[00:00:03] BUT I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO YOUR MEETING. TO THE JUNE 16TH, 2025 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE AMARILLO CITY COUNCIL. [1. Call to Order] THIS MEETING WAS CALLED TO CANVASS THE RESULTS OF THE JUNE 7TH RUNOFF ELECTION. I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY LOOKING UP HERE AND THINKING, WOW, THIS IS REALLY STRANGE. WE'VE GOT TWO OF THE COUNCIL SITTING UP HERE. STRANGE TO US AS WELL. SO I'M GOING TO READ YOU UNDER SECTION 67.004A OF THE TEXAS ELECTION CODE. TWO MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY CONSULT A QUORUM FOR PURPOSES OF CANVASSING AN ELECTION. AS WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS PRESENT, I HEREBY CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:05 P.M.. SO, STILL A REGULAR MEETING, GUYS. SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS PUBLIC COMMENT. [2. Public Comment] AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CITY SECRETARY. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TIPPS. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN TODAY'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING. YOUR INPUT AND YOUR OPINIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE TO SHARE THEM TODAY. AT EACH POSTED MEETING, WE INVITE OUR FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ADDRESS CITY COUNCIL REGARDING POSTED AGENDA ITEMS OR TOPICS RELATED TO CITY POLICY. EVERY SPEAKER TODAY WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. IF YOU ARE HERE TO SPEAK. EXCUSE ME, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS TODAY. WHEN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE TODAY, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, IF YOU LIVE IN THE AMARILLO CITY LIMITS AND THEN YOU MAY BEGIN ADDRESSING CITY COUNCIL. OUR ONE SIGN UP FOR TODAY IS CLAUDETTE SMITH. SO WE'LL INVITE MISS SMITH UP AT THIS TIME. CAN I GIVE SOMETHING TO YOU? SURE. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. I'M HERE TODAY WITH ONE SIMPLE ASK. DO NOT CANVASS THE RESULTS FOR THIS RUNOFF TODAY. THE PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. LET'S START WITH WHAT WE CAN PROVE. IN RANDALL COUNTY, THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA INSIDE THE MAIN TABULATION ROOM WAS POINTED AT THE CEILING FOR DAYS. NOT PARTIALLY, NOT ACCIDENTALLY. IT WAS LITERALLY WATCHING THE CEILING WHILE VOTES WERE BEING TABULATED AND BALLOTS WERE BEING HANDLED. THEN, JUST AS COUNTING BEGAN, THE CAMERAS WERE TURNED OFF ENTIRELY. THAT'S NOT A GLITCH, THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY. THAT'S A COVER UP WAITING TO HAPPEN. AND A MAJOR BREACH IN THE LEGAL CHAIN OF CUSTODY. MEANWHILE, THE RANDALL COUNTY ELECTION ADMIN TOLD ME DIRECTLY THAT THREE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS WERE CAST IN THIS ELECTION, YET, THE RECONCILIATION REPORT I READ ON FRIDAY SAYS ZERO. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MAIL BALLOT MESS. 36% OF MAIL BALLOTS WERE NOT RETURNED IN THE RUNOFF, DESPITE MORE BEING SENT OUT THAN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. THE ELECTION ADMIN SAID THIS IS BECAUSE MANY VOTERS SUBMITTED LATE APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE MAY ELECTION TOO LATE TO BE ACCEPTED UNDER TEXAS LAW. BUT BECAUSE THEY HAD CHECKED THE ANNUAL BOX, RANDALL COUNTY USED THOSE SAME INVALID APPLICATIONS TO SEND THOSE FOLKS BALLOTS IN JUNE. LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. UNDER TEXAS ELECTION CODE 84.007 AND 86.0015, A LATE APPLICATION IS NOT A VALID APPLICATION. IF IT WAS TOO LATE FOR