply a campaign still warming up?
The Big Picture: Relative Cleanliness Is Still a Thing
Let’s be clear:
Sowell took developer money, but nowhere near the scale of other mayoral candidates past or present.
Vilhauer’s report looks less like a political machine and more like a family potluck.
No six-figure developer bombs. No mystery entities with zero web presence. No PACs lurking like political middlemen in trench coats. In today’s Frisco political climate, that alone feels… novel.
Final Thought: Who’s Buying, Who’s Borrowing, and Who’s Betting on Themselves?
Campaign finance reports don’t tell us who will be the best mayor. But they do tell us who expects access, who expects influence, and who expects nothing more than a fightingchance. So we’ll leave you with this:
Is “less money” actually more independence? Is family-funded better than developer-funded? And in Frisco politics, is the quietest check sometimes the loudest signal?
Stay tuned. The money may slow down—but the questions won’t.
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.
For some time now we have questioned the campaign finance reports of local leaders. Back in February of 2023 we wrote about Dark Money where we laid out how individuals associated with the PGA, The Link, or Fields projects donated to our current sitting city council members. If you haven’t read it, you should because it is alarming. Then we asked the question, did Keating and Pelham accept “DIRTY FUNDS?” We are talking about the $10,000 Keating took and $5000 Pelham took in 2021 from Veton Krasniqi, a man who appears to owe the school district $24,093.47 in back taxes. How did we learn about this, a campaign finance report. As we said they can be Shakespearean sonnets of bureaucratic paperwork.
Well Friends, we have hit that moment in every local election where you stop arguing about yard signs and start arguing about spreadsheets. Campaign finance reports are in, the ink is dry, and the numbers are… well… robust. The kind of robust you usually only see in luxury hotel valuations and developer prospectuses.
Let’s do what Frisco Chronicles does best: open the books, raise an eyebrow, crack a joke, and ask the questions everyone else is politely avoiding. Because when the money talks this loud, voters deserve to listen carefully.
Exhibit A: John Keating — “Show Me the Money” Edition
Mayor John Keating filed his January 12, 2026, campaign finance report covering 7/1/25 through 12/31/25, reporting $142,909.24 in Total Political Contributions. That’s not couch-cushion money. That’s “somebody expects a return on investment” money.
Let’s stroll through a few highlights:
Myles Freeman, President of Wiley X Inc – $1,000
Joe Hickman, Blue Star Land – $1,000
Jordan Wallace, Wallace Ventures – $1,000
(Appears to be invested in a $130 million luxury hotel… casual.)
Gerrit Parker – $2,500
Ryan Griffin, Rockhill Investments – $5,000
James Webb – $5,000
James Webb (again) – $10,000
James Webb’s name kept nagging at us. Turns out, we’d written about him before in “Election Fix: Developer Dreams & Dollars.” According to the DMN, Preferred Imaging LLC, headed by James H. Webb of Frisco, allegedly performed services requiring a supervising physician without one on-site. The company did not admit wrongdoingbut still paid a $3.5 million settlement following investigations by federal and state authorities, including the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. So, here’s the uncomfortable question no one else is asking out loud: When Keating accepted Webb’s donation in 2017, should he have known about Webb’s past? And knowing what’s publicly available now, why keep accepting the money? Did he have any concerns in 2026 taking two donations that totaled $15000?
Asking questions is not an accusation. It’s civic hygiene.
Then …the Real Jaw-Dropper
Frisco 380 Partners made two donations of $50,000 each. That’s $100,000. From a developer. Let that marinate.
Who is Frisco 380 Partners? Great question. We tried to find them. Information is… sparse. Very sparse. Which only adds to the mystery. Because when a developer writes a six-figure check in a local mayoral race, voters are allowed—no, obligated—to ask: What do they want? What do they expect? And will Frisco residents be paying the bill later?
