Every IRS filing for the Lampasas Economic Development Corporation has some numbers showing how many hours per week the officers ‘worked’. It looks something like this:
There are two problems with this. First of all, there are ZERO hours listed for “any hours for related organizations below dotted line”. I would think Talbert and Monroe would list their City council minutes below there, since their positions on City council are VERY closely related to the LEDC slush fund.
But even worse is the fact that the hours spent in LEDC meetings (according to their own minutes) do not even REMOTELY match the hours listed on their Form 990 submitted to the IRS.
They have all listed two hours PER WEEK on the IRS form (Millican and Lindeman list 1 hour only) – or 104 hours per YEAR conducting LEDC business.
The problem is, the LEDC minutes contradict this WILDLY. They are off by ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE.
Granted, the IRS filings show the fiscal year numbers (Oct 1 through Sep 30) and the minutes for the LEDC run from Jan 1 through Dec 31….but they both run for 12 months. Even though they do no overlap exactly, they show wildly divergent numbers.
For 2019 (using the LEDC’s own minutes), I show a grand total of 14.75 hours spent in meetings. Yes, you read that correctly. Just over ONE HOUR PER MONTH for an organization sucking down $300,000 of tax dollars per year. Your tax dollars hard at work!
Their IRS filings imply they worked 104 hours per year. Their own minutes indicate they met for 14.75 hours per year.
Now, you might say “well, they only MEET for 14.75 hours per year, but they take a lot of work home on the weekends”. LOL. Sure they do. If you believe that one, I have a Cajun restaurant on Key Avenue to sell you.
We will be doing a DEEP dive on the Lampasas Economic Development Corporation for the next few posts. I have been reviewing ALL of their 501(c)(3) tax filings since inception in 2000. Nearly TWENTY years of shenanigans and obscene money wasting.
Lets start with how much money the LEDC have skimmed off of productive citizens. Their main source of “revenue” is sales tax. Since their formation in the year 2000 through Sept 2018 (the last Form 990 available online) they have skimmed $3,796,974 for this ridiculous slush fund.
Seeing as how the amount of sales tax skimmed has increased every single year for the last 17 years (except 2009), I think it is safe to assume it increased for the 2018/2019 tax year as well. Which means we can safely tack another $300,000 onto that total.
Yes, the LEDC is now skimming about OVER $300,000 PER YEAR in sales tax revenue to run their little slush fund.
Let’s call it a nice even FOUR POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS skimmed.
They purchased their ‘Business Park’ land on Oct 1, 2003 according to the records….for $909,835. They carried it on their books at that exact price until it was marked down on their 2013 tax filings to $817,978 (Schedule D Part VI).
Only a group of clowns like this could buy land for $909,835 and have it worth 10% LESS ten years later. Did they think to have it appraised BEFORE they bought it? I’d love to know who sold these chumps the land.
The most disturbing and disgusting part about the $4.1 million being skimmed over the last 19 years is that their controls are nonexistent. Their tax filings SPECIFICALLY ask “Does the organization have any ‘conflict of interest’ policy?” – and the LEDC answers NO every year [Part VI section B, 12a].
That means that officers, directors, trustees and key employees are NOT required to disclose interests that could give rise to conflicts.
They also answered NO to “does the organization have and written document retention and destruction policy”.
Look at the other GOBS of money flushed down the toilet: $24,000 on ‘admin and overhead’, $23,408 on ‘miscellaneous’, $20,900 on ‘other services’, $34,240 on ‘professional services’. WTF???? $146,913 vaporized in the blink of an eye! [$200,000 in today’s dollars]
Then let’s get into the LEGAL fees they have wasted…..they blew over FIFTY-ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in 2003 and 2004 alone ($69,000 in today’s dollars!). I’m assuming related to the purchase of the land? What else could it be? Who knows but that is an insane amount of legal fees.
[More coming soon as this is a huge amount of work to dig all these out of the archives]
I recently emailed Many Walsh, our very well-paid Lampasas Economic Development Director [$101,285 in salary and benefits – page 82], to ask her a few very basic questions about the Eckermann retirement fund ‘Business Park’. Simple things like the original cost of the land, the terms of the loan are and the appraised value.