MAY, IT CANNOT BE USED TO TRIGGER A BALLOT FOR JUNE, PERIOD. THAT MEANS BALLOTS WERE SENT TO VOTERS WHO WERE NEVER LEGALLY ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THEM. THAT PADDED THE MAIL BALLOT NUMBERS, INFLATED THE NOT RETURNED RATE, AND POLLUTED THE PROCESS WITH BALLOTS THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER EXISTED. SO LET'S RECAP. CAMERAS TURNED OFF, PROVISIONAL BALLOTS UNACCOUNTED FOR, BALLOTS SENT OUT UNDER INVALID APPLICATIONS, AND NOW THIS COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO RUBBER STAMP IT ALL_ WITH THE MAYOR ABSENT AND THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT. I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU GUYS EVEN FORMING A QUORUM RIGHT NOW WITH JUST THE TWO OF YOU? AT ANY RATE, NOW YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO BE TO CERTIFY THE PROCESS THAT DELIVERED IT DESPITE ALL THESE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. IF YOU CERTIFY THIS ELECTION TODAY WITHOUT DEMANDING ANSWERS ABOUT THE SURVEILLANCE MEASURES, THE MISSING BALLOTS, THE LEGALLY QUESTIONABLE MAILINGS, YOU'RE NOT THE VOICES OF TRANSPARENCY. YOU ARE THE FACES OF COMPLICITY. WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO OVERTURN AN ELECTION. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PRESS PAUSE AND DO WHAT THE PEOPLE OF AMARILLO EXPECT FROM THEIR LEADERS. DEMAND ANSWERS, PROTECT THE PROCESS, DEFEND THE INTEGRITY OF OUR VOTE. BECAUSE IF YOU CANVASS THIS ELECTION TODAY, AS IT STANDS, YOU'RE NOT VALIDATING DEMOCRACY. YOU'RE ENDORSING DYSFUNCTION AND TELLING AMARILLO VOTERS THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS OPTIONAL. AND THERE'S A LOT MORE WHERE THIS CAME FROM, BUT THIS IS ALL I COULD MANAGE TO FIT IN THREE MINUTES. [00:05:02] I HAVEN'T EVEN GIVEN YOU POTTER COUNTY'S ASSESSMENT. AND THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT HAPPENED IN RANDALL COUNTY. PLEASE DO NOT CANVASS THIS VOTE TODAY. PUT IT ON PAUSE, AND LET'S GET THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND GET THE MISSING FOOTAGE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS SMITH. YES. THAT'S ALL THE SIGN UPS WE RECEIVED. IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS MIKE FISHER, I LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF AMARILLO, AND I WAS JUST KIND OF QUICKLY LOOKING UP THE TWO VOTERS THAT ARE ALLOWED FOR THE VOTING PROCESS. BUT IT DOES SAY, THE LAW SAYS THAT WHEN IT'S A HOME RULE CITY, WE CAN HAVE OUR OWN RULES AND WE CAN MAKE THINGS MORE STRICT. AND I ADVISE YOU TO LOOK AT THE CHARTER, BECAUSE I THINK THE CHARTER SAYS THERE MUST BE A QUORUM FOR ACTIONABLE ITEMS, AND I'M NOT QUOTING THOSE WORDS, BUT TO MAKE A DECISION. AND WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS TODAY. OUR CHARTER SAYS THAT IN THE HOME RULE, CHARTER IS VERY POWERFUL. AND IT ADDS TO EXISTING LAWS. IT CAN'T MAKE THEM LESS STRICT, BUT IT CAN MAKE THEM MORE STRICT. SO IF IT SAYS THERE MUST BE A QUORUM FOR ANY VOTE, THEN SO BE IT. I THINK, AND YOU GUYS WANT US TO GO BY THE RULES. AND THAT'S WHAT I ALWAYS SAY. RULES FOR EVERYONE. I EXPECTED MR. LES SIMPSON TO BE HERE, SO. BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT KIND OF PERTAINS TO ONE OF YOU. AS YOU PREPARE TO CANVASS THESE RESULTS OF THE RECENT RUNOFF ELECTION, I WANT TO RAISE CONCERNS THAT GO BEYOND THE NUMBERS AND PROCEDURES. THIS IS ABOUT TRUST. YOU MAY RECALL I PREVIOUSLY HIGHLIGHTED QUESTIONABLE REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING COUNCILMAN SIMPSON, A HOUSE THAT HE LIVES IN RIGHT NOW. HE WAS, YOU KNOW, HE RECEIVED THAT FROM ALLEN ROADS, A