ABC 7 Amarillo
Mar. 9, 2017

Amarillo voters will decide between three mayoral candidates in May. One of the names on the ballot will be attorney Ginger Nelson. She has a six-part platform that focuses on using low-cost or no-cost techniques to improve the city.

Her six areas of focus are:

1. Job creation and economic development

2. Safer neighborhoods

3. Better roads and streets

4. Communication and participation

5. Excellent customer service

6. Fiscal Responsibility

Nelson says big improvements don’t have to come with a large price tag. She suggests tele-town halls as an inexpensive way to better communicate with the community.

“As far as communication is concerned, we need to be innovating communication avenues using things we haven’t used before,” she said.

She also believes leveraging the city’s social media better can build a volunteer network.

“I think as a city we’ve got to be more intentional about communicating with our citizens,” she said. “Not just things that are posted on a website, but giving them opportunities to participate.”

She sees a different way to budget and it would cost zero. Zero-based budgeting means all departments start with no money in their budgets and must prove every cost is necessary.

“It helps us to be able every year to prioritize our essential city services for that year,” said Nelson. “So no one is coming back assuming they get the same thing they got last year.”

She wants to use the power of planning to improve streets.

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Read the full story: http://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/amarillo-mayoral-candidate-ginger-nelson-has-a-six-point-platform