Nelson/Photo by Campaign
As first reported by the Amarillo Pioneer last week, Alex Fairly filed a lawsuit alleging that the latest civic center plan being pushed by the city violates state law and subverts the will of the voters. In a statement publicly announcing the lawsuit, Fairly noted similarities between the proposal and one rejected by voters in 2020. In the days since, Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and several community activists have expressed their opinions about the project.
Ginger Nelson, speaking on Friday of last week, stated that she feels that utilizing “tax notes in this situation is a lawful option and we wouldn’t consider anything that wasn’t a lawful option.” Nelson also stated “we chose a method of funding that is needed to accomplish what we have known needs to be done for a long time.”
The mayor also responded to the fact that Councilman Cole Stanley, the only member of Amarillo City Council to vote against the plan, had requested two weeks to review the proposal. “What does two more weeks benefit us toward the project? We know what the need is. We know the project needs to be done.” She stated that an architect has begun to develop the design for the project.
Local activists Tom Scherlen and James Schenck were not convinced by the mayor’s statements. Schenck, a noted critic and former city council candidate, said on social media that he believes that Mayor Nelson “doesn't understand that a Representative Democracy is about.”
Scherlen, a retired businessman and former city council candidate, stated that Amarillo City Council has “no right in this great country of ours to override the will of the people.” Scherlen also said that Mayor Nelson and the council members who voted to approve the project “are totally out of touch with the people.” Scherlen also criticized an apparent lack of transparency, stating that he feels that “our local government under this current administration is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.”