The latest jab was thrown from Sheffield’s downtown Temple campaign headquarters when the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility denounced Tyroch for lavish spending on “junkets,” which included billing taxpayers “for a meal at a posh D.C. restaurant that cost more than $1,000, including $300 in alcohol.”
According to a February 2006 receipt from Tuscana West, a Washington, D.C., restaurant, Tyroch was reimbursed $1,006 for a meal, which included $270 in open wine.
Michael Sullivan, president of the political action committee that called the press conference, told reporters and Sheffield supporters that Tyroch has a “disturbing pattern of charging taxpayers for luxury accommodations and lavish dinners.”
“The taxpayers are being asked to pick up the tab for Martha Tyroch’s happy hours,” Sullivan said. “That’s the attitude that Martha Tyroch takes with the taxpayer money. It’s for her enjoyment, her pleasure.”
In a statement issued by her campaign manager, Ms. Tyroch said Sheffield was desperate and distorting her record.
“I put a lot of time into my position on the city council and worked hard for the people of this community. All my travel was approved by the city and most of it was booked by the city. I was a very active council member who spent a great deal of time and energy working on behalf of the city and I have results to show for it,” Ms. Tyroch said in an e-mail. “From 2004 to 2007 the Temple tax base increased from $3.28 billion to $3.90 billion in total market value - a $618 million increase in just four years.”
The receipts provided by Sullivan are dated during Ms. Tyroch’s seven-year tenure on the Temple city council.
Sullivan compared Tyroch’s spending with Mayor Bill Jones III, council members Russell Schneider, Patsy Luna and Tony Jeter. Sullivan said for the same time period, Tyroch submitted expenses for $9,267.40, compared to expenses of $1,137.82 for the mayor and three other council members combined.
Sullivan’s information pointed out that Ms. Tyroch stayed in a suite at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., for a cost of more than $450 per night when the list of hotels recommended to attendees of the conference started at $145 per night.
Tyroch campaign manager Steven Schar said the city booked the suite for Ms. Tyroch one week before the conference and the lower-priced Hilton, where another council member was staying, was already booked full.
A copy of the hotel registration request on the empowertexans.com site showed the Mayflower was Tyroch’s No. 1 hotel choice at a cost of $206 for a double room and the Hilton was a second choice for $219 for a double. The request was recorded as being faxed Feb. 4, 2005, more than a month before the March 11, 2005, arrival date.
This isn’t the first time Sullivan has criticized Ms. Tyroch. About two weeks ago, he said the Tyroch campaign stifled free speech because they moved to have a campaign video that Sullivan digitally altered taken off the YouTube Web site. Sullivan said it was a spoof and Ms. Tyroch didn’t have a sense of humor.
Both candidates have steadily turned up the thermostat since the March 4 primary. A Tyroch mailer says Sheffield “will say anything to get elected.” A link on Sheffield’s Web site says “My opponent has been running a negative campaign based on twisted truths.”
Tyroch’s statement also charged Sheffield with “habitually failing to pay taxes.”
“It is ironic that a man who was sued three times for not paying taxes for over 16 years by the Bell County Appraisal District is now anointing himself as the taxpayer watchdog,” Tyroch said.
The winner of the April 8 runoff election will face Democrat Sam Murphey in the November general election.