COMPANY THAT HE, ALLEN ROADS CONTROLLED. BUT LES SIMPSON WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THAT COMPANY TO LES SIMPSON. AND I'M WONDERING WHO TOLD YOU THIS WAS OKAY? WAS IT NOT JUST BRIAN MCWILLIAMS OR DID IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE UNDERWOOD LAW FIRM? THE SAME GUYS THAT GAVE HIM A HOUSE. NOW HERE WE ARE TODAY TO VALIDATE RESULTS WHILE BEING ADVISED, LIKELY AGAIN BY UNDERWOOD. GUESS I ALREADY SAID THAT. COUNCILMAN TIM REID, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU DIRECTLY. YOU'VE EARNED THE PUBLIC'S RESPECT AS A FORMER FBI AGENT. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO PUT ON THAT INVESTIGATOR HAT. PUT IT BACK ON. NOT IN SERVICE TO ANY POLITICAL CAMP, BUT IN THE SERVICE OF TRUTH. LOOK INTO THE INTEGRITY OF THIS ELECTION PROCESS. EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE CONFLICTS, THE LEGAL INFLUENCE BEHIND THE SCENES, AND THE PROCEDURAL HANDLING OF THE RESULTS. THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHO WON OR LOST. THIS IS ABOUT WHETHER AMARILLO´S DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS CLEAN OR SIMPLY CLOSED. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, NOW I WILL SAY CLAUDETTE AND MIKE. SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU BROUGHT FORTH. WE'VE BEEN MADE AWARE OF IT, I GUESS, BEFORE THIS MEETING. CITY SECRETARY, DO YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION REGARDING THIS? YES, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER TIPPS. AS TO THE EVENT ON FRIDAY, I'M TRYING TO GET HERE WHERE YOU CAN BOTH SEE ME. AS TO THE EVENT ON FRIDAY WHERE RANDALL COUNTY'S LIVE STREAM WENT DOWN. I TALKED TO SHANNON LACKEY, WHO'S THE ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR, THIS MORNING. THEY RECEIVED A CALL AT 4 P.M. ON FRIDAY FROM A CITIZEN THAT REPORTED IT, AND AS SOON AS THEY DID, SHE GOT WITH HER IT. THEY LOOKED INTO IT AND THEY REALIZED THAT THE LIVE STREAM WAS OFFLINE. THEY GOT IT BACK ONLINE. IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE TECHNOLOGICAL GLITCH THAT WAS OUT OF THEIR HANDS. THEY ADDRESSED IT AS SOON AS THEY COULD. WHILE THE LIVE STREAM WAS NOT UP, A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THAT. THE CAMERA STILL RECORDED, THEY STILL HAVE THE FOOTAGE FROM THAT AREA. THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE LIVE FEED ONLINE. AS SOON AS THEY WERE MADE AWARE, THEY ADDRESSED THAT. THEY HAD A BALLOT BOARD MEETING AT 2 P.M. ON FRIDAY. AT THAT, THEY HAD THE BALLOT BOARD PRESENT, ALONG WITH TWO POLL WATCHERS THAT WERE ASSIGNED BY ONE OF THE CANDIDATES. [00:10:04] THEY HAD A TOTAL OF FOUR BALLOTS THAT WERE OPENED AT THAT BALLOT BOARD MEETING. THREE OF THOSE WERE FOR TOM SHERLIN AND ONE WAS FOR DAVID PRESCOTT, AND SHE REPORTED THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES DURING THAT BALLOT BOARD MEETING. SO ON THE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS THAT MISS SMITH TALKED ABOUT, THEY DID HAVE THREE PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. THOSE WERE ALL IN EARLY VOTING, AND THEIR BALLOT BOARD ACTUALLY HELD A MEETING ON ELECTION DAY, AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO QUALIFY ALL THREE OF THOSE BALLOTS. AND THOSE VOTES WERE COUNTED IN THE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS THAT WE RECEIVED ON JUNE 7TH. AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE WERE NO PROVISIONAL BALLOTS SHOWING ON THE RECONCILIATION REPORT FROM RANDALL COUNTY ON FRIDAY. ONE OTHER THING, AND I'M GOING TO LEAN ON MR. MCWILLIAMS TO STOP ME HERE, CITY ATTORNEY. IN OUR CHARTER ON