Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson is pushing a plan to extend her term length ahead of the upcoming May municipal election.
Recently, Nelson spoke to the Potter-Randall Democratic Club in Amarillo, presenting her platform points for the upcoming May election. It was during the question and answer portion of the evening that she revealed her plan to extend her term from two years to four years.
“I personally think it would be wise for us to move to four-year terms, then every two years have half our council up for re-election,” Nelson said.
The mayor added the change would prevent voters from having the opportunity to “flip the whole boat again,” citing what she sees as a need for “stability.” The statement draws a sharp contrast from Nelson’s first election as mayor. She was elected in 2017 on a clean sweep of the city council, which saw all five officeholders changed. Creating longer terms would mark a departure from the city’s longstanding two-year term system, which is protected by Amarillo’s city charter.
Nelson is running for re-election this May and will face a challenge from activist Kip Billups and paralegal Claudette Smith. Early voting in the municipal election runs April 22-30. Election Day is May 4.
