In an interview with Kingdom Keys Christian Radio, Amarillo City Councilwoman Place 2 and mayoral candidate Freda Powell stated that she is running, among other things, “to grow our tax rate,” which she corrected as, “to grow our tax base.”

Powell has a history of voting to increase the city’s tax rate. Every year since first being elected in 2017, Powell has voted in favor of proposing an increased tax rate. In each of those years, with the exception of 2022, Powell voted to adopt the proposed rate increase. (In 2022, thanks to a proposal by Councilman Place 1 and fellow mayoral candidate Cole Stanley, the council voted to lower the tax rate.)

Speaking on the controversial Civic Center plan, Powell defended her vote to issue tax anticipation notes to fund improvements, stating that her vote “was based on information [she] received” from city staff. The ordinance was voided by Judge William Sowder, who ruled that the city broke a litany of state laws when it voted to authorize the notes, citing the similarity of the issuance to 2020’s Prop A, where voters rejected a similar plan at the ballot box. Powell admitted in the interview that Prop A “was voted down base on the price tag of the project,” though she noted she couldn’t say much more about the issue due to the fact that the city is currently appealing the ruling.

Powell also claimed she does not “have any endorsements right now,” though Councilman Place 4 Howard Smith, who is not seeking another term, confirmed to The Amarillo Pioneer that Powell has his endorsement. Of all of the winners of the 2021 city election, Smith had the most narrow victory, earning just 50.52% of the vote.

Election Day is May 6th. Powell is facing competition from fellow council member Cole Stanley, professional truck drivers Tonya C. Winston and Sam Burnett, former Elkhart City Council Member Don Collins, and life/wellness/consciousness coach Jeffrey McGunegle. Running to replace Powell on City Council Place 2 are insurance agent Don Tipps, AISD employee Misty Vigil, and commercial teller Gabriel McHenry-Herrera.

Note: At the request of Freda Powell, the quote placed at the top of this story on March 26 is amended to read that she said she is running to “grow our tax base.”