Mandy has been on the job for almost three years, if I am not mistaken, so she should definitely know what’s going on over there. Furthermore, the ‘Business Park’ is by FAR their biggest endeavor measured in terms of tax dollars being incinerated. Yeah, she may throw $10,000 to the Lampasas Higher Education people every year, or throw Halff Associates a $120,000 bone to do her job for her…..but the corpse repository ‘Business Park’ is where MILLIONS of dollars go to die.
In short, Mandy Walsh should know ‘Business Park’ stats like the back of her hand. So when she answers my email request with “Thank you for your email. I will forward your email to Christina Marez, City Secretary, who has been designated to handle these requests“, it means one of two things:
Either Mandy Walsh is monumentally incompetent and hasn’t the foggiest notion what the answers to those questions are OR Mandy Walsh is being a deliberate pain in the ass to make my life a little harder. She has to know I WILL get all that info in the end, one way or another.
I’m going to go with “deliberate pain in the ass” on this one. Probably because I have spilled gallons of ink over the last year taking a shit on the entire concept of a Business Park and uncovering embarrassing truths about the (high) costs and (zero) benefits of this debacle.
The only reason to hide all the numbers I requested is because it makes this whole project look even worse than it already is. So touche, Mandy Walsh. You win a small victory. It’ll be a few more weeks before I take yet another public dump on the corpse repository. You can trust that I will not be kind with the waste and incompetence I find in those numbers.
Until then, let’s revisit what Kathy Masonheimer (Walsh’s predecessor) had to say in the Lampasas Dispatch about the corpse repository. Remember, this is from September 2014:
“Of the LEDC’s loan from First State Bank Central Texas, $1.3 million is for the business park utilities. Another $465,000 is for refinancing of the LEDC’s debt on the business park land. The total $1.77 million loan is for 15 years at a fixed interest rate of 3.35 percent. Along with the infrastructure the LEDC will fund, Lampasas has $200,000 in the city’s upcoming fiscal year budget for electrical extensions to the business park.
“The LEDC’s new debt service payment will be about $150,000 a year, Mrs. Masonheimer said. The economic development corporation projects annual revenue of about $250,000, which will leave approximately $100,000 for operating costs after making loan payments.“
[“Annual revenue of about $250,000” – BAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Makes me laugh every single time I read it]
For those of you on the short bus (and the IT Department) that 3.35% interest for 15 years on $1.77 million totals up to $889,425 in interest payments – tax dollars going directly into the pockets of First State Bank Central Texas. That is $889,425 vaporized, for all intents and purposes.
Oh, and also in 2014: “The [Lampasas City] council also voted to guarantee funds for the LEDC’s loan with First State Bank Central Texas. The bank requested the guarantee in the event the LEDC becomes unable to pay off the loan“.
Translation: if this whole thing blows up and/or land values go to shit, the City of Lampasas will bail out the LEDC. Must be nice to be a bankster! Heads I win ($889,000 in free money) and tails you lose (taxpayer bailout).
I’m considering changing the name of the ‘Business Park’ from ‘Corpse Repository‘ to ‘Eckermann Retirement Fund’. The LEDC has blown WAY over a million dollars on that weed patch with nothing to show for it, but Pope Eckermann seems to have the nicest monthly skim on this thing.
Between 2/21/14 and 6/15/16 Pope Eckermann took a $168,740 bite out the taxpayer’s ass. Or about $6,000 per month. To do what? Great question. Here is a sample of just a few entries – it’s seriously almost on a monthly basis! They almost LITERALLY tithe Pope Eckermann on a schedule, it seems. Monthly rent to sprinkle holy water on the sacred site:
Of course, don’t forget to add the most recent $100,000 tithe to ‘develop’ the supposedly-already-shovel-ready business park and it jumps to $268,740. And you know it won’t stop there. This is a gravy train that all the vultures will ride for YEARS because the City and the LEDC are too stupid or stubborn to admit this thing is a debacle.
Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Mood grabbed a huge bite of taxpayer ass too. Obviously a law firm, these charges were for legal services pertaining to Kempner Water service for the ‘business park’. Not sure how that applies since there are ZERO businesses there drawing any water from that $834,000 water system they installed. But the law firm billed them and it is filed under ‘business park’ – denoted by all the many yellow highlights added for me by the City accountant, I assume:
All in all, there are 20 entries between 3/16 and 11/17 for a massive $273,000 just in legal fees!!
So we are up to about $540,000 just between those two vultures. Let’s continue.
It cost a small fortune to run water/waste water lines into the ‘business park’. Qro Mex got that contract. At least there is something there to show for it (pipes), even if they still aren’t being used 4.5 years later. Eckermann got a bite of taxpayer ass there as well. We see $32,000 in ‘engineering and surveying’. They also blew about $30,000 clearing brush and trees. But not before $8,000 was spent on a ‘tree survey’ and $14,000 for a topological survey – both compliments of Triple C Surveying:
Not to mention…this is all just for “improvements”! We aren’t even talking about the original COST OF THE LAND YET!
But wait…there’s more!
Techline Construction (electrical extensions) – $62,758
Schneider Engineering (electrical extension engineering) – $24,328.49 [I have to guess Pope Eckermann the Engineer was incensed at this – another hyena gnawing on HIS taxpayers asses]
L A Porter and Canales Dibble (flex base and roads? Not sure as there is not much detail on the book entry) – $22,391.26
Rental for clearing park, engineering/surveying for clearing (you have got to be kidding me) and hauling – $9,530.40
Kleensite LLC (clearing brush…AGAIN) – $6,500
Neon Cloud Productions (promotion video of weed patch) – $3,354.86
Zoom Advertising – logos, magazine ad (LOL!!), art work, banner art, business cards (yes, all for a ‘Business Park’ that does STILL not exist 4.5 years later – $2,190
Herbst Real Estate (appraisal of park in 2012) – $2,000
Sign Designs of Texas (shitty sign currently marking location of weed patch on Highway 183) – $1,545.73
Much like the Old City Hall Vanity Project, we are now looking at over $1,500,000 for this disaster. All for a weed patch.
I guess my question for LEDC and City Hall is this: when you have ALREADY spent a HUGE sum of money to date with surveying, engineering, clearing, hauling, installing electric, installing water, clearing some more, surveying some more, surveying yet again, engineering something or other, legal fees, etc….what the HELL is Eckermann going to do for the NEXT $100,000 he was handed???? Seems to me they have all been eating at the trough pretty heavily the last 7 years and $1.5 million. So NOW you are going to pay the Pope ANOTHER $100,000 to “develop the park”?
Pardon my French, but what the hell have you been doing for the last 7 years and $1.5 million, if not ‘developing’ the park.
We haven’t even TALKED about the huge sums you will have to spend to put real roads/signage/landscaping/lights in and make it look all fancy like your pipe-dream of a rendition you paid good money for!
PIPE DREAM – high tech jobs
REALITY – corpse repository
I leave you with some hilarious quotes from years and years ago showing how wrong the politicians and City clowns have been….over and over and over….
