Brownwood, TX
The GCA continues to this day to invest 1/3 of every plot sale into a perpetual care fund.
“MATTIE COGGIN (Modie J. and Samuel R.) Mattie Coggln bequeathed $5,000 to the Greenleaf Cemetery in 1915. This was the beginning of the perpetual care fund.”
The Brownwood City Council is set to discuss the fate of Brownwood’s Historic Greenleaf Cemetery during a closed executive session at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Greenleaf Cemetery Association Board President Steve Harris sent a formal budget request in May of 2023 for this fiscal year for $243,000 and requested to be on the agenda with an Emergency request for funding during Tuesday’s meeting.
The GCA has acknowledged being in ongoing dire financial straights due to the Fulton-Mercer Heritage Davis-Morris Chapel bankruptcy, the bankruptcy of Banker’s Life Insurance company which holds a substantial perpetual care annuity, huge drop off in plot sales and burials, and lack of over $20,000 in court ordered (2018) restitution by Tisha Pruett, former Officer Manager of the cemetery office.
While the City of Brownwood has provided some in kind services, moved a house to the cemetery to be used as an office and helped with some equipment costs, dead tree removal, new street signs, etc. they only budget $11,000 annually to the cemetery for operations as was the case for 2023-24 fiscal year.
The GCA, has again requested an annual budget more in line with the city charter, or to roll the cemetery into the city’s parks department for maintenance and operation.
Harris has said that the clock is ticking for Greenleaf Cemetery Association, with the GCA saying, due to the ongoing budget crisis, they are prepared to hand over the day-to-day operations of the cemetery to the City unless adequate funding w/annual oversight & auditing is provided.
Any action deemed necessary as a result of executive session, will be taken in open session following executive session.
