After more deliberations and community pushback over a proposed 7 am meeting time, Amarillo City Council has dropped the idea and chosen a schedule friendlier to taxpayers.

According to The Amarillo Pioneer, several city council members raised concerns over the newly proposed meeting time at Tuesday’s council meeting, with one member stating it would not be sustainable for him due to his work hours.

The proposal was spearheaded in August by Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and City Manager Jared Miller and was initially supported by the entire council. However, after citizens expressed their opposition to the time change, the council suddenly changed their tune.

At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, council members voted to move the meeting time to 1 pm, with a public comment period at noon that would allow for up to twenty speakers.

However, citizens wanting to voice their opinion on Amarillo’s tax and budget increase will still need to set their alarms. Per state law, Amarillo city council must hold two public hearings if the tax rate and budget are being increased, with a public notice sent out several weeks prior. Since the city had already published a notice listing a 7 am public hearing time, they’re unable to change it.

The hearings will take place at 7 am on September 4 and 11.

For more on this story, please visit AmarilloPioneer.com.

Lauren Melear

Lauren Melear leads the West Texas Bureau of Texas Scorecard. When not working, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog, as well as cooking, working out, traveling to the hill country, and cheering on the fightin' Texas Aggies.

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