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!
Back in the day, Frisco was known as a dormant suburb, north of Dallas, but today Frisco is a community undergoing vast changes and becoming its very own urban Metroplex. Gone are the rural days when everyone knew their neighbors, and a trip to Stonebriar Mall was the excitement for the week. Today, we are at a crossroads of transformation, and the experience of change has been both loved and hated along the way.
The reason my wife and I moved here was because we loved the sense of community, the schools, and the feeling of being safe. The truth is all of that has changed with the massive development that has taken place in the last 10+ years. Yes, we knew Frisco would develop and we looked forward to that at one time. However, that is when you had a city council who engaged and listened to the residents and decisions were made based on what was best for the community.
Frisco has changed, and to be very honest, it is now filled with dirty politics on all sides. Secret deals are happening, and our city council is misleading us to approve projects that are in their best interest, and they are leading with iron fists. Our priorities have shifted, and our sense of community is disappearing every day. Today is election day, and each of us has a chance to vote for change.
We debated on releasing the tape of Tammy Meinershagen when we received it. In the end, we felt voters have the right to know who they are electing. Meinershagen’s statements against the South Asian community are offensive. Calling both South Asian candidates idiots and other names is disgusting and shows a lack of leadership and integrity. She then goes on to talk about how she is not afraid of bullies, even if they are 300lb firefighters or a black woman. Since when are those who protect and serve bullies? Her reference to a black woman being a bully because they disagree on how to do things would be the same as calling her an angry black woman, which I am pretty sure the black community would find an offensive stereotype. Then she references that the Frisco population is only 1% Asian, so she has no base here, and with a laugh, says that means she is white. Frisco’s lack of an Asian population does not make you white, Ms. Meinershagen, but it is clear that you want to be.
Then she goes on about her opponent saying she is “offended and insulted that he would run for city council.” So, she is offended that a citizen who had every right to run, is running? She pointed out at the Chamber Forum and on this tape how her opponent ran for Congress and lost – well Ms. Meinershagen, John Keating ran for higher office as well. In fact, he left his seat early to run and when he lost he came back and took over another seat during a special election so does that make him incompetent to run?
Ms. Meinershagen continues to talk about other local leaders, Scott Johnson, Jared Patterson, and Shona Sowell. Then she talks about residents who are or have taken a chance to run for office, like Mark Piland, Burt Thakur, Jared Elad, and Gopal Ponangi. While many may be upset, we released these tapes. The bigger question is, WHY ARE YOU NOT UPSET ABOUT WHAT TAMMY MEINERSHAGEN SAID?
Today Jamie Heit posted on her FRWC page that we have some shady behavior by certain candidates this cycle including that of a current candidate running for office. Heit ignores all the shady behavior her best friends have done in the past and finds excuses for that but now she sits upon a hill of moral authority accusing this candidate of secretly recording a conversation, questioning her morals and integrity.
Here is the problem with Heit’s statement: how does she know it was secretly recorded? Who told her that? Who told her that the conversation was with this candidate? There are only 3 ways you would have known the who, when, where and if it was secretly recorded:
1) Ms. Heit you were there, and you participated in the conversation and if that is the case why were you not disgusted then with the comments by Meinershagen? We know you were not there so we know this option is not possible.
2) Tammy Meinershagen would have had to tell you who this conversation was with and that she was unaware of it being recorded. If that happened, it means TAMMY IS ADMITTING TO THE CONVERSATION AND WHAT SHE SAID IN IT?
3) The candidate whom you have accused of doing this would have had to tell you they did it. We are pretty sure that did not happen. It would make no sense to be a whistleblower and then yell from a rooftop “It’s me!”
Our guess: Ms. Heit, you know about the conversation because Tammy told you, which means she is admitting to her statements. Secretly recorded or not, nothing illegal was done as Texas is a 1-party state. That means Tammy is admitting to her offensive and objectionable conversation. Someone like that should not be a leader in our city, as her statements clearly show she Tammy has no integrity or ethical morality laying out everyone’s personal business to someone.
