FROM LEFT: Eddy Sauer (Shemen Dental), Tom Scherlen (Campaign)
By Amarillo Pioneer Publisher's Committee
For Amarillo City Council, Place 3, voters are presented with what is perhaps the clearest contrast of any race on the ballot.
Incumbent City Councilman Eddy Sauer is being opposed for re-election by business leader Tom Scherlen. Sauer is funded by the establishment, bringing along his record of multiple years of tax increases and support of taxpayer-funded lobbying as extra baggage for his already horrible record. With an endorsement from Amarillo Matters PAC, the establishment group perhaps best known for attacking Ronny Jackson’s military service during the congressional runoff last year, it is clear on which side of the fence Sauer stands.
On the other hand, Scherlen is the former CEO of Austin Hose, a successful local employer with locations across Texas and in Kansas. Scherlen brings along no record of higher taxes and growing government, and is actually calling for more fiscal responsibility in government. Scherlen supports addressing key issues like moving our election dates to November and starting the process of single-member districts for the City Council — two key issues which must be addressed by the next citizen-focused City Council. In addition, Scherlen opposes taxpayer-funded lobbying and has been an active force in defeating tax increases in Amarillo, rather than accepting them. Voters might remember Scherlen as part of the campaign team that defeated Proposition A and the $275 million downtown projects bond proposed by the City Council in November 2020.
The true choice in this election is clear: higher taxes, bureaucracy, and big government versus smaller government, low taxes, and responsible spending practices. Will voters accept Sauer’s tax-increasing, pro-bureaucracy record for another two years, or will they send a businessman to City Hall with a focus on running our city like a business?
As for our Publisher’s Committee, we’ll take the businessman over the bureaucrat.
We endorse Tom Scherlen for Amarillo City Council, Place 3.
Early voting runs April 19-27. Election Day is May 1.