Paris City Manager Grayson Path accepts new position in Amarillo || Content sponsored by Power Jack Foundation Repair
According to KFDA, Channel 10 News, in a special meeting, the Amarillo City Council met and decided between two finalists: Matthew Allen from Garden City, Kansas and Grayson Path from Paris.
Path was the chosen candidate to lead the city of Amarillo after the position had been vacant for almost a year.
“When you don’t have a permanent leader in place, it’s kind of hard to think longer term,” Les Simpson, city council place 4 told KFDA. “And so I think what this will help us to do is not only the budgeting and other things that we’re looking at, problems that we’re trying to solve, it’s being able to take a longer-term approach with the leader that’s going to be here permanently for the long haul.”
- Award of $80 million for Phase I and $50 million for Phase II of the reconstruction of the City of Paris Waste Water Treatment Plant
- Partnership with the Paris Economic Development Corporation to receive the award of a Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant in the approximate amount of $1.3 million to build roadway and water utility infrastructure in the Northwest Industrial Park.
- Implementation of phase I revitalization of the city-owned historic Grand Theater, 21 Lamar Avenue, (approximately $300,000.00) future phases to be led by a non-profit entity.
- Completion of over a dozen housing rehabilitation projects through the State of Texas’ HOME Program (approximately $1.3 million), giving over a dozen low-income homeowners a new and safe home.
- Partnership with the Paris Economic Development Corporation, successful negotiations with Huhtamaki for the construction of a new 400,000 square foot facility addition with a $85,000,000.00 investment, and will provide for 80 new jobs.
- Successfully moved the Paris Firefighters from the Paris Firefighter Relief and Retirement Fund (local pension) to the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) by issuing a $12 million pension bond utilizing retiring property tax debt levy, moving the pension from the lowest funded pension in the State of Texas to the most funded while establishing a future closing date, providing Paris firefighters with a greatly improved retirement benefit, hedging the taxpayer’s future risk of a large and growing unfunded pension, and freeing up existing operational funds within the budget for other purposes, being the first of its kind among Texas municipalities and was supported unanimously by the local firefighter association.
- Successful completion of the American Spiralweld Industrial Project (approximately $80 million private industrial investment).
- Completion of a new Generator Project at the Pat Mayse Intake Facility and Ground Storage Facility (approximately $800,000.00 combined) to provide much-needed energy redundancy and independence for the city’s water utility system following the February 2021 winter storm.
- And many more.
“We have more in the works in 2024, we just have not finished them yet. “I can not receive credit for these accomplishments. I, nor the city succeeds without a great team,” Path added.
The staff of the City of Amarillo will put together a contract for Path. If he accepts, the mayor says he would like to see him start his role by mid-August, right in time for budget discussions.
“Since April 2020, I have had the pleasure of working alongside an impressive team here at the City of Paris as we accomplish incredible work together. From the City Council to the City Staff, to our partners with the Paris Economic Development Corporation and the Paris & Lamar County Chamber of Commerce, and many more, there is much that we in Paris can be proud of. No one person can claim responsibility for these great accomplishments, they are truly a team effort and I am so fortunate and blessed to be working with such a unit.” – Grayson Path.
