AMARILLO, Texas (KEYU) -Four members of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation submitted letters of resignation to the Amarillo City Council today.

According to a statement, members cite “irreparable damage to Amarillo’s ongoing economic development efforts by Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley and several members of the City Council.”

Those tendering their resignations are President Andrew Hall, Vice President Adrian Meaner, Scott Bentley and Helen Burton.

“I can no longer serve in good conscience amid a leadership environment that is eroding the very foundations of public service,” Hall said. He said the mayor’s “overreach has created conditions that not only stifle genuine progress and growth, but also undermine the spirit of public service, deterring those who truly care about the well-being of our community from coming forward.” to lead. “We may never fully know the missed opportunities or lasting impact of these decisions, but I fear the repercussions could be profound.”

The letters note that AEDC’s portfolio of business and government economic development projects “has been virtually depleted in light of Stanley’s questioning of AEDC’s spending, which included exhaustive audits that found no irregularities.”

this comes later claims that the AEDC mishandled the money by paying dues to The Range, a nonprofit organization.

In response to a request for comment, Mayor Cole Stanley sent the following statement:

You can read the full statement and letters below:

According to the AEDC release, AEDC has worked to expand long-standing business operations in Amarillo while attracting new and exciting industries.

The statement goes on to say: “In the last decade alone, AEDC has created more than 7,000 new jobs.”

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