Posted 6/18/2004 09:14:00 PM by Douglas

Corrupt City government at its finest. Looks like they borrowed from the "sell some land you don't own" playbook.

On May 15 last year, the city wrote developer Randy Hall a check for $250,000. The payment ensured the option to purchase 40 acres the city wanted for its Big League Dreams sports complex, and council considered the $1.25 million price tag a bargain. There was only one problem: Hall didn’t own the land.

According to deeds filed with the county clerk, Hall — technically the trustee for the Grace M. Lewis Family Trust — didn’t take title to the land until Aug. 7. That same day, Hall transferred title to the city.

Hall, grandson of the late League City patriarch, banker and political power broker Walter Hall, said he had the property under contract when the city expressed interest in buying it for Big League Dreams. “Once you contract for a piece of property you control the property,” Hall said.

Sooo, Hall didn't own the property, but he controlled it, but only after the City wanted it? Does that make any sense? Rusty, drive it home for us:

“There are three questions here,” said Councilman Rusty Tidwell. “First, why did the city front Randy Hall a quarter of a million dollars of the taxpayers’ money for land he didn’t yet own?

“Secondly, did Hall have inside information to put a contract on the land because he knew the city was going to buy it? And finally, Hall promised to sell the city those 40 acres for the same amount he paid for them, and we have no way of knowing if he did.”

And now, for the answers.

Hall said the city persuaded him to sell the land at his cost in the interest of being a good corporate citizen. Although Hall said he hesitated, he ultimately agreed, believing that the Big League Dreams project would generate business.

By Hall’s estimate, the land he sold the city for $1.25 million was worth more than twice that amount. “I took about a $1.5 million discount,” Hall said. “If they’re interested in selling the property back to me at what they paid for it, I’ll buy all they want to sell.”

I don't know what in the hell a "good corporate citizen" is, but anyone that's going to piss away $1.5 million on a land deal to the City has to have another iron in the fire. Right?