AUSTIN – Yesterday, the Marlin, Texas, City Council unanimously passed an ordinance creating the Marlin Community Initiative, a program crafted with the help of the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Center for Local Governance and Center for Effective Justice.
The Marlin Community Initiative is an innovative effort to save taxpayer money by allowing a mix of individuals serving community service hours for probation and community volunteers to clean up city streets and sidewalks. Once underway, the program will operate once per week to remove litter and debris from city streets and sidewalks, as well as to mow public areas.
“This groundbreaking program makes Marlin a leader among Texas cities in fostering community engagement to fill an important local need,” said Jess Fields, Senior Policy Analyst with the Center for Local Governance. “Through this city-led community cleanup effort, the City of Marlin is taking significant steps to improve the quality of life of all Marlin residents, while also being shrewd stewards of their tax dollars. Marlin may have taken the lead on this, but they shouldn’t be the only one. Cities across the state could benefit by bringing together probationers and volunteers for the betterment of their communities.”
“Marlin is a city with great potential: natural beauty, kind and caring residents, and a rich history,” said Derek Cohen, Policy Analyst in the Center for Effective Justice. “This program has the potential not only to beautify Marlin but to bolster public safety, as well. The Marlin Community Initiative provides probationers the chance to contribute firsthand to the city’s revitalization.”
Jess Fields is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Center for Local Governance with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin.
Derek Cohen is a Policy Analyst with the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin.
Primary website: www.TexasPolicy.com
Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/TexasPublicPolicyFoundation
Twitter feed: www.Twitter.com/TPPF