Oh, and let’s not forget: HillCo PAC – $5,000
Exhibit B: Mark Hill — LLC Palooza 🎪
Mark Hill’s report shows: Total Political Contributions: $110,434.25
And this one read less like a donor list and more like a Chamber of Commerce speed-dating event for LLCs. A sampling:
ARKONS Ventures LLC (Irving) – $15,000
Yash Vasti (Irving) – $10,000
Atchuta Rao Roppana (Frisco) – $10,000
CMSW Realty LLC – $5,000
Orange Roofing & Construction – $5,000
Lone Star Food Plano LLC – $5,000
Bawarchi Holdings LLC – $2,500
Trilock Foods, LLC (McKinney) – $2,500
Plus a long list of donors from Irving, Richardson, Southlake, McKinney, The Colony, San Antonio—which raises another question: Why does so much outside money care deeply about who runs Frisco?
Jennifer Luney donated $2,000 and we are curious if this is the same JL connected to the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco? We’re genuinely curious.
Now, Let’s Talk Law (Because This Part Matters)
Straight from the Texas Ethics Commission FAQ: Corporations (including nonprofit corporations) and labor organizations may not make political contributions in connection with Texas and local elections.
While the word “LLC” isn’t explicitly shouted from the rooftops, the practical effect under Texas law is clear: Individuals may donate personally. Corporations and most LLCs may NOT donate directly to a candidate.
LLCs with only individual members may donate if the contribution is properly attributed to those individuals—not the company. Business entities can donate to ballot-measure-only PACs, not candidates. So, the million-dollar (or $15,000) question becomes: Were these LLC donations properly attributed to individual members? Or were businesses writing checks directly to candidates?
Because that distinction isn’t trivia—it’s the law.
Final Thought: Residents Should Be Concerned
This isn’t Republican vs Democrat. This isn’t pro-growth vs anti-growth. This is about who gets heard in Frisco—and who gets drowned out by money. Residents should be asking loudly $100,000 grand from one developer. When developers, PACs, and LLCs dominate campaign finance reports, regular residents are left wondering whether their $25 donation, no donation—or their vote—still matters. For years you have heard voters in Frisco have voter apathy but maybe they just don’t think it will matter because our elections are bought and paid for. Voters are wondering if Frisco’s elections are bought, or merely… heavily leased? And when City Hall opens for business, who exactly is the biggest client? Next up, the other two mayoral candidates.
In our blog Who Hit Send? Meadow Hills Estates Residents were asking how their emails became campaign ammo we mentioned we reached out to the HOA / Management Company to ask questions and we wanted to publish the response in it’s entirety.
Good morning,
Thank you for reaching out, and for the opportunity to clarify the concerns raised in your message.
First, to be clear, our company did not approve, send, or facilitate the email referenced. The only official communication channel for Meadow Hills Estates HOA is their community website: https://meadowhillestates.4sightpm.com/
Any emails, Gmail accounts, Facebook posts, or newsletters outside of that platform are not official HOA communications and are not managed or distributed by our office.
Regarding the Gmail account in question, our understanding is that it was created and is managed by a group of community volunteers, not a single HOA board member. Additionally, the email distribution list used for that message was compiled independently through a voluntary sign-up shared in their newsletter, where residents elected to provide their email addresses to receive updates. No HOA records, management files, or association-owned contact lists were used or accessed in compiling that list. Accordingly, I cannot verify how many individuals received that email. I would be doubtful that it was every resident, as you claim.
We take fiduciary duties, resident privacy, and proper use of association records very seriously. HOA contact information maintained by management is used strictly for official association business and is safeguarded accordingly. Board members do not have unilateral access to management-maintained resident email lists, nor are such lists released for personal, political, or non-HOA purposes.
Given these facts, we respectfully request that your reporting be updated to reflect:
That the email was not HOA-authorized or HOA-distributed;
That no HOA-owned records were used;
And that the addresses were obtained through voluntary opt-in communications.
Finally, while we welcome accountability and transparency, we would note that concerns raised about anonymous or generic email communications may be more effectively addressed when inquiries themselves are issued with clear identification and attribution.
Alright, grab your popcorn —this one has all the makings of a classic Frisco Chronicles feature: money, media, and that familiar scent of roses wafting through the pages of the Dallas Morning News.
All Good in the Frisco Hood: Brought to You by… Medium Giant?
