News

The City of Amarillo (COA) Community Development Department has updated its hours of operation.  Hours of operation are: The COA Community Development Department is located in the Simms Municipal Building, 808 S. Buchanan St. Paperwork may be dropped off in the secure drop box located inside the building, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All Community Development programs are by appointment only. An appointment is required to meet with a caseworker. To schedule an appointment, please call (806) 378-3098. For more information, contact City of Amarillo Media Relations Manager Dave Henry at (806) 378-5219 or by email at David.Henry@amarillo.gov.

In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, City of Amarillo (COA) offices will be closed on Monday (January 19). The COA service schedule for MLK Day: The schedule for Solid Waste services: Ross Rogers and Comanche Trail Golf Complexes will have normal hours of operation.

Amarillo City Council confirmed Thomas Hover as chief of the Amarillo Police Department during the regularly-scheduled council meeting Tuesday. Hover was confirmed by a 5-0 vote. Hover’s tentative start date is January 22. Hover accepted a conditional offer for the position in December pending the completion of pre-employment requirements. He was selected from a field of three finalists. Please see the previously released news release for additional information:www.amarillo.gov/news/2025/12/15/coa-announces-selection-of-next-police-chief/

The City of Amarillo (COA) has earned two awards from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for governmental accounting and financial reporting. COA was awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. In addition, COA was awarded the Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) Award for the same period. “These awards signify the continued dedication and commitment to financial transparency by the city’s chief financial officer and the entire city financial team,” said City Manager Grayson Path. “Their efforts on behalf of the Amarillo community help ensure informed policy decisions and also help residents understand how public resources are managed.” The ACFR provides a detailed look at the city’s financial performance, including assets, liabilities, revenues and expenditures. According to GFOA standards, the Certificate of Achievement for the ACFR is widely recognized as the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. This marks the 49th time for the City of Amarillo to win the ACFR award. For 14 straight years, COA has earned the PAFR award. The PAFR is an online document/yearbook highlighting city financial data and departments in a quick, convenient format for the public. The PAFR is reviewed by judges evaluating the report based on several categories, including reader appeal, understandability, distribution methods and creativity. To see the COA ACFR and PAFR, go to: amarillo.gov/finance/financial-information/

In an instant, Enrique Aguirre of Amarillo lost five members of his family on Dec. 22, 2021. The family was out looking at Christmas lights when their vehicle was hit head-on by an impaired driver who was later sentenced to 45 years in prison for the fatal accident. Aguirre’s heartbreaking and tragic story is far too common in Amarillo – the problem of impaired driving. “These things occur, and they occur a lot,” Aguirre said during a media and stakeholder briefing this month at the Harrington Cancer and Health Foundation. The event, which included Andrea’s Project, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Amarillo Police Department (APD), highlighted the combined efforts of the Amarillo community to help prevent impaired driving. APD’s participation in this community-wide initiative features the Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit (IDEU), which consists of Unit Commander Sgt. Eric Vaughn and APD officers Chaz Garrison, Micah Heagen, Matthew Dixon and Michael Campbell. Since debuting in September, this unit (devoted solely to impaired driving enforcement) has made a significant impact. The numbers tell the story: From September 18 to December 17 of 2025, IDEU made 242 arrests for impaired driving. There were 130 arrests by APD in the same time period in 2024. From September 18 to December 17 of 2024, APD had 130 impaired driving cases sent for prosecution. Since Sept. 18 of this year (the debut of the IDEU), 242 cases have been sent for prosecution. APD made 513 impaired driving arrests in 2024. As of December 17 of this year, APD already had 652 such arrests. Since the start of APD’s IDEU on September 18, APD ranks first statewide in LEADRS, an online data reporting system that streamlines the DWI report writing for Texas law enforcement officers. The top three officers in the state rankings are