Then you have Jake Petrus, otherwise known as the “Town Bully” for the cabal. He posted that this was a private conversation, secretly recorded at xxxx home. The only way Jake would know who the other person was or where it was recorded is if TAMMY TOLD HIM! If he is right, that means he talked to Tammy or someone who had talked to Tammy, to know how and when. THAT PROVES THE CONVERSATION IS LEGIT AND THAT TAMMY IS CONFIRMING HER ROLE AND STATEMENTS.
Either way it doesn’t matter if Tammy knew or didn’t know – what matters is Ms. Heit and Jake Petras would not know “the how, when and with who” without Tammy confirming it. That means she knowingly said nasty, hurtful, demeaning, racist things and spread the personal business of those who had trusted her to others in the community like a game of show and tell. Personally, if I were Johnson, Keating or Pelham, I would be glad to know about this. Clearly it shows they cannot trust Tammy, who they thought was a confidant/or a friend.
I don’t think those who considered her a friend would have ever guessed she is spilling the secrets of their lives and private conversations too others. While we are not the greatest fans of Angelia Pelham and John Keating the fact is they have the right to know their fellow city councilwoman was talking trash about them to others in our community. Simply put, this was probably not the first time Tammy allowed her loose lips to talk trash – it was just the first time she got caught.
If Heit or anyone, for that matter, wants to claim that someone who recorded this is not fit to be a leader, then we want to know why Tammy’s statements and behavior which clearly show a lack of integrity, knowledge or ethical morality is not being called out to be a leader in Frisco? She should resign!
In closing, Tammy kept referring to Frisco as “my city, my city, my voters, my budget, …” – this is not her city, it is our city! She seems to have forgotten that on her quest for Broadway or to be on Broadway. We also want to be clear that we will always protect our sources at Frisco Chronicles. We do want to make it very clear; WE DID NOT RECEIVE Pelham’s text or the Meinershagen conversation directly from the candidate Heit and Petras are currently calling out. We received the text from Source A and the recording from Source B, and neither of them was the candidate Heit and Petras are attacking online.
As for Broadway Frisco – Prop A & B we would ask you to consider this before voting:
Today, we hear “Tourism, Tourism, Tourism,” and most recently, how we need to be more like Nashville. The thing is, Nashville has a deep history back in the 1920s. They had a thriving publishing industry, then came the advent of the Grand Ole Opry in 1925. When WSM began broadcasting live performances from the Grand Ole Opry, it positioned them to become “Music City USA.” By 1945, it was one of the most popular radio programs in America and established Nashville as a hub for country music. They made urban renewal a priority and renovated several landmarks, including the Music Hall of Fame and The Sommet Center. Broadway (similar to 5th Street in Austin) became known for bars and a honky tonk music scene. It was the cornerstone for emerging young artists and a short distance trolley ride from the iconic Music Row. Major record labels headquartered themselves in Nashville, and it became a gathering place for the arts, entertainment and music. They did not simply build a 340-million-dollar Broadway, and become Nashville overnight!
What is the problem with Frisco being more like Nashville? We never implemented our identity as we began to grow and develop into a Nashville. Purefoy took us down the road to being Sports City USA! It worked! Now the city council says we must be more like Nashville to compete, or else! With every development, we have heard Mayor Cheney say this would have a HALO Effect on our city, making us the greatest city in America. Now, all of a sudden, if we don’t spend $160 million or $340 million to get FRISCO BROADWAY, we will lose the economic boom to Nashville? The AMC Awards are happening here, not in Nashville, why? It is being held at a great venue. We didn’t have Frisco Broadway to win over the AMC Awards. We are not Nashville! We will never be Nashville! We are Frisco, Texas!
Please vote no to the propositions in order to protect our community and the residents who live here.
Tammy says, “I don’t like bullies! I don’t care if they are 300lb firefighters or black woman!”
Tammy on Scott Johnson: “He is the weakest leader I have ever seen.”
Tammy continues, and it sounds like she is gloating when she talks about his divorce and his wife potentially spilling the tea if he runs for Mayor.
Tammy on Angelia Pelham: “She also voted Republican for the first time. Why would she do that? She is a staunch democrat.”
Tammy continues to talk about Angelia’s poor leadership, how she doesn’t care if she ever talks to Angelia at an event, how she doesn’t have a lot of respect for Marcia (John Keating’s girl), and how Angelia has not done anything for our city.”
