Thirty-four years ago, a car drove into town carrying a man named George Purefoy. When he arrived in Frisco, the population was around 5000 and it had one red blinking traffic signal at the corner of Preston and Main Street. Purefoy was named Frisco’s first City Manager. At the time he took over the helm, the city was essentially broke, which lead to some budget cuts and staff reductions. In many articles, he said employees referred to him as the “hatchet man.”

One of the most important goals for George Purefoy was to build a strong foundation in the city so it too had an opportunity to grow and compete with cities like Plano. He strongly believed he had to find the “right professionals” to head the various departments in the city. As a leader, he felt it was incumbent upon himself to set the tone and be the example of what a professional city manager should be. Purefoy had a vision for the city that included growth, potential, and future developments.

One of the first “big” projects to hit Frisco was Stonebriar Mall in 2000. Frisco had to compete in the bidding process against Plano to win the Stonebriar development. Purefoy knew that was not going to be an easy fight. He also knew what kind of economic engine it would be for the future city. Purefoy believed sports, tourism, and private-public partnerships would be what sets Frisco apart from surrounding cities. He was right and, just around the corner were future landmark developments that would forever change the landscape of Frisco.

When Purefoy announced his retirement in 2021, it was important to him and many others that the new city manager continued the “strategic vision” for the city. Ask anyone walking down the streets to heavy hitters in the city about the Legend George Purefoy, and you’ll hear he was a salt of the earth, behind-the-scenes guy. He had a reputation for being kind, soft-spoken, trustworthy, creative, and with integrity, and most of all, he was dedicated to getting projects done.

The reason it is important to tell you about George Purefoy is that he was the mastermind that set the tone for this city, its employees, and the citizens. Mayors and council members would come and go over the years, but Purefoy was here for the long run and had the biggest impact on the city over time. No one is willing to question his motives and intentions.

It just makes us wonder if he knew some of the shady sh*t that was happening around him here?