Amarillo is currently experiencing a real void in leadership.
As we have reported, the City of Amarillo filed a lawsuit against the owner of the property that was one time the home of the Christ Church Camp of New Beginnings. At the same time, James Allen, Amarillo's community development director resigned and protests continue to be waged daily in front of Amarillo City Hall regarding the City Council's inaction on issues dealing with homelessness.
Where are Mayor Nelson and the City Council during all of this? Nowhere to be found.
On Thursday, Mayor Nelson and Councilmember Howard Smith attended a luncheon put on by the League of Women Voters where there was no real comment on the homeless situation in Amarillo and thus far, the City Council has not seemed eager to address the situation.
Now is the time for leadership and Amarillo really is not getting it. When Allen resigned, we have not heard a peep from any members of the City Council on his tenure or what their plans are now for dealing with community development. Even former Amarillo City Councilman Randy Burkett wished Allen the "best of luck" on social media. Where were Nelson and the current Council? Nowhere to be found.
The City Council needs to start providing leadership and answering questions on what their goals are for dealing with this real situation. At election time, voters heard very little from the now-incumbents over what their plans were for dealing with this situation and perhaps, now, we know why.
This is not the time for a void in leadership. This City Council needs to saddle up and figure out a real solution to this problem instead of playing politics and hoping that will be enough to correct this situation.
-Thomas Warren III, Editor-In-Chief
