Wrong Deals, Bad Math and $6.7 Million Still Untraced: What Happened at Elgin City Council Meeting Last Night

Wrong Agreements, Conflicting Dates and a Watchdog: Council Stops the Triada Vote.

The Elgin City Council tabled the Triada Strategic Partnership Agreement Tuesday night after the agenda packet sent Council and the public through records tied to three different developments.

The packet included a Strategic Partnership Agreement for Harvest Ridge and Altessa Municipal Utility District instead of the correct Triada agreement. The executive summary also listed a May 2025 approval date. Following that date led to a Council packet involving Lund Farm Municipal Utility District, not Triada.

The actual Triada Strategic Partnership Agreement was later found in the original 2024 meeting packet, where Council authorized Mayor Theresa McShan to sign it.

After three days of reviewing records and bringing the errors directly to council members, the item was discussed in executive session. Council then voted to table it until the correct information could be provided. It is expected to return on August 18, 2026.

Triada Strategic Partnership Agreement

The problems began with documents that did not match.

The executive summary said the Triada Strategic Partnership Agreement was approved in May 2025. Other City records showed Council authorized the mayor to sign it in May 2024.

The current packet also included an agreement for Harvest Ridge and Altessa Municipal Utility District rather than Triada. When I followed the May 2025 date listed by staff, I found records involving Lund Farm Municipal Utility District. In other words, one agenda item led through three different developments: Triada, Harvest Ridge and Lund Farm.

I eventually located the correct Triada agreement in the original 2024 Council packet. It stated that Elgin would provide police and library services after limited-purpose annexation. It also required another agreement explaining those services and how Triada would pay the City’s costs.

That separate service and payment agreement was not included in the current packet.

The Triada agreement also said amendments must be approved in writing by both the City of Elgin and Triada Municipal Utility District. That became important when council members told me the police and library language might be removed shortly before the vote.

I contacted council members and placed the correct documents and concerns in their hands. Council later went into executive session to discuss the Triada deal and the lack of clear information given to Council and the public.

When members returned, they voted to table the item.

That was the right decision. A 40-year agreement should not be approved using conflicting dates, records from other developments and possible last-minute changes.

Before August 18, the City should post the correct Triada agreement, explain the approval history and provide any amendments approved by both parties.

Tax Rate Ceiling

Council also voted to set the proposed property tax ceiling at $0.719777 per $100 of value.

Council Member Roland Silva asked how much that rate would increase taxes over last year’s adopted rate of $0.619296.

Interim Finance Director Pam Sanders repeatedly said the increase was 9 cents.

The math shows otherwise.

The difference is $0.100481 per $100 of value. That is an increase of just over 10 cents, not 9 cents.

Sanders said the higher ceiling was needed to cover staff requests presented to Council. Before asking residents to pay more, the City should correctly state the increase and explain which requests are included in the proposed rate.

The ceiling is not the final tax rate, but Council can now consider adopting a rate as high as $0.719777.

City Manager and Finance Director

Council also went into executive session to discuss the duties of the City Manager.

Since June, the City Manager has repeatedly said the City was close to hiring a new finance director. The possible hire has been mentioned at several meetings, but no finance director has been publicly named or hired.

Council took no public action after the closed-door discussion, so citizens do not know what direction was given.

My hope is that Council required the City Manager to complete the hiring process or explain why the position remains open. Elgin’s financial problems are too serious for the City to continue operating without a permanent finance director while residents are repeatedly told a hire is almost complete.

Texas Rangers Investigation and the Missing $6.7 Million Trail

Council also received a closed-door update on the Texas Rangers investigation.

When members returned to open session, they took no action and provided no public update. Some information may be protected during an active investigation, but citizens were given no general statement about its status.

According to records I received from the Elgin City Attorney, documents connected to $6.7 million are being withheld because they relate to the Texas Rangers investigation.

The City has still not provided records showing that the money was traced before it was moved from the LOGIC investment account into the General Fund and cash reserves.

That tracing matters because City officials previously said the money should not be used until its source and purpose were confirmed.

Despite repeated efforts to get council members to place the issue on an agenda, it has not been scheduled for public discussion. Council has not publicly explained where the money came from, whether any part was restricted, who approved the transfers or why it was moved before the tracing was completed.

Tuesday’s meeting showed that Council can stop a vote when serious problems reach the dais. The same concern should be shown for the tax rate, the vacant finance director position and the unanswered questions surrounding the $6.7 million.

Until those matters are placed on an agenda and discussed in public, financial transparency remains a low priority for the mayor, Council and the City of Elgin.