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Amarillo Ledger

Public official

Don Tipps

This page lists only public roles and public actions, each with its source. Why.

Offices

City Councilmember (Place 2), City of Amarillo

The May 16, 2023 minutes list the oath of office. Re-sworn May 13, 2025.

May 16, 2023 – present
Audit Committee member, City of Amarillo

Replaced by David Prescott on Nov 18, 2025.

Jul 11, 2023 – Nov 18, 2025
Mayor Pro Tem, City of Amarillo

Listed as Mayor Pro Tem in council minutes of Jan 9, 2024.

dates not yet sourced

Events

  1. Playa lake flooding; council continues disaster declaration and rents a Greenways pump
  2. Council awards Dell Technologies up to $582,948.89 to develop a website "digital human"
  3. Council approves 5-0 the $1.9 million sale of the garage's commercial space to Llano Group
  4. Council approves $147,150 for 40 license plate readers for the Regional Crime Center
  5. Council approves the AEDC's FY2023/24 budget 4-1; motion to restore $200,000 to the Enterprize Challenge dies
  6. Council approves the TIRZ #1 FY2023/24 budget 4-1
  7. FY2023/24 rate set at $0.39195 (5-0)
  8. Council awards Western Builders the $4,595,000 Hodgetown upgrade contract "under duress," 4-1
  9. Council discusses state abortion law and possible local ordinances; 49 people speak
  10. Council authorizes TxDOT agreements for Flock cameras and a second 40-camera purchase
  11. Council work session reviews three draft abortion ordinances; no vote
  12. Council votes 5-0 to publish notices of up to $13.5 million in street COs and $3.25 million in taxable airport-hangar COs
  13. Council authorizes up to about $43 million in drainage revenue bonds (Series 2024)
  14. Council adopts the airport-hangar COs 5-0; no action taken on the $13.5 million street COs
  15. Council designates Reinvestment Zone No. 24 in the South Georgia Business Park on first reading, 3-2
  16. Council finalizes Reinvestment Zone No. 24 and approves Sage Oil Vac incentive and tax abatement
  17. Council awards a $49,975 charter consulting agreement to Baker Tilly
  18. Council adds $4.97 million Grant Street drainage work to the City Hall construction contract, 5-0
  19. Petition presented to council and tabled 5-0; mayor presents an alternative ordinance
  20. Council approves a $118,036.01 change order on the Hodgetown upgrade contract, bringing it to $4,731,666.08
  21. Council votes 5-0 to sell the Grant Street property to JM Conkling, LLC for $1.3 million
  22. Council rejects the committee's amended and original ordinances, each 4-1
  23. Council approves AEDC incentive of up to $250,000 for Brushwood Acre Farms, 4-1
  24. Council revises and passes on first reading the ordinance calling the charter election
  25. Council orders the charter election with Propositions B-E, 3-2
  26. Council orders a vote on a citizen-initiated abortion ordinance as Proposition A, 4-1
  27. Council orders the Proposition A election, 4-1, after changing "establishing a criminal offense" in the ballot text
  28. Council approves a second Baker Tilly addendum, bringing the contract to $87,218.57
  29. Council shortens the Proposition D ballot language and rewrites Proposition A's
  30. Council condenses the Proposition A ballot text at the counties' request, 5-0
  31. FY2024/25 rate set at $0.38723 (4-0)
  32. Council approves an AEDC FY2024/25 budget limited to salaries, contractual obligations and operating expenses
  33. Council approves $1.52 million furniture, fixtures and equipment purchase for the new City Hall, 5-0
  34. Council appoints a temporary AEDC board, 5-0
  35. Council canvasses the November 5 special election results
  36. Council approves 20 subscription license plate readers near interstates ($105,400)
  37. Council renews Dell's hosted digital-human agreement for $553,052
  38. Council approves a $724,994.63 AEDC expenditure request and $50,000 to design gateway signs, 5-0
  39. Council grants S.E.A. Market a school-distance variance for beer and wine sales, 5-0
  40. Council tables, then grants, Cafe Moonwater a variance near a private school, 5-0
  41. Council adopts Ordinance 8174 codifying Proposition E
  42. Council approves amended and restated AEDC articles of incorporation, 4-1
  43. Council approves amended AEDC bylaws and an amended FY2024/25 AEDC budget, 5-0
  44. Council grants the Big Texan RV Ranch a school-distance variance for beer and wine sales
  45. Specific use permit for alcohol service at a Bell Street barbershop, capped at 50 percent of sales
  46. Council approves revised AEDC policies and appoints board members in split votes
  47. Council passes 4-1 on first reading the owner-requested annexation of 477.36 acres near I-27 and Sundown Lane
  48. Council awards the City's auditing services agreement to CliftonLarsonAllen, 5-0
  49. Council adopts the 477.36-acre annexation (Ordinance No. 8200) on second reading, 5-0
  50. Council renews Flock Safety ALPR service for $164,818.44
  51. City Council approves $700,000 AEDC job incentive and tax abatement for International Aerospace Coatings, 5-0
  52. Council fills the AEDC board seat vacated by Alex Fairly; first nomination fails 2-0 with three abstentions
  53. CRMWA general manager briefs the Amarillo City Council on water supply and the planned 70-mile pipeline
  54. Council renews the digital-human agreement with Dell for $252,489.97 in ARPA funds
  55. FY2025/26 rate set at $0.43070 (5-0)
  56. FY2025/26 budget ordinance raises the landfill fee from $38.34 to $39.49 per ton
  57. Council members respond to questions about Fermi's reported letter of intent
  58. Council approves a $55,775 TIRZ #1 streetscape grant for the Panhandle Adult Rebuilding Center, 5-0
  59. Council approves transfer of the Courtyard by Marriott's TIRZ #1 incentive to the hotel's buyer, 4-1
  60. Council approves the Fermi water supply agreement 4-1 on second reading
  61. Council approves a Chapter 380 agreement with Herring Hotel Partners, 4-0
  62. Council awards $386,500 for shelter walkway and drainage improvements
  63. Council reappoints Brian Bruckner and Randy Burkett to the AEDC board, 5-0
  64. Council renews Flock Safety ALPR system for one more year at $255,000
  65. City Council approves Amendment No. 2 to the AEDC-Texas Tech incentive agreement, 5-0
  66. Council approves Specific Use Permit 208 for the Netplex, 3-2, on first reading
  67. $30.31 million streets CO withdrawn without a vote; council approves fire apparatus and water-sewer debt
  68. $30.31 million street certificate of obligation withdrawn without a vote while the annual audit is under way
  69. Council adopts the Netplex alcohol permit (Ordinance No. 8234) on second reading, 3-2
  70. Council tables filing of the fiscal 2025 annual financial report, 5-0
  71. At a special meeting, council files the draft fiscal 2025 annual financial report, 3-0
  72. Stolz Mechanical awarded $4.95 million chlorine system replacement
  73. Council adopts Resolution No. 04-14-26-2 directing a study of shelter fees and repeat-impound penalties
  74. City says landfill superintendent no longer employed; mayor and councilmember hold news conference
  75. Council approves $34,800 outside operational assessment of the landfill
  76. Council approves 4-1 a $246,000 Kimley-Horn amendment to design the 58th Avenue sanitary sewer extension
  77. Amarillo City Council approves the non-binding CRMWA II memorandum of understanding, 4-0
  78. Council passes 4-1 on first reading a specific use permit for an asphalt batching plant near Triangle Drive (Ordinance No. 8252)
  79. Council adopts the asphalt batching plant permit (Ordinance No. 8252) on second reading, 4-1
  80. Rates recalculated after errors in figures sent to tax offices; ceiling set at $0.4307
  81. Utility Billing director reports 38-minute average wait times and explains the 311 routing
  82. Budget and $0.43070 tax-rate ordinances pass first reading 4-1
  83. City Council votes 5-0 on AEDC purchase of 51.45 acres from Cooper Crouse-Hinds for $1,080,000
  84. $1.35 million transfer and $3.30 million SW 45th and Lamar storm drain award