PAGE 34, SECTION NINE, ELECTION LAW CONTROLLING, OUR CHARTER ACTUALLY SAYS THE TIMING AND ORDERING OF NOTICES, CONDUCTING CANVASSING AND ALL OTHER PROCEDURES FOR EACH ELECTION SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW. SO, IN ESSENCE, IF TEXAS ELECTION CODE SAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN OUR CHARTER DOES, THEN TEXAS ELECTION CODE WOULD PREVAIL, AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE ABLE TO USE THE TWO MEMBER CANVASSING QUORUM. OKAY. SO. WE'RE TRYING TO ADHERE TO THAT. OKAY. CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT. NEXT, WE HAVE THE CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 06-16-21-5, [3.A. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION NO. 06-16-25-1] CANVASSING THE RESULTS OF THE RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON JUNE 7TH, 2025. MISS COGGINS, WOULD YOU PLEASE PRESENT THIS ITEM? OKAY. RESOLUTION 6-16-25-1 CANVASSES THE RETURNS FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION HELD ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF JUNE, 2025. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 9281 VALID AND LEGAL BALLOTS CAST IN THIS ELECTION, AND FOR THE PLACE, COUNCIL MEMBER NUMBER THREE, DAVID PRESCOTT RECEIVED A MAJORITY OF THE VOTES CAST FOR AND WAS DULY ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE THREE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I CAN ANSWER ON THIS RESOLUTION? ANY QUESTIONS? NOT ON THE RESOLUTION. TAKE IT OFF THAT CHARGER, I THINK. PUSH THE BACK BUTTON. NOT ON THE RESOLUTION. OKAY, SO IF WE HAD QUESTIONS THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS, WHEN WOULD WE DO THIS? REGARDING THIS PROCESS? YOU CAN ASK THEM NOW. ALL RIGHT I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'M LOOKING AT, WHAT WAS GIVEN TO US. OKAY. AND I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THERE IS A DRAFT IN FRONT OF YOU THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS . THAT I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE EXHIBITS THAT WERE GIVEN TO US. SO THAT PICTURE IS SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM A PUBLIC COMMENTER, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT. YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS? I HAVE NOT, OKAY. SO, AND I'LL ASK OUR COUNCIL. THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING RAISED, ARE THESE LEGITIMATE VOTING BALLOT COUNTING QUESTIONS THAT WE NEED TO BE ADDRESSING? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THESE AT ALL. I'VE JUST BEEN HANDED THIS PIECE OF PAPER, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT POSSIBLY THE THE COUNCILMAN WOULD HAVE TO ARGUE, IF THEY'RE VALID OR NOT, AND I CAN'T OPINE ON THAT, SO IT'S THE BEST I CAN DO. THANK YOU. SO THIS POINT HERE MEANS THAT THE COUNTY IS CERTIFIED TO YOUR VALUES. AND SO THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THEIR PROCESS. THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THEIR CHECKS AND BALANCES AND SO THEY HAVE CERTIFIED VALUES FOR YOU, SO IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES IT'D BE FOR THE COUNTY TO ADDRESS. [00:15:02] SO CITY MANAGER, HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, IF THESE ISSUES WERE JUST BROUGHT TO US, THEY JUST DROPPED ON US. HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE BEEN VERIFIED? I MEAN, HAVE THESE BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE COUNTY? WE HAVE NO IDEA. I KNOW, I THINK I KNOW MISS COGGINS ADDRESSED SOME OF THE THINGS ALREADY, BUT YEAH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE THINGS. SO