Residents demand answers on Thorn Tree golf club deal, allege preapproval LLC

Residents raised allegations of a prearranged private partnership tied to the city's purchase of Thorn Tree Golf Club during public comments at the City of DeSoto council meeting. Terrence Gore, a DeSoto resident, said documents show a company agreement forming Dorrentree Golf Club Venture LLC was drafted on or about June 5 and that the city manager executed an agreement on June 28, before the city's deed was filed on July 1 "and before the public vote." Gore said the documents left the city with a one-third ownership stake while private developers held about two-thirds.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the documents as a potential dilution of public equity in a city-owned property and said the sequence of events raises transparency concerns about who authorized contractual steps before council action.

Gore told the council, "This deal, negotiated entirely behind closed doors...was made before the public vote, before the purchase, and before the transparent discussion with the residents who funded this acquisition." He urged the city to explain "who authorized the city manager to structure and execute a deal before council approval" and why council or the county was not fully informed of the LLC.

Resident Gary Ravenell, who had earlier raised concerns about turnover and budget matters, said he expected more information about the Thorn Tree transaction to come forward. No staff presentation or formal response resolving the alleged timeline was recorded during the meeting.

Council action and staff response: No formal council action on the Thorn Tree acquisition was recorded at the meeting. The matter was raised during the citizen comment period; the transcript shows council members acknowledged the request for more information but no vote or directive to staff to produce a written report is recorded in the meeting minutes presented.

What speakers asked for: Gore demanded public accounting of who authorized pre-closing deal steps, disclosure of the LLC's membership and interests, and an explanation of why the city's apparent equity was reduced in the documents he described as executed before the deed was filed.

Next steps recorded at the meeting: The transcript does not record a formal follow-up timeline or any staff report scheduled on the Thorn Tree documents during this session. Council members did not make a recorded motion related to the allegations during the meeting.

Ending: Speakers at the meeting asked the council to address the documents publicly and to explain the legal and procedural sequence that led to the city's interest in the property. The council did not announce a date for a staff report or formal inquiry in the meeting record.