Photo: Who What Where Nguyen Why a/k/a Anonymous Cow · CC BY-SA 3.0Amarillo spent more per resident in 2022 than 75% of similar cities
Amarillo’s city government spent $344.3 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $1,710 per resident. Water and other utilities ($46 million) and the airport ($12.9 million) are counted separately.
Planning and Zoning Commission
3:00 pm · Amarillo City Hall, City Council Chamber, 623 S. Johnson St., Third Floor
All meetings →What stands out about how Amarillo is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Amarillo’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov2Planning and Zoning CommissionMonday · 3:00 pm · Amarillo City Hall, City Council Chamber, 623 S. Johnson St., Third FloorPlanning and Zoning Commission Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov5Condemnation Appeals CommissionThursday · 2:00 pm · Amarillo City Hall, Room 1500, 623 S. Johnson, First FloorCondemnation Appeals Commission Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Amarillo Hospital District Board of ManagersTuesday · 7:30 am · Amarillo City Hall, Room 1500, 623 S. Johnson Street, First FloorAmarillo Hospital District Board of Managers Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Board of DirectorsTuesday · 9:00 am · First Bank Southwest Tower, Ed Davis Conference Room - 9th FloorAmarillo Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Beautification and Public Arts Advisory BoardTuesday · 11:30 am · Parks and Recreation Offices, Board Room, 509 S. JohnsonBeautification and Public Arts Advisory Board Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov11Parks and Recreation BoardWednesday · 1:30 pm · Parks and Recreation Offices, Board Room, 509 S. JohnsonParks and Recreation Board Regular MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Oct29East Gateway Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #2 Board of DirectorsThursday · 12:00 pm · City Hall - Room 1027, 623 S. Johnson - 1st FloorEast Gateway Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #2 Board of Directors Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct28Amarillo Convention and Visitors BureauWednesday · 8:30 am · Bivins Mansion, 1000 S. Polk St.Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct27Amarillo City CouncilTuesday · 2:00 pm · Amarillo City Hall, Council Chamber, 623 S. Johnson, Third FloorAmarillo City Council Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct26Library Advisory BoardMonday · 4:00 pm · Downtown Library, 413 E 4thLibrary Advisory Board Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct22Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Board of DirectorsThursday · 1:00 pm · First Bank Southwest Tower, 600 S. Tyler, Ed Davis Conference Room - 9th FloorAmarillo Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $1,710 per resident a year, or $4.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 23%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$1,354 per resident in 2022: more than 75% of them
Amarillo’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,354 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,118, and the middle half spent $905–$1,356. Amarillo spent more than 75% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($35 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Amarillo itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 27% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Amarillo reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,354 · 2023: $1,581 · 2024: $1,710.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,888 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $3,000 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.52% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Amarillo’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Amarillo’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Amarillo →
Who’s in charge in Amarillo
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 98 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (201,291).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Amarillo Independent School District
Amarillo’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,005 per pupil, $7,378 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
Highland Park Independent School District · $14,580 per pupil
Canyon Independent School District · $10,016 per pupil
River Road Independent School District · $14,922 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Amarillo’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Amarillo alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Randall County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican79.7%53,314 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat19.3%12,935 votesOthers: 1.0% (652 votes).
Most votes in Randall County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
52% of Amarillo lies in Randall County; the rest in Potter County. Every 2024 race in Randall County is on the county’s page.
Randall County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Amarillo.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: amarillo.gov ↗
- 2Texas HouseAmarillo is split between 2 districts
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Amarillo’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Amarillo’s government
How much does Amarillo spend per resident?
About $1,710 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,354 was more than 75% of 16 Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Amarillo?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $3,000 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.52% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see amarillo.gov.
Who runs Amarillo’s government?
See amarillo.gov for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Amarillo yet.
How did Amarillo vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Amarillo alone. Randall County, where 52% of Amarillo lies, voted Trump 79.7%, Harris 19.3% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Amarillo?
2,064 full-time and 255 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $13.3M (about $159.9M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Amarillo in the state legislature?
Amarillo is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 31 (Kevin Sparks). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Amarillo?
The next posted meeting is Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday, November 2, at 3:00 pm in Amarillo City Hall, City Council Chamber, 623 S. Johnson St., Third Floor, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Amarillo’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →