LEFT: Fairly/Photo by Fairly Group/RIGHT: Smith/Photo via Campaign

Amarillo City Council has put together a temporary board for the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation as the fallout from the RANGE controversy continues. Dipak Patel, the only member who was left after mass resignations from the board earlier this week, will remain, joined by businessman Alex Fairly, former Amarillo City Councilman Howard Smith, and Councilmen Josh Craft and Don Tipps.

Businessman Alex Fairly has become a key figure in local politics in recent years, having successfully sued the City of Amarillo in 2022 to halt an illegal debt issuance. Since the lawsuit, Fairly has mostly remained out of the spotlight, having declined calls for him to run for Mayor. Instead, he backed a slate of candidates who took over Amarillo City Council in the May 2023 election. More recently, his daughter Caroline Fairly was elected to the Texas State House of Representatives.

Howard Smith served on Amarillo City Council from 2017 through 2023, having served in Place 4. Though he chose not to seek reelection in 2023, he ended up as the longest-serving member of the group first elected in 2017. as he stayed on slightly longer than other members due to a runoff election for Place 4 in 2023.

The new temporary board will remain in place as Amarillo City Council works through updating the AEDC’s Articles of Incorporation. In the meantime, the city is expected to reopen applications for the board for those interested in serving full terms once the council is ready to replace the temporary members.