The school board in its hasty, and unprecedented, refusal to honor a legal and binding bid on the proposed park site has perpetrated what amounts to a slap in the face to both young and old of the Wortham community.

The parks board consisting of Shirley Libhart, Joe Butcher, Mary Meyers, Norris Buchmeyer and Don Allen offer this as a documented record of what in our view is a travesty of justice against the citizens of Wortham.

We presently have in excess of $152,000 ready to put into the park, with additional donations earmarked that would provide a facility that this community deserves and has a right to expect.

If the school board had honored our bid and sold us the land, Sheila Fautt, EDC Coordinator, and I would have immediately had a conference call with TPWD (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) which is in charge of the grant. They then tell us how to proceed and we are required to report to them quarterly as to our progress.

Because of the board’s previous vote which, in my opinion, smacked of a predetermined decision we are almost back to square one.

We have money, but must have a piece of land with clear title that will be approved by the TPWD and Historical Commission. The legal process dictates that the Historical Commission has the final word on any park we build.

Your unprecedented decision puts us in a position of finding suitable land, have it surveyed and appraised (another costly, time consuming effort. In addition, we need a history of said land drawn up, new plans and a new grant submitted to TPWD.

We could have broken ground this summer, but the school board’s action forces the City of Wortham to be denied the amenities of a park until sometime in the future.
Thank you,
Mary Meyers, President
Wortham Park Project
Committee