By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief

When Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and her Amarillo Matters PAC-owned City Council first ran for election in 2017, I remember hearing many statements from these candidates that they would “change the tone” and bring stability to City Hall. While the promise sounded good, the truth is the past four years have been anything but stable for most Amarilloans who do not find themselves as members of the City Council’s favorite special interest groups.

Over the course of the past four years, we have seen numerous instances of fights playing out publicly between Nelson and her political opponents or rivals. In 2018, Nelson feuded with certain citizens following the arrest of a local citizen during a City Council meetings and her attempts to shut down the public’s ability to record meetings. Last year, she took aim at local businessman Alex Fairly after the defeat of Proposition A.

In both the case of the citizen’s arrest in 2018 and the defeat of Proposition A in 2020, controversy among citizens seemed to reach a boiling point, but instead of working to bring the community together, Nelson continued to divide. By blaming the result of the Proposition A election on what the establishment described as misleading billboards and the involvement of individuals like Fairly, Nelson refused to bring the community together after such an important election and instead drew a line in the sand to wage a petty political battle.

While I understand Nelson’s style of governance seems to come right out of the Chicago playbook, it does not fulfill her original promise of bringing stability to City Hall, nor does it fulfill past promises by members of her own City Council that the tone would be changed after controversies with past City Councils.

All Nelson’s record of governing has shown is that she is far too willing to battle over petty political issues while the rest of the community suffers. Instead of being a uniter, Nelson has been a divider, hiding behind Amarillo Matters PAC and its checkbook every step of the way.

Nelson will not accept responsibility for the divisions she has created at times when this community deserved leadership or the numerous real and potential conflicts of interest that she has welcomed to City Hall with open arms. She will not accept responsibility for going back on her campaign promises, and she will not accept responsibility for the skyrocketing taxes in this community.

During this year’s election, Nelson will once again hide from her record while Amarillo Matters PAC produces glossy flyers telling you how great she has been. They will undoubtedly give her credit for the bond issues passed under a City Council, of which she wasn’t even a member. They will likely give her credit for projects that were accomplished in large part due to the private sector, and not because of her City Council. However, they will not give her credit for her true accomplishment — dividing Amarillo and battling with her political opponents at every opportunity, leaving taxpayers to pick up the pieces.

Luckily, voters this year have the chance to make real change in Amarillo by voting for businessman Michael Hunt. Hunt, a catering company owner, understands the issues facing this community and local businesses because he has dealt with those issues daily through his own business. He will not pick fights with his political opponents while the community suffers and will be a uniter, utilizing lessons learned from a career in business and education to help move Amarillo in the right direction.

Nelson and the City Council didn’t change the tone for the better at City Hall when they were elected — they made it even worse. However, this year, a vote for change can go a long way to improving Amarillo for everyone, not just for the special interests who own Nelson and her City Council.

Vote for change and demand accountability on May 1.