“Ms. Toups said she wants to continue to provide infrastructure to develop the business park — which she said Harrison spoke against publicly. Ms. Toups said through the Lampasas Economic Development Corp.’s hard work, “we are on the verge of seeing large corporations come in [to the business park].” – April 21, 2017
“DeGraffenried said the LEDC was bold in its decisions to purchase the business park property and extend utilities to it. The city manager predicted Lampasas will enjoy many “spin-off benefits” throughout the city because of the utility work. ” – Oct 23, 2015
[By ‘spin-off benefits’, Spinley must mean ‘buying Pope Eckermann a new boat’]
“Recent land clearing and development of a road at the business park, Mrs. Masonheimer added, have made the site more attractive to prospective businesses and U.S. 183 passersby.” – Oct 23, 2015
“Projects like this send a message that the city will provide the infrastructure needed for job growth,” [letter written by crusty, big-spending RINO fossil-dummy Roger Williams, U.S. Congressman] – Oct 23, 2015
“An economic study in 2001, [Neal] Leavell said,concluded a business park was the main item Lampasas needed to attract development.” – Oct 23, 2015
“We look forward to working with you andworking to fill this business park with good jobs,” she said [Carol Faulkenberry, Texas Dept Agriculture] – Oct 23, 2015
“Mrs. Monroe noted the Lampasas Economic Development Corp. is working with the business park south of town on U.S. Highway 183, and she said she hopes the site will attract good employers to Lampasas. [Council member TJ Monroe] – April 14, 2015
“The incumbent said the city acquired the business park property several years ago but has lacked the infrastructure needed at the site. Soon, she said, the business park will be developed enough to be inviting to businesses. [Then-council-member Wanda Bierschwale] – April 10, 2015
“Grayson said he hopes to develop the business park and attract companies to the site.” [Then-mayor Grayson running for re-election] – April 3, 2015
The council also voted to guarantee funds for the LEDC’s loan with First State Bank Central Texas. The bank requested the guarantee in the event the LEDC becomes unable to pay off the loan. The LEDC’s $1.77 million loan from the Lampasas bank includes $1.3 million for the business park utilities. – Oct 17, 2014
“I feel like we’re getting somewhere,” board president Dr. Neal Leavell added. “I think we’ve really accomplished something. It’s taken a lot of patience, but we’re here.” – September 23, 2014
“Advocates of utility extensions have said entities compete vigorously for new jobs and that cities with ready-to-build sites have an advantage as they try to attract new businesses.” – August 8, 2014
“Economic development officials have said utilities for the business park are essential to make the 165-acre area attractive to companies.” – July 22, 2014
The LEDC was “proactive,” deGraffenried said, in acquiring the U.S. 183 property several years ago for a business park. The goal of utility extensions, the city manager said, is to develop the land into a site that can promote economic growth. – June 17, 2014
Wow. How many lies is this now?? I’ve lost count. Someday in the future I’ll have to dedicate a post to all of Spinley’s bullshit over the last year and a half. Today we’ll stick to just the Old City Hall rehab lie.
I have maintained all along the true cost was well over $1,500,000.00
Well, we now know I was right yet again. Note the amount listed in official City documents posted this weekend [page 34]:
It’s that big number on the top: $1,463,577. Which is pretty damn close to $1.5 million. Does that number include the $128,400 for the elevator that Spinley always loves to add on separately for some weird reason? Who knows. But we can probably assume they didn’t count stuff likepaying $229,000 for the exact same building they sold for $75,000 two years earlier.
Same goes for the $12,780 they spent on a ridiculously large amount of stacking chairs that will never be used.
Bureaucratic knuckleheads like Finley and Monica might not count that as “real” money, but I do. It’s ALL part of this boondoggle.
Add it all up and you can easily make a case for more like $1.6 million wasted on that vanity project. A very far cry from Finley’s oft-repeated lie of $1.02 million.
For 14 years now, Monica Can’t-Wright has been polishing a seat in the IT department for the City of Lampasas. First as a basic drone and then later, she was (incredibly) elevated to “IT Director”. I suspect she was made “Director” and someone else hired as her underling because they needed someone who actually knew how to turn on a computer but didn’t have the heart to fire her. It’s the only explanation that makes sense to me.
Yet for 14 years, she has not earned ONE SINGLE certification in the area of network administration that would usually be considered a MUST for her job.
Take the City of Copperas Cove, for example. They recently posted a “help wanted” ad looking for a new Director of Information Systems. According to the ad, “applicants must currently hold AT LEAST ONE of the following computer certifications: A+, Network+, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) or equivalent; or be able to obtain at least one of these certifications within 6 months of employment in the position“.
Most of you don’t know what those mean. Here is a summary of each:
A+ – certification represents entry-level competency as a computer technician and is a vendor neutral certification that covers various technologies and operating systems. By 2014, over one million people worldwide had earned A+ certification. Expires in 3 years. Certification prior to January 1, 2011, is considered good-for-life (GFL) and does not expire.
Network + – is a CompTIA computer networking certification that includes computer network concepts, installation and configuration, media and topologies,management, and security [emphasis mine]
MCP – The Microsoft Certified Professional or MCP Program is the certification program from Microsoft that enables IT Professionals and Developers to validate their technical expertise through rigorous, industry-proven, and industry-recognized exams.
Monica, the supposed HEAD of the IT Department, possesses none of these. Not one.
