The Brushy Creek Saga Continues

The Marlin City Council held an information session on the subject of Brushy Creek during a specially called meeting on Jan. 7 in preparation for meeting with lawyer Brian Sledge during their monthly meeting on Jan. 14.

Mayor Carolyn Lofton introduced the session to the council by showing the numerous files that have been diligently gathered by city workers for the last few months, and immediately gave the audience a chance to speak.

“I thought that Brushy Creek was dead,” said previous councilwoman, Billy Jean Scaggs. “In 1954, McClennan County and Limestone County pulled out of Brushy Creek. And then that left nobody but Marlin and Falls County, then Falls County pulled out.”

Scaggs, who served on the Marlin City Council from 2003-2017 for Precinct 3, went on to explain that the project was once considered bankrupt, yet the city has continued to spend money on the process, the lawyers, and the general upkeep of the area.

“That’s why this city is partially in a condition that it is in,” she said. “Because what is supposed to go to help the citizens has been pushed under the table for Brushy Creek.”

Her major point was that the city continues to pay lawyers, despite the minimal visual progress seen over the years. She raised many questions to the council as to how the project has continued, including how it was pulled out of bankruptcy, where the money comes from that funds this, and why the City of Marlin has not pulled out.

“One of the reasons this became a concern was that we continue to get bills from the attorney,” Lofton said. “He never tells us what he’s doing; he just sends us a bill and expects for us to pay it.”

She went on to say that he has not been paid recently, as they are awaiting answers to questions.

For the rest of the story pick up the Jan. 15 edition of The Marlin Democrat or Read the E-Edition here