Rusk receives first of 10 KOA payments

Walter Preble, owner and operator of the Rusk KOA campground, made a payment of $22,500 Dec. 28 to the City of Rusk. The payment was the first of 10 scheduled to be made annually to the city.

The Rusk City Council approved the sale of the KOA campground located on FM 343 (Atoy Highway) for $225,000 to Mr. Preble Aug. 3, 2006.

The sale ended the city's role at the campsite. The city had been involved in construction of the campsite since 2004 during the tenure of then Mayor Charles Horton.

On Sept. 10, 2006, 73 percent of those voting in a city election instructed the city council to sell the KOA campground. Whether to spend upwards of $1 million to develop the campsite was a divisive and controversial issue for Rusk citizens.

Up to the time of the sale the city had spent almost $600,000. Of that amount, $488,000 came from timber sales placed in a recreational fund and another $100,000 was borrowed from other city funds.

Construction estimates to complete the facility was to range from $500,000 to $750,000.

In the beginning the city council was told construction cost of the facility would be approximately $275,000.

When he bid on the facility Mr. Preble told the city council that he was committed to make the campsite work. His first payment came several days prior to the due date on Jan. 1.

Sixteen years before their arrival in Rusk Mr. Preble and his wife, Carol, purchased a campground in Ohio. Although approximately 78 percent of the people in the area receive welfare, after 12 years the park was ranked number one campground in America.