These all seem extremely basic. WAY easier than the types of certifications someone in her position should have after 14 years. Private sector network people (the kind who EARN their pay) go much further with certifications like their CCENT or CCNA or CCNP. Neither Monica nor her underling Kristy Acevedo possess any of those three. Shocking, I know.
[I have spoken with a FORMER City of Lampasas Network administrator who worked under Monica before Acevedo was hired. HE possessed some of these certifications. He also eventually quit because (as he made clear to me in person) “Monica has no F*@&#^ing idea what the hell she is doing” (this is a paraphrase by me)]
The REALLY sad part is that the City of Lampasas would very likely FULLY PAY for these certifications as beginning continuing education for Monica so that she could actually learn to do her job, rather than farming out tens of thousands of dollars to TSM Consulting, Watchgaurd, and others. The only reason I can come up with as to why this hasn’t happened in FOURTEEN YEARS is that Monica isn’t capable of passing them.
Nope. They not only didn’t ask any questions, they stonewalled me from asking any myself with City attorney Jo-Christy Brown. So there has STILL (5 months later) never been an explanation as to how it all went down.
Finley “Elmo” deGraffenreid will continue to make The Seven Goldfish dance to his tune in 2020, I’m guessing!
August – Murderer dumps a corpse in the “Business Park”…no doubt lured by the fact it is completely and totally empty and devoid of any activity at all. As it has been for many, many years.
September 30th – City hires charlatans to post a survey on SurveyMonkey – which is basically a free site – so local bozos can whine about wanting a Starbucks. They waste $120,000 doing this.
October – A whole bunch of City employees, politicians (and even a wife!) blow over $4,000 in tax dollars to attend the Texas Municipal League annual convention. Why? Good question.
Whew! That is a LOT of incompetence in just one year. I would be shocked if they can top all this in 2020, but I can’t wait to find out! Happy New Year!
Yet more documentation that MANY state and local government employees continue to help themselves at the expense of the people with productive jobs.
Link to article below, but here is an excerpt:
Last year, we found 1.7 million public employees earned $100,000 or more. The vast majority – 1.3 million six-figure earners – worked at the state and local levels. There were 105,000 local and state government employees out-earning every governor of the 50 states at a salary of $190,000 or more.
In Texas, 356 municipal employees made more than all governors ($190,000). Some of these towns are small, like Stanton (pop. 2,900), where the manager earned $314,696. In Whitesboro (pop. 4,000) and Manvel (pop. 10,000), the administrators were paid $312,000 and $292,529, respectively.
In Florida, the city attorney of the seaside community Dania Beach, Florida (pop. 32,000) gleaned $436,917 – that’s more than any U.S. president. At the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, eight police officers and detectives made between $300,000 and $783,000 last year.
Nearly 10,000 employees of the University of California system pulled down more than $200,000. This includes 65 highly compensated public employees who made between $1 million and $3.6 million.
Oh, and speaking of overpaid, arrogant government employees, I have to wonder which city employee had the cops called on their “princess” for drinking at a party at their house! Then supposedly called the cops wanting to know who tattled on their “princess”. Hmmmm….I wonder who that could have been….an arrogant city employee with a teenage daughter….hmmmmm.
Now, I know kids will be kids. I was one myself. But if my parents caught me, they beat my ass. If I had been lucky enough to have a Mom who worked for the city and she got special treatment, well she would have STILL beat my ass and been thankful she had friends in high places. Only a truly arrogant person would actually demand to know who dropped the dime. Truly unbelievable arrogance and entitlement. Not surprising at all, if this is who I hear it is.
So the City showed off their new digs earlier this week….ALL the upper-echelon (look it up, Monica) Lampassholes were there. Well, actually it was mostly City employees, City politicians and the piles of people who have made a mint off of City contracts. Even Pope Eckermann was there to bless the proceedings. As was JNW bunglers Architects. I assume there were some people there from ASJ and RKJ Construction companies but I don’t have any clue what they look like. Maybe they were the guys over in the corner laughing and lighting their cigars with $100 bills.