By now, longtime Frisco residents have noticed a curious phenomenon. Whenever the Dallas Morning News (DMN) writes about Frisco, the city sparkles. Streets are shinier. Leadership is visionary. Problems? What problems? If Frisco had potholes, DMN would probably call them “community engagement craters designed to slow traffic and save lives.”
Which raises the obvious question: why does Frisco always smell like roses in the DMN? Not weeds. Not smoke. Roses.
For years, residents have speculated. Maybe DMN is afraid of being cut off from exclusives. Maybe access journalism is alive and well. Or maybe—just maybe—it’s about the oldest motivator in local government and media alike: Money.
Enter Stage Left: Medium Giant
Here’s where things get interesting. A sharp-eyed reader recently connected a few dots that deserve a closer look. The Frisco Economic Development Corporation (FEDC) has entered into several contracts over the years with a company called Medium Giant.
Whose Medium Giant, you ask?
They’re an “integrated creative marketing agency.” Which is marketing-speak for we make things look good. Even better? Medium Giant just happens to be the sister company of the Dallas Morning News.
Cue the dramatic music. So now the question isn’t why DMN never seems to publish critical reporting on Frisco or its leadership. The question becomes: would they dare?
Follow the Money (Because It Always Tells a Story)
When we reviewed city check registers, we noticed multiple payments over the years made to Medium Giant. Not chump change. Not lunch money. Not “oops, forgot to expense that Uber.”
The total? $2,105,631.76
That’s over two million dollars paid by Frisco entities to a company tied directly to the same organization responsible for shaping Frisco’s public narrative in one of North Texas’ largest newspapers.
Now, we’re not saying this proves corruption. We’re not saying there’s a secret smoky backroom with editors and city staff clinking champagne glasses. We’re not even saying there’s an explicit quid pro quo.
What we are saying is this: If you were the DMN, would you risk torching a relationship connected—directly or indirectly—to a $2 million revenue stream by publishing hard-hitting, unvarnished reporting about Frisco’s leadership, finances, or controversies?
Hit Pieces for Some, Rose Petals for Others
What makes this dynamic even more eyebrow-raising is DMN’s recent track record. The paper has shown it’s perfectly willing to publish aggressive, sometimes glowing-less-than-rose-scented coverage of candidates who fall outside the Frisco inner circle.
Just ask: Jennifer White, Mark Piland, John Redmond
Funny how the gloves come off for political outsiders, but stay neatly folded when it comes to City Hall, current council members, and current city leadership.
Journalism, Marketing, or a Blurred Line?
Let’s be clear: Medium Giant being a marketing firm isn’t inherently wrong. Cities hire marketing agencies all the time. But when the marketing arm and the newsroom live under the same corporate roof, the public has every right to question whether the coverage they’re reading is journalism… or brand management.
Because from where residents sit, the pattern looks less like watchdog reporting and more like: “Frisco: Presented by Medium Giant, distributed by DMN.”
Final Thought
Transparency isn’t just about open records and posted agendas. It’s also about who controls the narrative—and who’s being paid behind the scenes while that narrative is shaped.
Two million dollars isn’t small change. It’s not accidental. And it certainly isn’t irrelevant.
So the next time you read a glowing DMN article telling you everything in Frisco is just peachy, ask yourself: Is this news… or is this advertising with better grammar?
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 has received multiple complaints from residents of Meadow Hill Estates after an email landed in what appears to be every single email inbox in the community. The message, sent from a Gmail account — StopMillerAutomotive@gmail.com — urged residents to vote in the Frisco Special Election for Ann Anderson.
The writer of the email openly states “I spoke to this candidate about our issue” which is problematic since he never gave the other candidate a chance to share their view on the community’s issue. Based on one conversation with only one candidate you then send an email to your entire community telling them how to VOTE? Did the writer of this email do any research into other projects where citizens objected to something nearby their home and if Ann Anderson supported it.
For example, Universal Kids! Ann Anderson spoke on 2/7/2023 in FAVOR of Universal Studios. She ignored the numerous residents who lived in Cobb Hill and throughout Frisco, that came out and said they did not want a theme park that close to their community because of the noise, traffic and potential crime it could bring. Ask residents today if it has affected their home values in that community and how many Airbnb’s now exist there. She said at the forum the other day we need to be mindful of where we place projects near communities and used the hospital power plant as an example, yet she was in Favor of Universal Kids which is going to have roller coasters looking into people’s backyard! Her words and actions – DON’T MATCH!