Tammy on Shona Sowell: “She was a nice person at the beginning, I heard, but at the end of the six years, she was a monster.”
Tammy, the reason you gave in this conversation is not the same reason you have previously stated as to why you ran against Shona Sowell. Which one is the truth?
Tammy on John Keating: “He should not get married until after he loses the Mayoral race to see if Marcia sticks around.”
Tammy continues to talk about John, his ex-wife Leslie, his kids, and we are curious why you would ever have a conversation with someone and discuss someone else’s personal life. You are okay spilling others’ secrets and talking about their lives, so let’s see how you like now that it is happening to you.
Gossip is human nature. At some point, we all talk about others or are talked about. Not all gossip is evil. Some of them are mindless chit-chat. But it can hurt someone else and also backfire. Those who are busy discussing your life are probably not happy about theirs. Tammy needs to take a good look in the mirror and re-evaluate her choices. She doesn’t want folks talking about her husband’s Ketchup Caddy, yet she thinks it’s okay to expose anyone and everyone’s secrets.
It’s campaign season in Frisco, and you know what that means: political signs are vanishing, alliances are shifting, and hypocrisy is doing cartwheels down Main Street. We have heard from a few citizens asking us why we have a “Double Standard” when it comes to calling out current city leaders who support Smart Frisco while we have said nothing about Brian Livingston who is supporting the Citizens For A Smarter Frisco PAC. We have been asked why we have not disclosed how the Vote No PAC – Citizens For A Smarter Frisco is funded? Honesty matters so here you go!
Let’s rewind the tape.
Let’s talk about the political elephant in the room—Smart Frisco, the feel-good PAC with a slick name, big-dollar backing, and conveniently aligned with current city leaders. Councilmembers Bill Woodard, Jeff Cheney, and Tammy Meinershagen have all publicly supported this PAC as well as previous PACs in the past while claiming to be wearing their “private citizen” hats on. We cannot pretend their alignment with Smart Frisco doesn’t carry political weight. Ah yes—the magical invisible hat that somehow lets you hold public office and advocate for propositions without consequences or accountability. It’s like Clark Kent glasses for ethics.
In the previous election Brian Livingston took no position and clearly said it is up to voters to decide and this time around he dared to speak up about his own concerns regarding the Frisco Center For The Arts during council meetings. It was not until the current city council members came out for a second time advocating for a PAC trying to influence the vote that Livingston clearly had enough and said what is good for the goose is good for the …..
Now critics cry foul and the pearly clutching begins! The cabal acting as if he had crossed a line even though they set the precedent crossing the sacred boundary. Livingston dared to voice his concerns and support for the Citizens for a Smarter Frisco PAC, which is advocating against the current Performing Arts Center deal and now critics cry foul, as though he’s crossed some sacred boundary, they themselves trampled over a year ago.
Behind Citizens For A Smarter Frisco PAC
Based on records filed with the city the PAC started a few weeks after Smart Frisco. The treasurer is listed at Chris Fields and from what we can tell he has no criminal record, does some political consulting and works in the IT Field. We pulled their campaign finance report, and they have $0 listed, $0 donations and until the next report is out, we will not know who funded the PAC. We messaged Chris Fields and asked why the PAC developed and he responded, “out of citizen concern.”
Livingston has been front and center for the PAC at forums and reposting their content but nowhere near the extent of the city leaders on the side of Smart Frisco. Do you feel that as a representative for the city council you should be representing a pack against the performing arts center?
Livingston: Honest, Direct, and—Let’s Face It—Right
We sent Mr. Livingston an email and asked him Do you feel that as a representative for the city council you should be representing a pack against the performing arts center and why he has chosen to support Citizens For A Smarter Frisco and this was his response.
Livingston wrote, “I want to be clear—I never wanted to represent a political action committee in this way. However, a precedent was set last year when other members of this council chose to publicly support a PAC while claiming to do so as private citizens. That action opened the door for elected officials to engage in public advocacy while still holding office, and I believe it’s important to be honest about that reality.
As a councilman, my first responsibility is to be transparent with the residents of Frisco. I have taken this position with the “Vote No” PAC because I firmly believe the current Performing Arts Center deal, as written, is not in the best interest of our city. I also strongly disagree with the proposed change in use of EDC funds, which were never intended to support projects of this nature.
