Voters will soon head to the polls to determine who will lead our City for the next two years. The election for the City Council is set for May 1; early voting will start on April 19. As we head into that election, Amarillo Matters is proud to officially endorse Mayor Ginger Nelson and Councilmembers Freda Powell, Eddy Sauer, and Howard Smith for reelection. Let’s take a look at a few key issues and how the Council’s leadership has made a positive impact on the community.
When it comes to COVID, Amarillo continues to lead the way in vaccine distribution, developing a system that has served as a model for cities across the state. The system even caught the attention of Governor Greg Abbott who Tweeted that Amarillo’s distribution process was "...a great model to ensure vaccines are provided as quickly as possible."
Our community is seeing unprecedented economic growth despite the pandemic. A recent headline from NewsChannel10 noted that we're seeing the most economic development activity in 30 years. Amazon recently picked Amarillo as the home for a new one-million-square-foot warehouse, bringing with it 500 jobs, all of which will have benefits. There are media reports that additional economic announcements could happen soon.
Construction of the Texas Tech School of Veterinary Medicine continues, with classes scheduled to begin this fall. It's estimated the school will have an annual economic impact of some $76 million. It will also open the doors to more economic opportunities that just weren't possible without the school.
A recent headline from KAMR noted that our city had not seen the same increase in crime as other communities. The current council has always been supporters of the police department and continues to make needed investments in the department so that the officers can continue to keep us safe.
And despite what is being stated on area blogs, Amarillo continues to be home to one of the state's lowest property tax rates.
None of these things happened by accident. It's all thanks to our City's strong, steady, and thoughtful leadership, and that begins with the City Council. We are grateful to the Mayor and Councilmembers for their service and dedication to the community and hope you'll join us in casting a vote for them on May 1.
A quick note on Place One, which is an open seat. Amarillo Matters recently sat down with all three candidates in that race: Gunny Brown, Jason Tillery, and Cole Stanley. We enjoyed our time with each of them and found them all passionate about our city. At this time, we're not making a formal endorsement in that race. We are thankful to all three of the candidates for stepping up to run and for their desire to work for Amarillo's betterment.