That raised an obvious question residents can’t shake: How does a random Gmail account suddenly have the private email addresses of an entire neighborhood?
Not a Guessing Game — It’s a Privacy Issue
Residents aren’t speculating for sport. They’re concerned because there are only a few realistic ways someone could obtain a complete HOA email list:
Through HOA records
Through property management systems
Through board-level access to resident data
Those email addresses are not public information. They are collected for official HOA business, not political campaigning.
From the complaints we received, many residents believe the sender may be a current HOA board member or someone with inside access to HOA records.
The Meadow Hills Estates Facebook Page Raises More Questions
Adding fuel to the fire, residents pointed us to the Meadow Hill Estates Facebook page, which states it is “run by volunteers.” That page has posted about Miller Automotive on December 10, 2025 and several other times throughout the past year.
The overlap between the campaign email content and the Facebook posts has residents asking whether the same individual — or group — is behind both. And if so, how much access do they really have?
HOA Data Is Not Personal Property
Here’s the part that matters most. If a board member obtained residents’ email addresses solely because of their position, those addresses are HOA property, not personal contacts. Using them for anything outside official HOA business — especially electioneering — is widely considered improper and, in many cases, explicitly prohibited.
HOA board members have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the association — not personal political agendas. Using confidential resident data to influence a city election crosses a line that residents say should never be blurry.
Texas Attorney General Complaint Incoming
According to one Meadow Hill Estates resident, a formal complaint is being filed with the Texas Attorney General regarding the use of private HOA data for political purposes. That makes this more than neighborhood drama — it’s a legal and ethical issue.
We Reached Out to 4Sight Property Management
Frisco Chronicles contacted 4Sight Property Management, which oversees Meadow Hill Estates, asking the following: Did your company approve or authorize this email? Do you have rules or policies governing how HOA board members may use resident contact information? What safeguards exist to prevent misuse of confidential HOA data? We are currently awaiting their response and will update readers when one is received.
The Bigger Question
This isn’t about whether someone supports Ann Anderson or opposes Miller Automotive. It’s about trust. Residents trusted their HOA to safeguard their personal information — not turn it into a campaign mailing list. We hope Ann Anderson herself did not know about this email because if she did that it could be problematic also.
Until someone explains who hit “send” and how they had the power to do it, Meadow Hill Estates residents are left wondering whether their HOA is protecting them… or politicking with their privacy.
Stay tuned. Frisco Chronicles will follow this story wherever it leads.
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.
Misleading behavior in politics doesn’t always arrive with sirens blaring—it usually shows up quietly, tucked inside polished mailers and carefully scripted forum answers that sound just reasonable enough to pass without challenge. When candidates blur facts, cherry-pick endorsements, or present half-truths as full transparency, voters are left making decisions on a manufactured reality.
That’s the real danger: not just that people are misled, but that trust itself erodes, leaving citizens unsure who to believe and democracy vulnerable to manipulation by whoever tells the most convincing story rather than the most honest one.
While both candidates were probably preparing for the SLAN Forum tonight, I was preparing our next blog drop unveiling the misleading behavior happening in this Special Election Campaign.
Ann Anderson’s Campaign Mailer
Wes Pierson, Matthew Sapp, George Purefoy, what do they all have in common? They are quoted on Ann Andersons campaign mailer. We hope she obtained these quotes from public records because if she didn’t that could be problematic.
The quotes from two City of Frisco employees, prompted a simple but critical question: did she ask permission to use those quotes, and more importantly, did City Manager Wes Pierson authorize his words to appear in a political campaign mailer? Because “transparent government” and “borrowing credibility from city staff” don’t usually belong in the same sentence. The quotes are misleading because it makes the public believe that she had permission from these individuals to use their names for political campaigning.
