I am extremely disappointed in the Amarillo City Council and Mayor Ginger Nelson.
On Tuesday, I was between meetings and had the chance to watch a live stream of the City Council meeting on my phone. Interestingly enough, there was little attendance at the noon meeting (a time which was supposed to increase attendance). And, while the attendance was sparse on the public's side, it was even more interesting to note that Mayor Ginger Nelson was not in attendance for the meeting. Missing a meeting is understandable, except for the fact that Nelson showed up for the meeting at 7am and then walked in the door for the meeting at 1pm.
I guess Nelson couldn't be bothered to show up for public comment.
Also, during the public comment portion of the meeting, I watched City Councilman Eddy Sauer stop residents for "personal attacks," simply for asking questions to City staff. When the resident pushed back, Sauer waved his finger and called for no "personal attacks," showing complete disrespect for the citizen.
And then, we found out that the City Council has decided to stop recording public comment for the meetings. Now, when the videos of the meetings are accessed on Amarillo.gov, the meetings will be chopped up, deliberately cutting out public comment. This move turns back the recording policy that has been in place for multiple councils.
It is absolutely disgusting how the City of Amarillo and the City Council treat residents in this town. On the organizational chart for the City, "citizens" are at the top of the food chain. However, in the Council Chambers, citizens are treated like peasants.
The City Council needs to reconsider its actions and show at least a shred of intention to be transparent and treat citizens with respect. For a start, the City could reinstate the recording policy, which would allow citizens to watch the full meetings.
It's time to stop playing games and actually get back to business. Amarillo deserves better.
-Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
Council Campaigns
Photo by Eddy Sauer Campaign