Breaking Down “Proposition B” In Amarillo Into Layman’s Terms
Election season is upon us in Amarillo, and there's more than just a President that we are headed to the polls to vote on. Yes, there are other candidates for different seats that will represent us, however, there are also local measures that we are voting on.
This year, Amarillo has five different propositions on the ballot that are direct for the city. The wording on the ballots is tricky to understand sometimes, so we're doing a five-part series that breaks these props down into layman's terms.
Yesterday, we broke down Proposition A which was about Amarillo becoming a sanctuary city. Today, our focus shifts to Proposition B which is about upping the number of councilmembers we have in the city.
On the ballot, this is the wording:
To Amend Article V, Section 1 and Article V, Section 5 (a) of the Amarillo City Charter to specify that the elective officers of the City shall consist of a Mayor plus six (6) Councilmembers (the Councilmembers shall be designated as Councilmember Place One, Councilmember Place Two, Councilmember Place Three, Councilmember Place Four, Councilmember Place Five, Councilmember Place 6), and the Mayor and each Councilmember shall be elected by a majority of the registered voters within the city.
Right now, we have four councilmembers in place, and the ballot is asking for us to vote on whether or not we want six people in place.
There has been a lot of discussion as to whether or not adding more members is a good or bad thing. Just like with anything on a ballot, there is both. There isn't one thing on there that is without flaw, but there also isn't something on the ballot that doesn't have SOME kind of benefit.
Adding more councilmembers is something they're looking at because it could do a couple of different things. It could take away a bit of the workload on the current four that are in there right now, and allow them to focus a bit more on certain projects, or simply not get burned out.
As the city continues to grow, there is more that needs to be done or looked at. More work means either more people are needed, or the current ones in place have to add it to their ever-growing stack.
Adding more people could make it harder to come to a consensus on things. When there are more people in a room having a discussion, then there will be more opinions. That's not to say it's a good or bad thing, it's just the reality that more people will have the ability to voice concerns or concepts.
So, when you go to the polls to cast your vote, know that Proposition B is simply about expanding how many councilmembers we have in Amarillo. Think about the pros and cons of that then make your decision.
LOOK: This "Amarillo Pictorial" is an Amazing Collection of Historical Photos!
Gallery Credit: Sarah Clark