Special Interest Groups
On Anderson’s campaign mailer she claims she is “Accountable only to Frisco Residents – not special interest groups.” At the Frisco Lakes Forum she said she keeps hearing over and over, “You’re one of us, we are so thankful one of us is running, someone who is not intrenched, someone who is a regular person.” Lastly, at the Frisco Chamber Forum she said she is regular citizen who has lived here for 20 years and is highly involved in non-profit organizations and has been on a few boards and commissions for the city. Throughout the forums she has implied she is just a regular ole resident (like you and me), but is that true? No.
Anderson claims she’s just a regular person, yet in the same breath boasts of a “broad understanding of city operations and governance.” That’s not something most everyday residents pick up between HOA meetings and grocery runs. Anderson has been embedded in Frisco’s political inner circle for years—far from an outsider, and nowhere near the political novice she’s selling.
Screenshot
Her political résumé complicates the picture even further. She claims the Republican label, yet previously served as campaign treasurer for Gopal Ponanji, endorsed hard Democrats like Renee Sample and Dynette Davis, and backed current Mayor Jeff Cheney in 2020. That’s deep involvement, long-standing alliances, and a front-row seat to Frisco’s power structure.
While she may not be a part of any official special interest group, she is most definitely part of the Political Inner Circle of Frisco. You know the ones who want to keep the status quo of running this city. The proof was in the forums and who attended. Big names like Mike Simpson (former Mayor), The Cheney’s, John Keating, Laura Rummell, Karen Cunningham, Lisa Kirby, Brad Sharp, David Bickerstaff, Jennifer Achu, and many more all there clapping loudly for Ann Anderson. It was like a high school yearbook of the “popular kids” giggling and laughing and attacking someone who has spent their entire life in public service.
So, before voters buy the “just like you” narrative, it’s time to pause and ask the obvious questions. Because Ann Anderson isn’t an everyday Frisco resident stumbling into politics, she’s part of the inner circle, and Frisco voters deserve honesty about who’s really asking for their vote.
Public Safety
Anderson continues to say Public Safety is important to her and one of her top priorities. If that is the case why has she not dived in to learn more and better understand the ongoing issue with Public Safety and City Management / City Council. Nope, instead she just wants to attack a person who spent 40+ years in public safety and trying to promote a false narrative of the investigation done a few years ago. Online Anderson supporters are talking about the report and unions in post after post and in group after group. They want to talk about how these associations are unions to scare voters and to make them believe Piland supports associations /unions, which is not the case. Clearly at each forum Piland has addressed that he supports the people and when they city turned their back on the public safety employees and would not agree to meet and confer that left them no choice. He clearly said he does not support unions but he does support people especially when we are asking them to risk their lives.
Interestingly the issue of Civil Service and/or Collective Bargaining dates back to 2011, before Mark Piland became Fire Chief in Frisco. The 2011 Climate Report, done by a third party clearly states in the summary and recommendations if change does not happen this time, the auditor believes much more is at risk – the potential for a Civil Service and/or Collective Bargaining election is very likely and the loss of many more valuable firefighters and paramedics. Chief Borchardt and his staff (which included Lee Glover) who is now the CURRENT Fire Chief, management style must change dramatically.
The other thing in this 2011 report is the FD staffs desire for 4 Person Staffing – which clearly shows that is not a new argument for them. They had been calling it out for years, way before Mark Piland came into the picture. In fact, Piland made a good point at one of the forums. He has 10 years of good reviews from city management, and while he was Fire Chief the FD Staff never moved forward with Civil Service or Collective Bargaining. However, after Mark Piland retired, and the city management chose to go back in time and appoint Lee Glover (from the 2011 Climate Report) as Fire Chief that is when the FD has a vote of no confidence for Glover and under Glovers leadership they filed for Civil Service and/or Collective Bargaining. If you are wondering why public safety continues to endorse Mark Piland, it is because he is right for the city council seat.
Republican, Democrat … or does it matter?
Piland is endorsed by both Collin County GOP and Denton County GOP. Ann Anderson made statements at all the forums how the vote for Mark was “preplanned” and “in the bag” which according to our sources in both Collin/Denton GOP’s, was not true. The Denton GOP did rush a meeting to make the endorsement for Mark Piland because while Ann is a Republican she does not live by or stand up for the Republican Values. She has a history of endorsing Hard Democrats for elections and that does not go over well in the conservative Denton County area. As much as we would like to think local politics is non-partisan in today’s world that is simply not true – nothing is nonpartisan.
