This will be Stacey Ybarra’s first go-around when it comes to an annual budget for the City of Lampasas. She was hired just this year at an $85,000 salary – which is $10,000 MORE (13%) than they were paying Mandy Walsh (who was in the position for over FIVE years).
But she sure isn’t being shy about grabbing as much cash as she can for the next fiscal year (which begins October 1st). Especially when it comes to her own benefits, self-enrichment and creature comforts [see pages 17 and 18]:
First up? Three grand for “lunches and site visits.” La de dah! luncheons and gallivanting around!
These are where she traipses around town to already-established businesses (like Oil States) and takes photos with them to show us how hard she is working.
I’m pretty sure a kick-ass company like Oil States does not need a city government bureaucrat to tell them how to run their operations or “discuss their industry needs.” I’m guessing a kick-ass company like Oil States just wants the government to stay out of their hair and leave them alone, thanks very much.
Hold a clipboard, put on some safety goggles, snap a photo…exhausting! Then it’s off to a well-deserved lunch on the taxpayer’s dime! La de da!
Fun fact: Oil States is one of the top three private-sector employers in the City. But the Chairman of the Lampasas Democratic Party (Clayton Tucker SDEC-24 TX) wants to put those 135 people out of a job because he says we need to get rid of fossil fuels entirely. There is nothing I’d love to see more than that noddle-armed retarded midget walk into a machine shop filled with burly oil guys and explain to them that they need to learn how to work on pinwheel gear boxes instead – because Bernie Sanders says so.
[Hey! I know of an “already-established business” that wanted to expand and create 200 more jobs not too long ago! It was Ajinomoto, but the City told them to go pound sand. True story!]
Next on the budget goody grab-bag? Ten thousand dollars for “travel and training.”
The first half ($5,200) is for “conferences and site selection trips.” These are the Nerf vacations I have railed against for a long time. Most recently, Ybarra travelled to Dallas to learn (for a price!) a bunch of common sense stuff I have been spewing on these pages (for free) for over 5 years now:
Nerf Job = Nerf Workshops + Nerf Travel
These have been going on FOREVER – Kathi Masonheimer wasted piles of time and money on them when SHE was in Ybarra’s position (2014 through 2017). Shit like Space.com conventions – NONE of which ever panned out:
This has happened over and over and over and over for 20 years! Zero results. But that won’t stop the new girl from doing all the same shit. Nor will it stop the LEDC idiots from paying for all the same shit – with the same results.
I believe the “site selection trips” are where she gallivants around to other states to try and drum up businesses to move into our still-empty Business Pork/Corpse Repository/Goat Pasture on south highway 183.
Back during the very profligate Toups administration, they pulled this shit a few times. Kathi Masonheimer and others got to take “business trips” to California to fuck around and “drum up interest” in the Business Pork. That was 8 years ago, and NOBODY has shown an interest yet. So you can see how well it works.
The SECOND part (OU EDI for $4,800) is Oklahoma University “economic development” classes. This is so Ybarra can get more letters after her name. As a reminder though, Mandy Walsh had WAY MORE letters after her name than Ybarra, yet Ybarra was hired (with no ED experience) at a 15% HIGHER salary than Mandy was!
THAT is Finley math! Then Ybarra can leverage those letters after her name into a NEW higher-paying job someday with an even more clueless City manager somewhere.
Last on the list is the literal “FREE MONEY” (‘grants’) that Ybarra gets to hand out like Santa Claus to worthy businesses. It is called “life safety” because it is supposed to offset the ridiculous expenses for “saftey equipment” the City of Lampasas Code Ordinances place on anyone trying to start something up.
As in, one department of the City says “hey, that’s an awful nice venue you have going there. Sorry to say, you need to install $40,000 worth of sprinklers or you can’t open your doors.”
Then Ybarra comes along from ANOTHER City department and says “hey, here is $20,000 in taxpayer dollars to help you out. Oh, don’t worry…we have plenty more! It grows on a tree at Finley’s house!” which I’m SURE the existing businesses (and competitors) really love.
They actually gave a $20,000 “grant” (free money) to James Mercer for his Heritage Funeral Home two years ago. That would be the same James Mercer who (1) just had a few businesses go tits-up recently because (2) the state shut down his adoption place because of some kind of shenanigans (I don’t know what shenanigans because he refused to talk to the Dispatch when they called him for comment) and who (3) hobnobs with Hollywood douchebags and drives fancy cars.
You know – a guy who really needs it and can be trusted not to fuck it all up. Don’t worry, though. That $20k of your taxes was greatly appreciated!
I know they also gave a few grand to The Doghouse (now defunct!) for fire extinguishers, a knox box and emergency signage and lights.
So, money well spent all around town. No doubt the NEXT $25,000 she wants will be spent just as wisely.
