Elaine Hays (Incumbent)
Occupation: Private Wealth Manager
Do you support repairing or rebuilding the Thompson Park pool, and if so, how do you plan to pay for the project? If not, why?
“Based on structural review of Thompson Park pool, the current above ground pool cannot be repaired. The neighborhoods most impacted by closing Thompson Park pool need to be the key drivers of whether to rebuild a new pool or replace it with a different outdoor, water-related facility. All options for how to pay for the project need to be considered, including the possibility of a public/private partnership for raising funds. Currently, there is a movement by citizens to consider options and I plan to be involved.”
What should the future be for the Civic Center complex?
“Our current Civic Center has served us well for 50 years but is not adequate to move us forward in the future. If we as a community want to compete for new trade shows and entertainment opportunities (as well as keeping current users), we must address the inadequacies of our current facility. City Council has appointed an independent, five members executive committee to meet with current users as well as evaluate requirements by new organizers we would like to attract. This process will identify the scope of an appropriate expansion. As one of the Council representatives to this committee, I have attended several days of meetings to gather information and discuss possible opportunities. As more information is gathered, additional community input will be requested and required before moving forward with a design plan that would eventually be presented to voters for approval.”
What should the City of Amarillo's role be in preventing homelessness in Amarillo? How do you plan to implement that role?
“We as a community can address how we want to respond to homelessness, but the city cannot prevent homelessness, any more than we can prevent mental illness or alcoholism. We currently have over 30 organizations that provide services for our sheltered and unsheltered homeless community. The city works with these organizations to provide guidelines to address public health and safety issues for them and the rest of our citizens. The city recently implemented the Coming Home program which provides vouchers for housing chronically homeless individuals. The program requires participants to be accountable and provides ongoing supportive care to help with their transition to housing in hopes of a permanent solution. This is a new program but I am very encouraged at the prospect of meeting numerous objectives that we have been unable to achieve through other programs.”
In what cases would you support the issue of certificates of obligation to incur debt for municipal projects? Please explain.
“I would only support certificates of obligation to incur debt for the sole use of improvements to infrastructure. The city currently holds too much debt than it can afford and further debt should only be incurred for projects that will absolutely benefit the residents of Amarillo.”
In 2018, the Amarillo City Council voted to add more red light cameras to Amarillo streets. At a time when Governor Abbott is pledging to ban the use of the cameras in the state, do you believe this contract was a wise investment? Why or why not?
“Adding additional red-light cameras in the city did not require any upfront investment. Fees collected from violations are shared with the operator and the state, and any remaining collections are strictly required to be spent on traffic safety. If the state determines that red light cameras are unconstitutional, the city would implement the exit clause provided in our contract, which simply requires notice.”
Would you support the establishment of single-member districts for Amarillo City Council elections? Please explain.
“Prior to our current at-large election process, Amarillo had a ‘ward’ system, which was a form of single-member districts. Amarillo was one of the first cities to pioneer a change due to the issues related to single-member districts. One of the largest complaints of the former system was that it created ongoing divisions as neighborhoods competed with each other for resources. With a single-member district system, you are in effect giving council members that do not represent your specific neighborhood permission to overlook your needs. With an at-large system, every council member and the Mayor must answer to any citizen in the community regardless of where they live, and therefore I believe it is a superior form of local government.”