This isn’t about opposing the arts—it’s about fiscal responsibility, honoring the original intent of our economic development tools, and making sure every deal we enter into reflects the long-term needs and values of the Frisco community.”
That’s what you call “owning” the situation. No spin. No double talk. Just a clear admission that if we’re going to play by these new rules, let’s at least acknowledge them out loud. Whether you agree with him or not, you can’t deny that what he’s offering is rare: a transparent position, rooted in fiscal concern, with zero political waffling.
What’s Good for the Goose…
Here’s the core issue: you can’t praise transparency when it suits your narrative and then screams “conflict of interest” when someone else plays by the rules you created. If it’s okay for Cheney, Meinershagen, and Woodard to champion a PAC two years in a row while in office, then say Brian Livingston’s advocacy for fiscal responsibility and public transparency is not appropriate and unnecessary. This isn’t about theater. It’s about trust. And whether you support the Performing Arts Center or not, you should support honest governance over political theater.
The Bottom Line
Frisco deserves better than this convenient amnesia and selective outrage. If elected officials want to play the PAC game, they should at least have the decency to stop pretending they’re playing as “private citizens.” And if a councilman speaks up about a shady deal and does so publicly, let’s not crucify him for being the only one saying the quiet part out loud. It would be totally disingenuous to pretend this isn’t political coordination masquerading as “just a concerned citizen.” The real issue isn’t who’s supporting which PAC—it’s why some voices are allowed a microphone, while others get handed a muzzle. Frisco voters are smarter than that. Let’s act like it.
There are several important dates to know when it comes to the ballot propositions:
First day of early voting—April 22
Last day of early voting—April 29
Election day—May 3
Want to weigh in? Got receipts or screenshots? You know the drill. 📩 FriscoWhistleblower@protonmail.com – Anonymity is our love language.
Cue the organ. Dim the gaslights. Somewhere beneath City Hall, in the catacombs of taxpayer-funded dreams and concrete promises, a shadowy figure stirs. No, it’s not Andrew Lloyd Webber’s misunderstood genius — it’s Mayor Jeff Cheney, cloaked not in a mask but in economic development jargon, quietly orchestrating Frisco’s most expensive performance yet: the Frisco Center for the Arts.
You won’t find him on stage — no, he’s under it. Pitching, plotting, and maybe even humming a show tune with Tammy Meinershagen. They are not haunting an opera house, but haunting public trust, serenading voters with visions of velvet seats and chandelier-worthy productions — all while the deal’s finer details stay buried beneath layers of “partnerships,” and “nonprofits,” and a conveniently ambiguous price tag.
This isn’t just art. This is politics set to music — a taxpayer-funded overture with mystery, misdirection, and a plot twist or two we’re not supposed to see until the curtain drops. Grab your mask (and maybe your calculator), dear reader. We’re headed backstage, into the Phantom’s lair, where the lights are low and the truth is off-book.
#1 Concern: Mo Money, Mo Problems!
The total maximum project budget for the FCFA is $340 million. Prosper has pledged to contribute $100 million from a bond approved in 2023. Then the City of Frisco is proposing $45 million from the CDC, $75 million from the EDC and $40 million from the Tax Reinvestment Zone No. 1. The Frisco CDC and EDC come from sales tax, which means if you shop in Frisco and you pay sales tax on an item then you are paying towards this project.
City leadership keeps reinforcing that this project will cost $160 Million funded through sales tax efforts and we keep asking for proof that residents won’t be left holding the purse strings. The question residents should be asking is “Does this project along with all the other current projects, put a significant tax burden in the future for Frisco?”
Do you know what Frisco’s outstanding bond debt is today? Currently Frisco taxpayers are on the hook for $1.47 BILLION in OUTSTANDING bond debt (principle & interest).
If we read the latest 2024 Rating Summary for all the CDC debt which includes Toyota, the CDC is currently carrying $464 million in outstanding principal and interest which is being serviced by the $34.9 million in CDC sales tax revenue as reported September 2024. Using Toyota as an example, normally the CDC finances on a shorter term, however with Toyota Stadium they did $72 Million for 30 years at a rate of 5.30 probably to keep the payment low.
