As promised, here is a list of the foolish and profligate spending that took place under the Talbert administration (May 2017 through May 2021) as well as some projects while she was a City council member AND LEDC member.
Being the Head Goldfish, her memory is so short she has likely forgotten all of these and misremembers her term as one of unbridled success that was unfairly bashed by “keyboard warriors” like myself. Let’s go through them and see if that delusion holds any water, shall we?
Old City Hall Renovation Catastrophe: this was the biggest disaster of the Talbert years. Misti’s fingerprints can be found on this debacle over and over again. Some council members were turned off by the whole thing when the first bids came in several hundred thousand over budget. Not Misti! She kept at it. What started as a “maybe $300,000” project turned into a $1.5 million dollar mushroom cloud of taxpayer funds.
For starters, they SOLD an old building they weren’t using for $75,000. THEN, 15 months later, they decided to buy it back for $229,000 so they could use it for their new council chambers.
The OCH renovation also included such memorable fuckups as the “No-Bid Azbell A/V System” which cost $96,000 (original accepted bid by Broadcast Works for $34,000 was tossed – WHY that happened is a mystery to this day).
The OCH renovation also included the RKJ Construction Elevator Fuckup. Led by former council-moron “Greasy” Chris Harrison, they ignored the lowest bid on the table and instead paid up for RKJ Construction. This was a bungle which eventually lead to Misti and the Goldfish entering into a $17,000 contract for elevator maintenance.
Ignoring the TSM Consulting Scam: For YEARS the Lampasas IT Department coughed up $1,800 per month…month after month after month…for “monthly network support”. They did this even though we have TWO highly-paid IT “experts” on the payroll already – one of whom literally has as her job description “installs, maintains and troubleshoots ALL network systems and equipment“. Misti and council allowed this to continue for YEARS – thus wasting close to $90,000.
Ransomware Attack Of August 2019: I was one of the first to break this story – beating The Radiogram and the Dispatch. Over $40,000 in equipment was wrecked (including wastewater plant SCADA) – no punishment was ever meted out and no explanation was ever given to this day – despite me requesting information REPEATEDLY. Misti actually THANKED the IT Department for screwing the pooch. Incredible.
Misti and Council raising tax RATES 6.3%: Do I really need to explain this?
Ridiculous NO-BID $180,000 Bathroom: Finley invoked his “buy board bullshit” and convinced Misti to piss away (pun intended) $180,000 on a BATHROOM at a park that is barely used. Is that a lot for a bathroom? Well, back in July of 2015 Misti herself signed off on a concession stand AND bathrooms at Gavin Garret Soccer Complex for only $18,930!! It’s true: click here and go to page 7. I guess the Head Goldfish had a short memory once again! The taxpayer screwed for another $155,000 or so.
Can’t Be Bothered To Put Garbage Contract Out For Bid: In 2017, Misti put the City garbage contract out for bid for no reason whatsoever except to “see if it is possible to save money on trash collection“. Fine by me! I agree with that decision 100%.
But in 2020 (after receiving a ‘prize’ from Waste Connections), Finley and Misti decided that competitive bidding was a hassle and just awarded a FIVE YEAR garbage contract to Waste Connections without any other companies bidding. Just a coincidence, I am sure.
Lying About Being Transparent: Misti and her attorney JC Brown were the stonewall queens. Misti TALKED a big game, but I was refused public information over and over and over again.
Free Money For Rich Developer – Part I: Deorald Finney came to council with his hat in his hand two years ago. He begged for free electrical hookups AND to have his building fees waived for his 67-house Stone Valley subdivision. TJ Monroe and Chuck Williamson couldn’t give away the farm fast enough – they eagerly agreed to give him EVERYTHING. Luckily, they lost in a 5-2 vote. The rest of the Goldfish – including Misti – voted to give him everything BUT the waived building permit fees.
Misti’s “logic”? The city would be willing to consider “doing the electric [infrastructure] at our cost because [it is] an enterprise for us; we do sell electric service.” Of course, EVERY OTHER HOUSE in the City ALSO buys electricity from the City. So why didn’t THEY get free hookups too?
Truly, hers is a dizzying intellect.
Free Money for Rich Developers – Part II: S2M2 also came to council with hat in hand wanting $150,000 or so for a detention pond in their Brodie Estates development. Misti and the Goldfish turned them down in May of 2019.
But then S2M2 got smart and hired “Greasy” Chris Harrison – a FORMER City council member – back to council to beg a second time. THIS time, Misti changed her mind and said “we need to think again about a detention pond”.
It paid off, of course. The former council chum got a huge check for $185,000!! This is the SAME council chum who was AGAINST handing out money a few years before that when he ran for office.
Which brings us to the finale: the Business Park disaster. I have spilled a ton of ink on this, so I won’t rehash it all. You can use the search function on the blog here and search for “business park”.
Additionally, here are a few links that dive into the MILLIONS wasted on this “goat pasture” project. Misti was not only on City council during all this, she was ALSO sitting on the LEDC board.
Business Park is a Huge Piece of Pork. Pope Eckermann and Others Feasting on Taxpayer Ass
More Money Torched By “Professional Services”
OUTRAGEOUS Tidbits From LEDC Non-Profit Filings
Has the Eco-Turd Finally Been Buried?
Whew! That is ONE BIG PILE of bullshit, wouldn’t you say?
Oh wait – there is one more thing: a murderer dumped a corpse in the “business” park back in July of 2019 as well. Misti just can’t catch a break!