Garland Mayor Austin Brown speaks at a meeting during his term as mayor pro tem. Brown resigned Friday as mayor.
Rumors swirl over reasons for departure
GARLAND — The town’s mayor, Austin Brown announced his resignation Friday, citing family and the need to focus on his family life as the reason for his departure.
The mayor’s resignation comes as a shock to several in the community after he was elected to a second time in 2023, and many question his reason, wondering, they said, if it has anything to do with online rumors that had purportedly been spread and then taken down, along with a hostile work environment involving some of the town’s commissioners.
“I pray my departure will end the constant drama and move the dark cloud that is over our wonderful town and that our town will move forward together,” Brown said in a statement addressing his resignation. “I also pray my departure will give Garland the leader that they deserve.”
Brown, a Garland native, has served the town of Garland for the past seven years, starting as a commissioner before moving to the position of mayor pro tem and finally being elected as the mayor of Garland in 2021.
“I am sorry I have to leave, but I am proud of the accomplishments, great and small, that I have been able to achieve while in office, such as being able to get new and updated equipment for the town of Garland, and being able to get approval for a Dollar General market coming to the area in the spring, and for the $5 million water grant that will help to improve and repair the existing water plant,” Brown said. “Above all, I hope that the work that we were able to accomplish does not stop and we continue to flourish just with a new leader in charge.”
Some board members expressed understanding of Brown’s decision.
Town Commissioner Ralph Smith stated, “We are sorry to see him go, but I understand that he has a family that needs him right now, and that is what is important, though he will be sorely missed.”
Brown sent his resignation in an email to other commissioners Thursday night, before making an announcement to the public via a Facebook post.
Fellow commissioner Anthony Norris said, “He will be missed, and he was a good mayor.” Norris declined further comment.
Town residents had a little more to say when they read about Brown’s decision.
“I am shocked, and I want to know answers on why our town, which is a very small town, might I add, is always wrapped up in needless drama,” said town resident Chris Jenkins. “We can’t keep town employees, as we have been through a number of clerks, and deputy clerks in a short span of time — and now have even lost a mayor due to the constant back and forth of commissioners. What it looks like to me is bullying,
“I moved to this town because I thought it would be a small and close-knit community, but from what I have seen, it’s mainly fighting on the town commissioners board, and that does nothing to help our town,” Jenkins concluded.
Another town resident, who asked to remain anonymous, shared. “About 95 percent of the drama in this town can be avoided. It boils down to personal vendettas and attacks which has led to yet another servant of the community, whom many had high hopes for helping the town, leaving.”
That same resident said they wanted to remain anonymous due to fear of a Facebook page, which they blame, in part, for why they think the mayor resigned. “That page is a disgrace and nasty. People use the page to destroy peoples’ names and their reputations in town, and I can bet you money that is one of the many reasons Mayor Brown has decided to step down from his position.”
Shauna Harper, who served as the town clerk in the past, stated, “I can think of a few reasons why he may have left. I have my personal thoughts, and I bet a lot had to do with personal attacks being let out on Facebook and rumors that spread like wildfire throughout the town.”
“Austin is not that kind of person. Whoever spread that meant that to truly hurt his character. I never in my time knowing him have ever heard him make a remark concerning race, sex, or off branded remark concerning another member of the community or the staff of the Town of Garland,” Harper said.
When asked about the rumors, only one commissioner was willing to make a remark. Commissioner Carberry said, “I don’t believe for a single minute that those rumors are true. I fully believe that they are made up to destroy the man’s character, and that is one of the problems of people saying things online: that they are willing to hurt and destroy people for power.”