Welcome
To Amarillo’s State Of the City
How do we do a state of the city address during a pandemic? Like many things in 2020 – the answer is “differently.” Amarillo’s State of the City 2020 will be a virtual event that combines interviews from leaders across our city with a website that reports data to citizens about how our city performed over the last year. We took a camera and went all over the city to hear from citizens of all different ages and backgrounds in order to accurately present the state of our entire city, not just our city government.
We discovered that our city is suffering but not quitting. We are grieving but not without hope. We are uncertain about some circumstances but rooted in our beliefs about faith, family, and country.
As a city, we are still on our mission to create a place where every citizen has the opportunity to reach their potential for greatness. You can join us by watching the State of the City video, watching the full interviews on any topic, or scanning the website to learn more about how our city is doing on its mission for greatness.
Thank You
Host Banks
Amarillo’s community banks are part of the foundational grid that makes our city a wonderful place to live, work and play. Amarillo’s future is tied to their leadership and the investments they make every day.
Thank you to our Host Banks for funding Amarillo’s State of the City event and for all they do to help Amarillo and our people grow to their fullest potential.
2020
In Review
Public Health
Amarillo Public Health is responsible for promoting and protecting health while preventing disease with integrity and compassion for our community. Each of the accomplishments this year have been with this mission in mind.
39
Full Time staff
1,941
Calls per day
8,632
drive through COVID tests
police Department
The Amarillo Police Department (APD) continues a commitment to taking positive actions that make Amarillo safer and engaging with residents to improve feelings of safety. Part of the mission is to build trust between the police department and Amarillo residents, which is proven to reduce crime and the fear of crime.
New police chief hired in 2020 – Chief Martin Birkenfeld has over 30 years experience at APD
99,803
Calls for service answered by police department in 2019
7
Average priority response time for 2020
8,000
Average number of calls per month
275,800
Utility Billing/Vital Statistics call volumes
Customer Service
Because of COVID, the City redesigned how it takes care of customers over the past 7 months. The City worked to serve customers more remotely and in safe manners that adhere to CDC requirements while maintaining excellent customer service. The current pandemic changed the way staff interacts with our customers and made us rethink how we conduct certain areas of our business.
Streets + Roads
Street infrastructure remains a top priority for the City of Amarillo. We continue to invest in our street assets and strive to provide maintenance services in the most efficient, effective, and economical manner.
12
in bond related street projects
8
general fund projects towards maintenance & Improvements
15
projected investment for capital street maintenance projects
4
projected investment on new street construction
Transit and Airport
The Rick Husband International Airport and Amarillo City Transit (ACT) have spent a significant amount of time responding to the impacts of COVID-19.
9
Awarded through the CARES Act grant for transit operations
10
New Paratransit vehicles for people with disabilities
Learn More
Fiscal Responsibility
The City made difficult decisions to remain fiscally responsible throughout the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. A major accomplishment over the past 12 months is that Standard and Poor’s reaffirmed City’s AAA bond ratings during the height of the onset of the pandemic in May 2020.
59
Total Sales tax collected
5
Total Hotel Occupancy Collections
5
General fund revenue
Solid Waste
The City of Amarillo Solid Waste Division provides for the safe and efficient collection and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste within the City limits. The Solid Waste Division ensures the health, safety, and welfare of residents, commercial customers, and employees while acting in compliance with state regulations and Amarillo Municipal Ordinances.
1,031
Dumpsters Replaced
3,299
Dumpsters Repaired
5,220
Alleys Cleaned
Economic Development
The City of Amarillo continues to make progress toward improving the overall economy for its residents and businesses through strategic investments and improvements to the development process.
Community Development
Coming HOme
The “Coming Home” program was started by the city in 2018. It is a first of its kind program in Amarillo and models the evidence-based practice of “Housing First,” created by Dr. Sam Tsemberis.
Block Grant
CDBG provides assistance/funding to citizens in the community and to nonprofit agencies throughout the City and ensures the quality of Slum/Blight needs.
Parks & Rec
Amarillo Parks and Recreation is committed to bridging our community through parks and programs while providing a multitude of physical, mental and emotional health and wellness opportunities to its many diverse citizens. Studies support that parks create positive economic and ecological benefits within a community, but 2020 proved that parks are essential to our citizens!
Fire Department
2020 has been an eventful, impactful, and unpredictable year for our country. For the Amarillo Fire Department (AFD), it has been no different. In April, Fire Chief Jeff Greenlee retired and was succeeded by Deputy Chief of Operations, Jason Mays. District Chief Brandon Mason was appointed to that vacancy.
Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare
Our drive-thru pet food pantry was a joint effort between Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare and Merrick Pet Care, which began on April 2nd and ended on May 14th.
5,462
cars drove through
17
Tons of food donated by Merrick Pet Care
A New Beginning
Amarillo and its residents are resilient. We are a city of nearly 200,000 people and yet we are all connected in some way.
All of this difficulty will see an opportunity present itself for our city. Our mission is for every citizen to achieve their potential for greatness and we will leave no one behind on that mission. We need each other, and 2020 has taught us that the people of Amarillo will do whatever it takes to make this city a success.
We are courageous, we are united and we are strong. Every tomorrow is a new beginning for us.