Council votes

Roll calls recorded in the City Council's minutes, May 11, 2021 – Aug 25, 2026. All members' votes · How these are counted

PeriodVotesAyeNayLone nayAbstainAbsentWith majority
May 2023 – May 2025480467423699.4%
May 2025 – present30628410318100%

By topic

Decisions where Don Tipps did not vote aye

  1. Colonies Public Improvement District 2023/24 budget and five-year service plan (Ord. 8080, both readings)

    Aye = adopt the ordinance · Passed 4-0, 4-0 (2 votes)

    Minutes 1 · Minutes 2

  2. Transit service outside the city limits to the Randall County Jail

    Aye = approve the resolution · Passed 3-2

    Minutes

  3. Motion to reject the amended "Sanctuary City for the Unborn" ordinance proposed by the initiating committee

    Aye = reject the amended ordinance · Passed 4-1

    Minutes · Storyline event

  4. Motion to reject the original "Sanctuary City for the Unborn" ordinance as presented to the council

    Aye = reject the original ordinance · Passed 4-1

    Minutes · Storyline event

  5. Motion to put charter Propositions C, D and E on the ballot without Proposition B

    Aye = drop Proposition B · Failed 2-3

    Minutes · Storyline event

  6. Appointment to the AEDC board, term ending Dec 31, 2027 (second motion, failed)

    Aye = make the appointment · Failed 2-1

    Minutes · Storyline event

  7. Motion to table the parks parking-lot construction contract

    Aye = table the item · Failed 2-3

    Minutes

  8. Appointment to an AEDC board vacancy (first motion, failed for lack of a majority)

    Aye = make the appointment · Failed 2-0

    Minutes · Storyline event

  9. Colonies Public Improvement District 2025/26 budget and service plan (Ord. 8216; tabled, then adopted)

    Aye = table (first vote), then adopt (second vote) · Passed 4-0, 4-0 (2 votes)

    Minutes 1 · Minutes 2