Here’s the part that should make every Topeka taxpayer’s blood boil: Braxton Copley was the official Project Manager for the entire Hotel Topeka disaster. He quarterbacked the purchase, signed off on the $554,000 consultant contract, presented the optimistic budgets, negotiated the fire-sale to Endeavor for $1 million, and is now the Deputy City Manager pushing the new taxes to make you and me pay back the $17 million hole he helped dig. This is the same guy who got promoted from Public Works Director to Assistant/Deputy City Manager right in the middle of the mess (August 2024) – now overseeing infrastructure and development for the whole city. The exact same departments that just flushed $17 million down the drain on his watch.
He stood before the TDC board and the City Council time after time, presenting numbers, recommending next steps, and assuring everyone that it would work out. When the losses hit $1.75 million a year, he was the one explaining it. When the sale finally happened, he was the one negotiating the terms. And now? He’s the one in front of committees recommending the 2 percent CID sales tax and Transient Guest Tax hikes so the city can “reimburse itself” over decades. Translation: Braxton Copley’s bad call is now your long-term bill.
This is exactly why the government never learns and why Topeka needs to wake up. In the private sector, the quarterback who leads a $17 million loss gets fired or demoted. In City Hall, he gets a bigger title, a bigger salary, and more power over your money. Braxton Copley isn’t some low-level staffer who got overruled – he was the guy calling the plays from day one. If he can’t run a single hotel without torching taxpayer dollars, how in the world can he help run an entire city’s development and infrastructure?
Topeka, your leaders didn’t just waste $17 million. They proved the point with receipts: Cities don’t run hotels. They don’t magically create $20 million miracles. They hire consultants, build financial models, pat themselves on the back, promote the quarterback who blew it, and hand you the bill. Private businesses take the risk, chase the profits, and actually deliver.
Next time a “strategic investment” like this floats by? Do the smart thing: Check the Shawnee County deed, skip the consultant circus, and tell City Hall to stick to potholes and police. Demand accountability – starting with the guy who quarterbacked this whole mess. Your wallet just filed for bankruptcy protection – and Braxton Copley still has his job. Time to wake up, Topeka.
No comments:
Post a Comment