Watching Amarillo's new City Council provides some insight into how the next two years could go.
Last night, the City Council unanimously approved two council members for appointment to the Local Government Corporation. This makes sense, but what does not make sense is the fact that the council chose an executive session to make that decision.
Following the precedent of the previous council, the council should have made a decision as a unit in front of the citizens. This is also the process taken by the AISD Board of Trustees. When the Board of Trustees sought an appointee for the new TIRZ board, John Betancourt volunteered for the position during the meeting and not during an executive session.
Even if there were no ill intentions by the current council in this selection process, this action completely contradicts Mayor Ginger Nelson's campaign promise of "communication and participation." Since the previous Council received scrutiny for its actions in executive session, this current council must be also be held accountable by the same standards.
The Council also discussed putting a formal action together regarding public comment for a later meeting. Let's hope there is not more regulation placed on the comment period. If so, the council will be cutting into its campaign promises yet again.
The City Council needs to remember what it said in May when making decisions these next two years. If the Council follows its current course, the people of Amarillo need to begin asking if the council sold voters a false bill of goods.
-Thomas Warren III, Editor-In-Chief
