Amarillo City Council members will vote on Tuesday on an ordinance that would allow persons who are not registered voters in Amarillo to serve on municipal boards.

According to an agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Ordinance 7897 would allow the City Council to appoint individuals “who are not necessarily registered voters of the City…to various City boards or commissions if they possessed special expertise or knowledge related to the board or commission’s operation and/or charge.” Under the ordinance, language would still be placed in the Amarillo Municipal Code to express a preference for registered voters within Amarillo to receive the appointments.

Such a change would mark a shift from the current Municipal Code, which requires that a person reside within the Amarillo city limits and be a registered voter to serve on a municipal board. The language of the new ordinance leaves some ambiguity as to whether those who live outside of Amarillo could receive board appointments if they are deemed to have “special expertise or knowledge” related to the board’s function.

The Amarillo City Council will meet on Tuesday, January 12 at 1pm. Due to social distancing, the meeting will be held over Zoom and broadcast on Amarillo.gov.