When you look at the historical revenues for the CDC, the year ending 9/30/20 they had $22,562,428 in gross tax receipts and at the end of 2024 it was $34,929 and it was about the same in 2022/2023). That means with all the Halo Projects Cheney brags about it having only generated an additional $12 million in sales tax for CDC. Huh? That is because no one saw Covid coming and the world shut down. What if that happens again or the economy tanks, then what?
Are we over invested?
Toyota Stadium: $182 million in improvements: $77 million – TIRZ: City of Frisco, FISD, $40 million – FCDC, $65 million – The Hunt family
Downtown Rail District Revitalization: $76 Million
Grand Park: In 2006, voters approved the allocation of $22.5 million towards the acquisition and initial development of GP. In 2015, voters approved an additional $10 Million for GP. From research we know the city approved $4.84 Million already spent on design costs. We went through numerous articles, city power points, meeting notes and the one thing we can’t find – what will Grand Park cost? Ask yourself, a park bigger than Central Park in New York with all the bells and whistles – how much will that cost? Where will the money come from?
Plus, we have plenty of projects open like The Mix, Firefly, and Universal where we are offering performance-based incentives. For The mix it is up to $113 Million.
From Box Office to Backroom
Take the CDC and EDC out of the picture for a moment – what type of projects are currently on the plate for the city. These projects are “Needs” not “Wants” which is very different. According to GIS Data the Parks Capital Improvement Projects has 50 total projects in the pipeline for $170 Millon and the Engineering Capital Improvement has 66 projects in the pipeline for $457.9 Million.
Taxpayer Tango
Let’s talk about Bond, money bond! In the 2006 bond, voters approved of $5 Million and in the 2015 bond voters approved of $10 Million for a total of $15 Million. How much of that is left? According to the pretty PowerPoints thrown at us for the FCPA they have $11.5 Million left. We are curious about how that is possible and are doing more research into their claim. How much of it have they spent and what did they spend it on? Why has the city done so many feasibility and spatial studies over the years for a theater? The answer, because each study came back and said a larger facility was not sustainable. In fact, the recommendations have been a 300 to 500 seat option and 1200 to 1800-seat option. If you ask our opinion, they spent millions of that bond money on shopping studies, meaning research, consultants, and surveys. Why, they needed “THE ONE” that supported the narrative, we need a 2800 to 3000 square feet facility to justify the boondoggle Broadway Ballot.
Remember how they have said no property tax dollars will be used on this project? A Tax Reinvestment Zone captures growth in both sales and property tax value. It can only be used to fund improvements for the properties inside its boundaries. If they are using money from the TIRZ that is captures of property tax then they are using our dollars for this project.
Smoke, Mirrors, and Marquee Dreams: A vote “YES” just takes us to the next step! If you have been following the meetings for this opportunity, then you have heard each of them say “This is a vote to go forward to the next step.” This is the definition of a misleading statement filled with false impressions and the intent to deceive or mislead the voters. Context matters!
This is a NOT a vote to “go to the next step” it is a major vote to change the use of Economic Development Funds.THIS VOTE SETS A PRECEDENT ON USING EDC FUNDS FOR NON-TRADITIONAL USES. The city is COMMITING FUNDS, which enables them to get a contract done (meaning we have no contract now) to SECURE AN OPERATOR. No money = No Operator.
A vote “YES” will put a burden on the CDC and EDC and burn a lot of potential future opportunities that could significantly contribute to the tax base and sales tax base in Frisco. The ever-growing debt burden will impact future projects. So this is not a vote to just go forward to the next step. If it was they would not be trying to sell it so hard like used car salesman.
Let’s close this one out! Money matters and we are already carrying a $1.47 Billion Dollar Burden! We have not even touched on the other issues and concerns yet, of which there are several. Numbers don’t lie! No matter which way the city tries to sell this to residents it is FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE to bring a project like this to voters and mislead them with a vote yes in may is just a vote to allow us to move to the next step. Once they change the use of the EDC funds nothing will stop Cheney or Tammy Meinershagen (who apparently wants to be our next Mayor) for going all the way. Is that a burden you are willing to carry?