Finley did his best Toby Flenderson impersonation as he narrated, bloviated and pontificated on the hardships he faced in torching $1.5 million tax dollars. It was no small feat, according to him:
The building is very nice inside. Then again, for $1.5 million, it had better be. Wish I could say the same for the audio system. Granted, I was in the back of the room, but won’t that be the case all the time when 200 people pack the council room every two weeks to stay informed?
TJ Monroe either needs a new $250 microphone or needs to learn how to lean forward into it. Misti was barley intelligible but that may have had to do with a hoarse voice and her attempt to tear up during her speech to show the overwhelming emotion of throwing $1.5 million down a rat hole. I’m not sure which.
I managed to hang my seven goldfish ornaments on the tree in council chambers:
Apparently City workers and leaders have confused themselves with the CEOs of a very profitable Fortune 500 company. They spared no expense in the Executive Suite…or the break room…or the OTHER Executive Suite. Note the massive excess of chairs despite the main room being filled to capacity. Somebody got carried away with the City credit card! Again!
I also rode the Magic $128,400 elevator…and it didn’t trap me. WAY nicer than the other thousands of other elevators I’ve ridden in during my lifetime. But this is for the Fishbowl – which means SPARE NO EXPENSE!
Can’t wait to start going to some meetings next year! It’s a shame Monica never figured out how to work the video streaming component of the $95,000 audio system. That huge camera over the Mayor’s desk looks cool and expensive. A shame not to use it. Gary Cox must be rolling over in his grave.
As you may know, the Pro-Big-Government organization known as the Texas Municipal League (TML) holds their annual convention every October. As always, the City sent our head of the LEDC (Lampasas Economic Development Corp) to attend – where she presumably attended such important presentations as “Race and Equity – How Your City Can Implement Targeted Strategies to Improve Outcomes“.
I’ll set aside for the moment that the conference is a total joke and a waste of time. It’s something they squander money on year after year with zero results. Let’s just try to figure out how they managed to spend $4,149.67!
The conference was in San Antonio…so according to their posted agenda, our LEDC Director could have easily driven down there on Wednesday morning and driven back on Friday at noon, when the conference ended. By my count, that is TWO nights (Wednesday and Thursday).
Seeing as how the TML posted a list of hotels and their prices online…and ALL of those hotels were priced between $169 and $229 per night…it seems fairly impossible to waste $4,149.67. That works out to almost $2,100 PER NIGHT.
I’ll be charitable and call it $300 per night with taxes and valet parking. That puts us at $600 total for the conference. Still a long way from $4,150, however.
But there is more! I also know there are a bunch of hangers on who go down there too, and make it a “girls trip” on the taxpayer’s dime. I realize we NEED to field a FULL BAND to sing karaoke (page 2) and win $2,500 from Waste Connections** (see below).
Even adding in 3 more hangers on, that gets us to $1,200. I am assuming two ladies can share a room, which would be fiscally prudent seeing as how it isn’t their money. So FOUR people sharing TWO rooms still only gets us to $1,200 total. I’ll even assume they just stayed there an extra night to party it up on the taxpayer dime. That STILL gets us to only $1,800! Not even halfway there.
So I have to wonder: what the hell did they spend those thousands of dollars on? How many people need to go down there and get a hotel room for two nights and feast on the taxpayer dime? We’ll soon find out, as I have requested all receipts for this trip.
There is really no reason for more than one or two people to go to this nonsense and bring back all the “great ideas” that will turn Lampasas into the next Great City, right? Ideas like, maybe, spending a million dollars on a corpse repository ‘Business Park’ weed patch or maybe $1.5 million renovating a building to house a fancy City Council Chambers with a $95,000 no-bid audio system. Or even a $185,000 no-bid bathroom in a deserted park.
Big Ideas like that! Perhaps those great ideas all come from the TML Conference every year.
**Waste Connections sponsors the karaoke contest. They paid our group $5,000 last year for finishing first and $2,500 this year for placing second. Awesome, right? Of course, the City of Lampasas pays Waste Connections roughly $3,000 PER DAY (that’s well over a million dollars per year, Monica!) to collect garbage in our City…and I’m pretty sure their contract is up for renewal next spring. Sooooo….let’s just keep all of that in perspective. M’kay?
