Les' Accomplishements
Administration
Conducted nationwide search to hire new city manager
Business
Supported programs that helped small businesses which as the EnterPrize Challenge
Strong supporter of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, which has brought milliions of dollars in economic investment and thousands of jobs
Community
Brought back community-wide Independence Day for the first time since 2018 featuring drone show, fireworks, entertainment, games and food trucks
Nearing completion of Transformation Park, the largest combined community effort to deal with the issue of homelessness in Amarillo
Flooding
Approved investment of more than $46 million for drainage utility produccts across the city, including new pumps, dredging, excavation, sewer lines and land acquisition
Health
Funded $1.4 million for Women's Health Clinic
Infrastructure
Invested $71.2 million in Northeaster Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Project, which will provide 13 additional miles of sewer line to expand sewer capacity citywide
Public Safety
Gave historic raises to Amarillo first responders to make salaries competitive. Starting police salary: $70,000
Starting firefighter: $60,000
Created state-of-the art regional crime center using latest technology to fight crime in real time
Acquistion of land for Fire Station No. 14 at Ninth Street and Quail Creek to provide fire protection and greatly increase response time in medical district
Passed new ordinances which create clear and safe zones at high traffic intersections by probihiting pedestrians from approaching cars and standing in these areas
Invested in upgrades for the Amarillo Emergency Communication Center, which handles all emergency and non-emergency calls for public safety
Deployed license plate reader technology which has helped recover more than one hundred stolen vehicles and dozens of arrests
Overall crime in June 2024 was down more than 13 percent compared to prior year
Created first-ever Law Enforcement Consortium, which brought together public safety leaders from the City of Amarillo and Randall and Potter counties to discuss how to better fight crime
Conducted warrant roundup program to hold accountable those who had not properly treated animals
Retirees
Reinstated cost of living adjustments for city retirees, who had not seen an increase in their monly retirement income since 2012
Roads
Puchased new state of the art equipment that will allow potholes to be repaired more quickly and by fewer staff
Taxes
Kept tax rate below the level that would have required voter approved increases
Waste
Reinstuted program to remove illegally dumped trash from alleys beginning in early 2025
Funded new dumpster replace program to replace 1,000 dumpsters per year, cutting by nearly half the time to replace all Dumpsters from 24 to 13 years
Wastewater
Funding improvements and developing plan to fund Hollywood Road Wastewater Treatment Plant