Welcome to the Greatest Show in Frisco—Starring Your Wallet! Ladies and gentlemen, step right up! Frisco has unveiled its latest act in the grand circus of civic spending—a $300+ million performing arts center! That’s right, folks, for the low, low price of just hundreds of millions of your hard-earned tax dollars, we, the citizens of Frisco, can enjoy the privilege of funding a shiny new venue for performances most of us will probably never attend.
And who’s leading this blockbuster production? The front line “sales pitch artists” include The City of Frisco and a company called Theatre Project Consultants Inc. Of course, they are using their friends at Community Impact to deliver messages to mailboxes of 30,000+ residents. But wait, there is more! Enter, SMART FRISCO, the newest political action committee in town, whose idea of “smart” appears to be convincing taxpayers that we absolutely, positively must have this arts center—or else the arts police will revoke our cultural credentials, and the ghost of Shakespeare will haunt City Hall!
Who is Smart Frisco? The website says it is a citizen-driven political action committee dedicated to informing and educating our community about the Center for the Arts Bond Initiative and its role in driving economic development. We went to the city’s website and looked up campaign finance reports and we found the Campaign Treasurer Report filing which lists Heather Eastburn as the treasurer and their HQ office is a UPS store in Frisco. Sound familiar? Just last year Bill Woodard (current council member) set up the Safety-First Frisco PAC against the Frisco Firefighters also HQ at a UPS store?
We looked up the Smart Frisco PAC on the Texas Ethics Commission website. First, we searched by the treasure’s name and found NOTHING! Then we searched by Smart Frisco and found NOTHING! Then we looked under Active Campaign Filer Lists for political committees with appointed treasures and NOTHING! Why is it so hard to find out who is behind the PAC and who is financing the PAC?
Smart Frisco recently just posted to their Facebook Page an eye-catching graphic showing a set of tickets that read “COSTS NOTHING CHANGES EVERYTHING!” The website has the same stylish, eye-catching “PRO-PROPAGANDA” wanting you to “VOTE YES” and telling you “IT WILL COST YOU NOTHING!” They want you to believe this project would be “By Frisco, For Frisco, and most importantly, IN Frisco!”
The post elicited several responses and questions like who will be paying the annual $6 million cost for theater operations? Newsflash Frisconians, there’s no such thing as a free lunch! Ever heard the quote, “one man’s ‘free’ is another man’s tax increase?” One thing we know for sure is compliments are free, but this arts center sure isn’t!
Smart Frisco refers to a Community Impact graphic on one post which states the city believes they can raise $50 to $60 million in individual gifts and another $50 to $60 million in corporate gifts. Then in May they are asking you to vote on a BOND which they claim pending approval, will be for no more than $160 million. Lastly Prosper ISD has committed $100 million to the project.
Prosper ISD? What about Frisco ISD? Frisco ISD, who is facing a budget crunch, is building their own Performing Arts Center using $43 million earmarked from the approved 2018 Bond. Remember in 2021, The City of Frisco, Frisco ISD and developer Hall Group entered a partnership to build a “JOINT” PAC at Hall Park. In August 2022, the city and school district announce they were parting ways and canceling the “JOINT PROJECT PLANS!”
FRISCO ISD is facing a BUDGET SHORTFALL, which they blame solely on the Frisco voters who did not vote to approve the last bond. Yet they, too, can justify the need to build a $50 million performing arts theater that belongs solely to Frisco ISD even though they are cutting some arts programs. They are blind to the fact that residents are demanding financial transparency on how they have already spent hundreds of millions of previous bond money on things other than what they promised it would go for at the time. That is a tangent for another blog!
Back to the question: Who is Smart Frisco? Honestly, we don’t know! We know the treasure has a mug shot, but we are not sure if that is relevant. I bet we will learn exactly who Smart Frisco is when they have to file their first campaign finance report. Remember, you can’t fill a gas tank for free! The purse must be filled to fund a PAC, so we believe the donor’s list will speak volumes on who is holding the marionette strings of the dancing dolls.
I don't know, Patrick, and I'm not familiar with SREC, so I'm unable to answer your questions.
Hi Patrick—when is your SREC30 meeting. Missed the one and want to together before Sept.
We hope to write about it all soon. Most of the content in question - was from 3rd Party comments…
Shining a light in the dark here to just get this out of the way and moved past—who started the…
Bunch of Nepotism, buddy system promotion. If you ain’t white you ain’t right