Double Standards or Honesty Matters

by | Apr 25, 2025 | Bill Woodard, Bond Elections, Brian Livingston, Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance Reports, Candidates, Cheney Group, City Council, Elections, Frisco Center For Arts, Mayor Jeff Cheney, Performing Arts Center, Political Candidates, Politics, Safety First Frisco PAC, Smart Frisco, Tammy Meinershagen, Taxpayer Dollars, Todd Meinershagen

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.