Unfortunately, in the wrong segments, local control turns into loco control.

But, we can't give up local control because of examples like this, which is the alternative.

LOYAL AG said:

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Mas89 said:

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Driving thru on the highway, Elgin has Huge new developments of small starter homes. Like 1,500 ft small so it's probably the cheapest area within driving distance of Austin. Traffic during commute times and Sunday afternoon sucks. In cities, the city manager and finance director can Fleece the taxpayer, just like a Superintendent can a school district IF nobody is watching.
They find ways thru contracts with friends/ relatives they can trust. Hvac companies, pest control, maintenance, unneeded employees, missing or undelivered supplies, fuel, etc. They can literally spend the day thinking up ways to defraud the entity they work for. And many things and services are pretty untraceable unless someone tells.

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Ok but everything you described is traceable. I can tie the disbursements back to purchase orders or other supporting documents. Missing suggests there's no support for what was spent.

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Example: the purchase order you have says all the grass in public areas was cut on December 12th, 2024 by company XYZ who received the funds for that work. Now, trace that it was or was not done.

Yeah similar situation a few years back at Beaumont ISD. Federal investigation. They had numerous people on the payroll for Years that never worked or only for a very short initial time. This was proven.
But so many other Services and Supplies were untraceable years later when investigated.
1. Hvac service and parts- try proving those companies didn't earn the millions in payments years later.
2. Pest Control. Try proving the service wasn't needed or done years later- millions
3. Items purchased and given away for use elsewhere.
But you are correct, if it's cash missing that can be traced. But these people are usually smarter than that and find ways to get cash back from these contractors making millions on phony goods and services.
Google Beaumont isd federal investigation. I had a friend involved in the investigation and heard the stories about all the things that were definitely fraud but couldn't be prosecuted due to not enough evidence.

Just wait until the construction on US 290 starts. Just finished the Aerial survey part of the job. If you think its a bottleneck now......

Over_ed said:

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Unfortunately, in the wrong segments, local control turns into loco control.

But, we can't give up local control because of examples like this, which is the alternative.

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Municipalities are a creation of state government. If local is irreplaceable broke, the state can and should take it over.

If Dr. Graham were still alive, he'd open up a can on these folks.

Mas89 said:

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Yeah similar situation a few years back at Beaumont ISD. Federal investigation. They had numerous people on the payroll for Years that never worked or only for a very short initial time. This was proven.
But so many other Services and Supplies were untraceable years later when investigated.
1. Hvac service and parts- try proving those companies didn't earn the millions in payments years later.
2. Pest Control. Try proving the service wasn't needed or done years later- millions
3. Items purchased and given away for use elsewhere.
But you are correct, if it's cash missing that can be traced. But these people are usually smarter than that and find ways to get cash back from these contractors making millions on phony goods and services.
Google Beaumont isd federal investigation. I had a friend involved in the investigation and heard the stories about all the things that were definitely fraud but couldn't be prosecuted due to not enough evidence.

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Ok but none of that fits the definition of "missing". Maybe I'm focusing too hard on that word.

I drive through Elgin and manor twice a day 5 days a week on my work commute. The town is outgrowing its infrastructure at warp speed and TxDOT has totally f'ed the highway 290 corridor hard. Main highway between state capitol and largest city and the've done Jack **** in a decade to upgrade it. They just keep adding more traffic lights. Traffic is a freaking disaster every day in both towns now and it is way too late to start major construction without causing massive worsening for years.

As to Elgin theft, the small town is growing up and stealing brazenly while the government is still too small and local to implement effective controls. Go to the elgin Walmart and you will see the demographics that are electing local government and it is a tiny version of east Austin now.

SA68AG said:

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All of these towns have audited financial statements.

The public should demand that the auditors attend a public meeting to give their report and answer questions regarding the missing money.

If the current audit firm can't do that, they need to be fired and replaced by a firm with forensic accounting experience.

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The DA should open an investigation into this. However, I assume Elgin is in Travis County, and that office has forgotten how to investigate and prosecute crimes.
Another example of weak prosecution not working for the citizens.

Bastrop county. Still blue but just barely as it is the welfare side of Austin.

The DA in Bastrop County does an OK job and has at least one really good prosecutor working for him.

So there's a chance.

Yep, it is tedious investigative work and takes lots of trial preparation but it can certainly be done.

Waiting on a Natty said:

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Yep, it is tedious investigative work and takes lots of trial preparation but it can certainly be done.

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My instincts are saying fictitious payee scheme. Created one or more vendors to hide the embezzlement as normal bill paying. Could even be fictitious employees on payroll from a contractor.

Wouldn't take that long to find out how.

You are probably right about the scheme. Easy to set up and can work for a long period of time until it doesn't. Usually comes tumbling down when thief begins spending too much $$$ and buying stuff.

In my day the FBI would come in and investigate these cases since the perpetrator was a public official. Sometimes the Texas Rangers also but FBI does a much better job on these cases.

Waiting on a Natty said:

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You are probably right about the scheme. Easy to set up and can work for a long period of time until it doesn't. Usually comes tumbling down when thief begins spending too much $$$ and buying stuff.

In my day the FBI would come in and investigate these cases since the perpetrator was a public official. Sometimes the Texas Rangers also but FBI does a much better job on these cases.

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FBI is who I worked with more often because there was some amount of bank and IRS fraud involved as well.

Also my late brother was a bank VP and he worked with the FBI quite a few times back in the day. Just one white collar crime Special Agent could probably figure it out pretty dang quick.

It wasn't me, anyways

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The mayor's reasoning for not continuing the investigation is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard from an elected official. I guarantee you they can figure out exactly what happened, and from her comments I would say the investigation needs to start with the mayor.

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And if the perpetrators "have moved on" pretty sure the FBI can find them.

"The best that we could possibly do at the time" includes allowing $10MM to be lost or stolen? Your best isn't very good. And I suspect the Attorney General will be interested in where $10 MM went, even if the DA decides it best to just move on since "you can't get anywhere going backwards."

Clown. This is one of a zillion reasons government sucks. Now imagine how bad the fraud is on a national scale with women like this holding lots of important positions in government.

Juan Lee Pettimore said:

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Why is EVERY liberal, black elected official corrupt. I mean, literally every single one.

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These statistics are mind blowing alright. Hard to explain other than this is their version of reparations.

The one I tried to a jury was a black city council woman. She brought in 3 NAACP lawyers from the city. That trial was a very long 2 weeks having to prove the case AND fight the race card at the same time.

Waiting on a Natty said:

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Juan Lee Pettimore said:

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Why is EVERY liberal, black elected official corrupt. I mean, literally every single one.

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These statistics are mind blowing alright. Hard to explain other than this is their version of reparations.

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This lady is a lifelong resident of Elgin and the choir director at her local Baptist church.

This would really be a black eye for the little town.

The case I tried that I referenced above, she was very prominent in the back community also. But right is right and wrong is wrong. I also sent a very popular sheriff to prison.

Often times doing the right thing is hard. But it's still right.