When it comes to Collin County, we heard the same thing from inside sources, Ann’s previous endorsements and alignments did not go over well and it came down to a vote and Piland won because they felt he was the true Republican who had lived up the values in the Republican Agenda.
We are also told that tonight at the SLAN Forum she continued to defend her relationships with Democrats. What Anderson does not understand is you can have nonpartisan friendships all day long but if you have plans to run for office Republicans are not going to endorse fellow Republicans who openly help elect and endorse Democrats. There is too big of a divide in our world and that is not going to fly. John Keating will probably have a very hard time going for the endorsement for the same reasons.
Business 101
Ann Anderson said she is glad AT&T Headquarter Relocation choose Plano and not Frisco? She was happy we lost a fortune 500 company that the city had worked very hard behind closed doors to get!
At the Chamber Forum she said Frisco “Dodged a Bullet” when they lost Grandscape / Nebraska Furniture Mart and that was “a GOOD BULLET that we dodged” because instead Frisco got the Dallas Cowboys. I am curious if Ann Anderson understands Sales Tax and how it works.
Grandscape (anchored by Nebraska Furniture Mart) and The Star are both huge economic magnets —but based on the tax revenue figures public officials have shared, Grandscape as a retail tax generator likely produces more direct annual sales tax revenue than The Star’s sports/entertainment complex. However, The Star drives a large, long-term economic impact through property value growth, tourism, and related development that isn’t easily captured in one annual number.
In practical terms, Retail sales tax drivers (like NFM/Grandscape) tend to produce easy-to-measure, recurring annual tax revenue — city and county officials are often very excited about them because the checks come in year after year and are predictable.
As for The Star (a sports/entertainment hub) will generate broader economic impact — more jobs, more tourism, and more spillover spending — but the direct annual tax revenue number per year isn’t always as public or as concentrated.
Which one is better? Cities live and die by predictable, repeatable revenue which is sales tax that shows up every month because retail sales happen 365 days a year. When revenue and foot traffic are based on a schedule or a brand’s performance it gets much dicer. That is where Grandscape / NFM wins!
Fact is, if I’m the city treasurer, I want Grandscape. If I’m the mayor cutting ribbons in a tailored suit, I want The Star. But if you are responsible for not raising taxes when the economy hiccups then you better take the furniture store. Every. Single. Time.
Final Curtain – Get out and VOTE!
In the end, Ann Anderson’s own words are what make this so hard to square. She says she wants negative politics out of Frisco. She says voters shouldn’t be boxed in by Republican or Democrat labels. Yet she turns around and sends a hit-style mailer packed with selective framing, questionable quotes, and political drive-bys that do exactly what she claims to oppose. She says public safety comes first, while simultaneously attacking a public safety leader trusted and endorsed by those who put their lives on the line—behavior that feels eerily familiar to a council that happily accepted firefighter endorsements, then turned its back on them once the votes were counted. That’s not reform politics; that’s the same old Frisco playbook with a new cover page.
The bigger question many residents keep asking out loud now: why does this city’s leadership—and its inner kool kids club—seem to hate one man so much that they’ve tried repeatedly to destroy his reputation? Where was the moral outrage over the mayor’s keg party for teens? Where was the pearl-clutching when a council member embarrassed the city at a public pool in an illicit affair, or when signs saying “Get Naked” were laughed off like locker-room humor? Where was the fury when forged documents led to a settlement package fit for royalty? Somehow, silence. Yet for one man, the knives never stop. And maybe that’s why some of us see leadership not in who lands the cleanest punch, but in who takes the hits, stands firm, dusts off the scuff marks, and keeps showing up for the right reason—the residents. If Frisco voters truly want less negativity and more integrity, it may be time to stop listening to slogans and start watching actions.
Early voting has begun and Frisco Chronicles is voting for change in Mark Piland! We are done with the Frisco Playbook.
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