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Mar 18, 2020 · Origin

Mayor declares a local disaster over COVID-19; council continues it 5-0 on March 24

Mayor Ginger Nelson declared a local state of disaster over the COVID-19 outbreak. Under Section 418.108 of the Texas Government Code, a mayor's declaration lasts no more than seven days unless the City Council continues it. On March 24, 2020 the council passed Resolution No. 03-24-20-5 confirming and continuing the declaration, 5-0. Sources give different dates for the original declaration (March 13 or March 18).^[1]^[2]^[3]

Ginger Nelson Elaine Hays Freda Powell Eddy Sauer Howard Smith

What the sources say

⚠ Sources differ
Sources give different dates for the Mayor's original COVID-19 disaster declaration.
Reported value 1[1]
Date
2020-03-13
The March 24, 2020 minutes describe the Mayor's Declaration of Disaster as "declared on March 13, 2020".
Reported value 2[2][3]
Date
2020-03-18
The First Amended Declaration states the Mayor declared a local disaster on March 18, 2020, after the Governor's and President's March 13 declarations; Councilmember Sauer said on Nov. 23, 2020 that the Mayor declared it on March 18, "five days after Governor Abbott".
✓ Verified
On March 24, 2020 the council passed Resolution No. 03-24-20-5, confirming and continuing the Mayor's Declaration of Disaster regarding the outbreak of COVID-19, 5-0. Powell moved and Sauer seconded. ^[1]
✓ Verified
The declaration stated that the state of disaster would continue for no more than seven days unless the City Council continued it, under Section 418.108(b) of the Texas Government Code, and activated the City's Emergency Operations Plan. ^[2]

Sources

1.Amarillo City Council Regular Meeting Minutes, 2020-03-24 — City of Amarillo, Mar 24, 2020 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026primarySubject-authoredScanned minutes read with OCR. Item 3J: "a resolution confirming and continuing the Mayor's Declaration of Disaster which was declared on March 13, 2020 regarding the outbreak of COVID-19"; "RESOLUTION NO. 03-24-20-5"; "the motion carried by a 5:0 vote of the Council."
2.First Amended Declaration of Disaster by the Mayor of the City of Amarillo (archived copy) — City of Amarillo, Mar 30, 2020 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026primarySubject-authoredInternet Archive copy (captured 2020-11-09) of the signed order; the amarillo.gov original now returns 404. "on March 18, 2020, The Mayor of the City of Amarillo declared a local disaster"; "All individuals living in the City of Amarillo are ordered to stay at home"; "take effect at 11:59 pm on March [30], 2020"; "Violations of this declaration will subject the violator to a $1,000.00 fine and 180 days in jail as authorized by Section 418.173 of the Texas Government Code." Handwritten dates are partly illegible in the scan.
3.Amarillo City Council Special Meeting Minutes, 2020-11-23 — City of Amarillo, Nov 23, 2020 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026primarySubject-authoredScanned minutes read with OCR. "under Chapter 54.004, of the Local Government Code, a homerule city's fine ... cannot exceed $2,000"; "the amount would be set by a judge in court"; "Mayor Nelson declared an emergency declaration on March 18, five days after Governor Abbott" (Councilmember Sauer); "this ordinance is asking businesses to post signs and ask people to wear masks. This ordinance is not asking businesses to enforce wearing a mask" (Mayor Nelson); second and final reading carried "by a 4:1 vote", Hays voting no.