I’m hearing some similar-sounding economic rumblings from two places: Amarillo, Texas and Oklahoma City. An acquaintance of mine, Jason Herrick, active in Amarillo Matters, a pro-business political action group, writes this via Twitter: You mean the same OKC that first built a downtown ballpark, then attracted a minor league team and kicked off a revitalization … Continue reading Amarillo channeling OKC?
A retired college administrator manages routinely to put pressing public matters into their proper perspective. Take it away, former Amarillo College President Paul Matney. Matney is an avid supporter of the downtown Amarillo ballpark/multipurpose event venue. He spoke eloquently and passionately about it leading up to the November 2015 non-binding referendum in which voters approved … Continue reading Amarillo has a ‘walking problem’
Amarillo voters have made a bit of history at the ballot box. They have elected a female-majority City Council; that shouldn’t be a big deal, although I do recall there was a good bit of media and community chatter when Debra McCartt became the city’s first female mayor. They also have booted out two incumbents, meaning … Continue reading Voters clean house at Amarillo City Hall
This next weekend is going to produce a new Amarillo City Council majority, with at least three new members joining the five-member municipal governing panel. However, in the run-up to this election I’ve been detecting a whiff of something about this campaign that sets it apart from recent municipal campaigns. It’s the presence of a … Continue reading Amarillo election produces some push back
I want to make something akin to a campaign endorsement, which isn’t the style of this blog — but I do believe the time is appropriate. The Amarillo City Council is staging an election on May 6. Under the city charter, all five seats are on the ballot. All council members run at-large; they all … Continue reading Amarillo is poised to regain its leadership footing
Meanwhile, back home on the High Plains … While much of the rest of the nation is swirling over news about Russia and other things related to the new president, a political action committee formed to push the interests of the Texas Panhandle has kicked into gear. Amarillo Matters has decided to pressure the Texas … Continue reading PAC weighs in on possible vet school for Amarillo
It’s official. Lubbock’s municipal management leadership team is whole again, while Amarillo’s team has taken a header into the crapper. Jarrett Atkinson — the former Amarillo city manager — is taking the helm as Lubbock city manager. The Lubbock City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to offer Atkinson the job. He’ll take it and he’ll … Continue reading Atkinson lands on his feet; Amarillo still on the deck
I thought for an instant — that’s all it was — that I was hallucinating. The headline on the front page of the Amarillo Globe-News said something about Lubbock making a bid to land a Double A baseball team: the San Antonio Missions. They did pull plans to build a stadium, but then they might … Continue reading Amarillo’s baseball quest has gotten complicated
Where does the time go? A year has passed since the Amarillo municipal election occurred that seated three new City Council members. It’s worth noting this month as the first anniversary, given that the final new guy — Mark Nair — had to win his seat in a runoff that occurred more than a month … Continue reading Time flies at Amarillo City Hall
Forgive the wet blanket I’m about to toss over some of the celebrations around Amarillo. I cannot let this go. The citywide referendum Tuesday that resulted in voters’ approval of a multipurpose event venue/ballpark was a positive step for the city. I’ve heard some mild crowing, though, from those who are extolling the turnout. And … Continue reading Turnout good for Amarillo … but it’s still poor