Place 2 Council Member· 2023-2027
Don Tipps
Amarillo
About
Don Tipps is seeking reelection to the Amarillo City Council, emphasizing his commitment to public safety and fiscal discipline. He intends to leverage his background in insurance to engage in necessary and potentially difficult discussions for the betterment of the city.
Campaign promises (3)
- public-safetyPrioritizing public safety.
- taxesMaintaining fiscal discipline.
- transparencyUsing his experience in insurance to have tough conversations for the city.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 28
- Total speaking time
- 5:45:08
- Avg per meeting
- 12:20
- Segments
- 5421
Want every word Tipps has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Tipps said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (19)(Development)
Water Infrastructure and Drought Management
Potential future utility rate adjustments and capital bonding to fund hundreds of millions in necessary water and sewer projects.
Hotel Market Study
Evaluates commercial hospitality investment potential in downtown Amarillo.
data center development
This could mean higher electricity bills for everyone if the power grid gets overloaded.
BPAAB Master Plan and Park Beautification
Event costs will be evaluated as part of the parks and recreation programming budget.
East Gateway TIRZ #2 Boundary Expansion
An expanded zone could capture additional property tax increment to fund improvements, though the dollar amounts weren't stated in the posted agenda.
Ordinance Implementation and Board Governance
Town Square Subdivision Residential Expansion
Private investment in residential infrastructure funded by the developer.
Residential Development Growth
Property values and tax revenues in the area may increase as agricultural land is developed into residential housing.
City View Estates Unit No. 23 Plat Review
Details on financial impacts were not provided in the agenda materials.
Industrial Park Expansion
Financial terms and property values were subject to closed-session negotiations under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Industrial Area Residential Infill
The project may create long-term maintenance liabilities for the city if private infrastructure is not properly funded.
Commercial Alley Requirement Variances (West End Village)
Facilitates commercial investment and retail expansion along major highway corridors.
Eastridge Neighborhood Park Master Plan
Estimated at nearly $20 million, to be funded through grants, partnerships, and future capital allocations.
Developer Agreement Amendment
Restructures financial obligations and joint liabilities among private entities and public funding mechanisms for zone infrastructure.
Slow Pitch Properties Market Study Reimbursement
Potential allocation of TIRZ funds for market study reimbursement.
Tradewind Airpark Unit No. 22 Plat Approval
Approving plats allows for the creation of new lots, facilitating residential and commercial development, which can stimulate economic activity.
Big Texan RV Park Expansion Rezoning
Private investment in commercial tourism and hospitality infrastructure.
Downtown Parking Lot Construction and Variance at 1013 S. Van Buren St.
Private project costs are unknown.
Heritage Hills West End Improvement Design
Unknown at this time.
Moved or seconded (2)
Motions Tipps personally put forward or seconded. Attribution comes from the minutes; where the minutes name somebody we cannot match to the roster we leave it out rather than guess, so this is a floor, not a total.
- secondedpassed2026-03-25
Jason Fenton made a motion to pass the adoption of the plan; Don Tipps seconded.
- secondedpassed2026-03-25
Phyllis Golden made a motion to approve the minutes; Don Tipps seconded.
Decisions during term (5)
Recorded while Tipps was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Consider Acceptance - Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care Award. This item considers acceptance of the 2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) grant award. Grantor: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Amount: $200,052.00…
Approval of Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Budget
Consider Award - Heritage Hills Public Improvement District Landscape Agreement. This item considers the award of a contract for a new landscape site development plan consisting of new fencing, masonry columns, sidewalks, irrigation…
Consider Acceptance - Housing and Urban Development Continuum of Care Award. This item considers acceptance of the 2025 Continuum of Care (CoC) grant award. Grantor: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Amount: $350,779.00…
Consider Approval - Location Incentive Agreement Between Amarillo Economic Development Corporation and Owens Corning Composite Materials, LLC. This item is to consider approval of a Location Incentive Agreement (LIA) between the Amarillo…
Voting record (0)(Development)
No votes found matching Development.