The Amarillo City Council continues to receive a heavy backlash for its decision to move meetings to times that are less convenient for working Amarilloans.
As The Amarillo Globe-News reports, several citizens appeared at the gathering on Tuesday to voice complaints about the new meeting schedule, which has scheduled upcoming city meetings for 7 a.m.
Other speakers on Tuesday accused the city council of referring to public comment sessions as “work sessions,” in a purported effort to get around open meetings laws.
The Amarillo League of Women Voters has released a statement protesting the new meeting protocols. The statement reads, in part: “We . . . believe that having varying council meeting times i.e. 7 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., confuses and discourages taxpayers from attending and participating. These times do not allow the average worker or teacher to attend and participate. The former meeting time of 5 p.m. allows more taxpayers to attend and participate and should be reinstated.”