Residents and commissioners spent substantial time at the December meeting questioning the countyrole in a recent water and sewer grant and whether local suppliers were given fair notice and opportunity to apply.

Miss Clark told the court she could not find the grant record on the Texas Water Development Board site and questioned why a Harrison County-based Carlton Water Supply Corporation appeared to be the beneficiary. She said the county appeared to be "taking more than half of this grant money" for a project that would build a wastewater line "to accommodate a $4,400,000,000 Texas company," and urged commissioners to prioritize existing local infrastructure needs such as water tanks and pipe repairs over expansions that primarily benefit new commercial development.

County staff responded that the last similar grant the county assisted with involved the Carlton Water Supply Corporation, which "serves portions of the Southern part of Marion County," and that the county's role was to facilitate the application: "All we did was apply for for the grant, and we received the grant, and we facilitated the grant for the Water Supply Corporation." Staff said they did not provide project funding directly and were not aware of other local suppliers having the resources or organizational structures required to apply for that particular funding.

The county judge said no decision had been made on how to use the recent water grant and that the court was still reviewing options. The transcript records questions from residents about outreach and equitable access to grant funds, staff explanations of the county's facilitation role, and a request by residents that the commission consider local infrastructure priorities before approving projects that serve large developers.

The court took no formal action on item 9 at the meeting; commissioners did not record a final decision on allocation or next steps in the transcript. Residents asked the court to provide clearer documentation of the grant application and to ensure local suppliers have notice and opportunity to participate in future grant processes.