WE'D HAVE TO GO APPROACH THEM AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS. SO, BUT AGAIN THE COUNTY, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THEIR PROCESS. AND SO THERE'S THE MATTER OF THEY'VE FULFILLED THEIR OBLIGATIONS. YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE GIVEN YOU THE VALUES FOR TODAY, AND SO. RIGHT. I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE SO MANY DAYS TO CANVASS THIS AFTER THE ELECTION. WE DO WE HAVE TO CANVASS BETWEEN 3 AND 11 DAYS. AND TODAY IS DAY TEN. AND SO WE WOULD TECHNICALLY NEED TO BE CANVASSED BY TOMORROW. THE ONLY THING BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT I CAN'T SPEAK TO WITH DETAIL, COUNCIL MEMBER REID, IS THE 178 BALLOTS, THE BALLOTS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING WITH RANDALL COUNTY, THAT WERE MAIL BALLOTS. I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT THOSE BALLOTS WERE AND WHY THEY DIDN'T COME BACK, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT'S IN SPEAKING WITH BOTH COUNTIES AND THE HISTORY OF DOING THESE ELECTIONS, IT'S VERY TYPICAL THAT THEY DO NOT RECEIVE MANY BALLOTS BACK BEYOND ELECTION DAY. SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD SEVERAL OUTSTANDING, THAT THEY ONLY RECEIVED ONE BACK THAT MONDAY. MR. MCWILLIAMS, WHAT RECOURSE WOULD THERE BE IF THE ELECTION IS CANVASSED? SO WE MEET THE DEADLINE, WHAT RECOURSE WOULD THERE BE IF SOME OF THESE ISSUES WERE TO COME UP? OR IS IT A DONE DEAL? RIGHT NOW WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE CERTIFIED VOTE FROM BOTH COUNTIES. RIGHT. AND THAT'S IT. IT IS, ON ITS FACE, PRESUMED TO BE VALID. IT IS UP TO THE APPLICANT TO COME FORWARD OR THE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THIS CASE TO BRING FORTH THIS, IF THEY DO BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING IN THE ELECTION WAS NOT DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW. RIGHT. REMEMBER, THOSE COUNTIES ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW STATE LAW IN EVERY REGARD. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, TO THIS BODY, THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR TODAY. YOU'RE HERE TO ACCEPT THE RESULTS, CERTIFY THE RESULTS AS THEY ARE AND AND TO MOVE ON THEM ACCORDINGLY BASED UPON WHAT YOUR CHARGE IS. OKAY. AND HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. YEAH, SO THERE IS SOME RECOURSE. LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE JUST ACCEPTING THAT THE NUMBERS THAT THE COUNTIES GAVE US ARE ACCURATE AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED, CORRECT? YES, SIR. ON THE WAY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE LAW, THEY HAVE TO DO THE THINGS. ABSOLUTELY. BUT THERE IS SOME RECOURSE IF IN THIS CASE, A COUNCILMAN, YOU KNOW, WAS QUESTIONING THE RESULTS, THERE IS SOME RECOURSE AT THAT COUNCILMAN COULD . HE WOULD NEED TO SPEAK TO HIS OWN LAWYER. OKAY. AND VISIT ABOUT THAT TYPE OF RECOURSE IF THERE IS RECOURSE. OKAY. AND IF I GOT YOU RIGHT, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY, IT'S UP TO THE CANDIDATE TO RAISE THE QUESTIONS WITH POTTER AND RANDALL COUNTY. THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR RESOLUTION NUMBER 06.625-1. I WILL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE VOTES AS CANVASSED. I'LL SECOND. IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? OKAY. THIS ITEM PASSES WITH A 2 TO 0 VOTE. HAVING NO FURTHER BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA, I OFFICIALLY ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 4:23 P.M.. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.