Despite voters rejecting a spending package that included a new city hall, Amarillo City Council members voted to add to the already mounting costs of building one.
On Tuesday, the Amarillo City Council voted 4-1 to approve an architectural and engineering services contract with Sims Architect for the new city hall project. Newly elected Councilman Cole Stanley cast the lone vote against the contract. The contract’s total cost is not to exceed $2 million, under the agreement passed on Tuesday.
The move came just days after a council majority voted to publish a notice of intent to issue $35 million in certificates of obligation—debt—for a new city hall. Stanley also voted against this.
The new facility, which is expected to be located in an abandoned warehouse that was recently purchased by the city, was part of a $319 million spending package that was brought to voters in November 2020. Voters declined to pass a $275 million bond to fund the majority of the package.
Despite this, a majority of council members continue pushing the project.
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