(9-10-19) The Celina City Council passed an ordinance last night authorizing the Law Director George Moore to begin litigation against First Financial Bank to request the Bryson Trust be merged into a public charity and the trust be terminated.
The Agenda sent to media sources did not include this ordinance under New Business.
City officials are unable to comment on this pending litigation.
Presently the Bryson Estate has been the ‘sugar daddy’ for the new Bryson Park District that is presently being developed. The city has used the estate to spend millions of dollars with land purchases and upgrades for the park.
In an Outlook story from July of 2017 (Concerns Facing The Development of the Bryson Park District)
With the current set-up with the Bryson Estate, which includes the Mercer County Probate Court, the City has only 1/3rd in the final say of what takes place in the park district. Some Council members have concerns about that arrangement for the future.
Complete ordinance that was passed last night:
Mercer County Outlook 
It appears when you can’t get what you want to spend on how you want and when and where you want, you take them to court and sue them to take over ownership. The Celina Mayor and City officials can spin this however they want but this is simply an overreach by them to create their own slush fund with little to no oversight. If you believe this is in line with the best interests of Ed. L. Bryson and follows his wishes of how the trust he established was to be used, then there’s a bridge in San Francisco for sale. The Celina Mayor and City officials’ lack of comment speaks volumes. No wonder the agenda sent to media sources did not include this ordinance under New Business and the fact they declared an “emergency” to suspend three readings is even more egregious. This Celina mayor and City officials have been very opened in the past in regards to complaining about how they cannot spend money from the trust fund on how they set fit. I mean come on; you receive millions from a trust fund then openly complain that you have little to no control over how that money is spent. Nothing stopped them from using money from their general funds account or any other city owned account but then they would have to answer to their constituents about allocating money to something that is not really a necessity; unless you own a coffee shop in the soon-to-be new park district. Here’s a newsflash for them, if they truly believe Celina needed a new park district and everything else they want to spend this trust fund on and don’t want the accountability that goes with receiving money from this trust fund, then why not run for re-election on raising taxes on their constituents rather than rely on someone else’s generosity. Tell their constituents this is really important and they should be happy to pay more in taxes and see how their re-election bids go. Celina, you elected these clowns and put them in office so you deserve the government you get. However, past mistakes like this can be remedied and is what the next election should be about; holding them accountable!
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