Latest news with #Burkett
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairly resigns from AEDC board; Prescott calls move 'right for the city'
Alex Fairly has resigned as chair and member of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation board, stepping down just three months after his appointment to the high-profile post. City Manager Grayson Path confirmed the resignation in an email Path sent individually to each City Council member and the mayor on Tuesday, July 15, in accordance with Texas open meetings law. As of Tuesday, no formal resignation letter from Fairly had been made public. Fairly also informed fellow board members of his decision near the end of Tuesday's AEDC meeting. According to board member Randy Burkett, Fairly said he had not planned to stay on long term and felt it was the right time to step away. 'He told us he didn't really enjoy being on boards,' Burkett said. 'He felt like he had done what he set out to do, but the structure of the Texas Open Meetings Act can make it frustrating. You can talk to one person, but not a second — and I think that held him back.' Burkett, who was appointed to the board in April, said he was surprised by the announcement and expressed disappointment over losing Fairly's input. 'I was stunned,' he said. 'I had no idea it was coming. I really thought he would stay on through the end of our first year. It's a big loss — I don't know who could replace him. Alex is one of the smartest guys I've ever met.' Burkett added that while he believes the board will continue to function effectively, Fairly's departure leaves a noticeable void. 'We'll be fine operationally, but his perspective and experience will be missed,' he said. 'I'll probably still reach out to him with questions. He's a good friend, and I highly respect the guy.' More: Alex Fairly interview: Amarillo businessman talks about money, politics, and education Fairly was originally appointed in November 2024, following a wave of mass resignations from the AEDC board that left only one member in place. The Amarillo businessman was later named chair and reappointed in April to the newly restructured five-member board. Councilmember David Prescott, who has long questioned Fairly's appointment, said the resignation was appropriate. 'I think it's the right thing for the city,' Prescott said. 'Any time large political donors are appointed to positions of power based on campaign contributions, that's problematic.' Fairly was one of the most significant donors in recent Amarillo city municipal elections, contributing heavily to political action committees supporting the current council majority. He was reappointed in April following controversy over a $750,000 allocation to a politically connected nonprofit. 'We went through a lot to put him in that position, and now he's stepping away quickly,' Prescott said. 'From discussions with AEDC staff, our deal flow is near zero. We've got a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with businesses considering Amarillo.' Prescott added that Fairly had never formally applied for the board and criticized the selection process. 'These roles shouldn't be handed out based on who someone supports politically,' Prescott said. 'Applicants should be vetted and chosen for their qualifications, not connections.' Prescott voiced support for the AEDC's ongoing nationwide search for a new president and CEO. 'We need an open, apolitical process to find someone who can grow the AEDC and help drive the city's economic future,' he said. Fairly declined to elaborate on his decision but told the Globe-News, 'It was best for me to move on and quietly step aside.' As of Tuesday, no time frame had been announced for appointing a new board member or selecting a new chair. This is a developing story; more information and further comments will be added as they become available. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Alex Fairly resigns as chair and member of Amarillo EDC board
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beltline Road repaving to affect drivers
Jun. 3—Road work will begin Monday on a 5-mile section of Beltline Road between U.S. 31 and Gordon Terry Parkway. The project will likely take several months to complete and will include milling the pavement, resurfacing the road and adding new traffic stripes and pavement markers, according to Alabama Department of Transportation North Region spokesperson Seth Burkett. "It's standard maintenance resurfacing," Burkett said. "This is about ensuring the longevity of the pavement and making for a smoother ride for the traveling public." Burkett said the project should be mostly completed, if not wholly completed, by the end of 2025. Work will occur between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday nights through Friday mornings. "The stuff that really impacts traffic will primarily be done at nighttime, so as to minimize daytime impact," Burkett said. This stretch of Beltline Road can see between 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles per day, according to ALDOT. With most work happening at night, Burkett expects evening and pre-rush hour morning drivers will experience the biggest traffic impact. He recommends travelers wanting real-time updates on lane closures and traffic check or the ALGO Traffic app. Work will be split into two segments. It will begin with the section from U.S. 31 to Danville Road. Then the northern segment from Danville Road to Gordon Terry Parkway will be repaved. "At least one lane in each direction will remain open at all times," Burkett said. "But I would expect at least a single lane closure if they're out there milling or paving at night." The project will cost $3.35 million, according to Burkett. Grayson Carter and Son Contracting Inc., an Athens-based company, will complete the work. This is a standard job for the company according to Steve Turner, the paving and milling manager. He expects traffic to be affected for a minimum of a month. As far as delays to the project's timeline, Turner said the weather could play the biggest role. "Everybody knows lately just how much rain we have had," Turner said. "If that trend continues, then it's definitely going to cause that job to be extended, but we hope that rain is just about over with." Turner encourages the public's cooperation to keep the area safe during the repaving process. "We ask for the public's patience as we're working," Turner said. "We want our people to come home safe, so try to obey all the traffic controls, the signs, and the people that are out there guiding traffic control... . We're definitely not trying to impede your day, so we don't want to get hurt in the process." — or 256-340-2437
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Buckley mayor fined nearly $15k over missing campaign forms
This story was originally published on Buckley Mayor Beau Burkett has racked up a bill of nearly $15,000 worth in fines. The fines are mostly related to breaking campaign finance laws, including having late or missing financial disclosures, according to The Tacoma News Tribune. The latest fine was a $1,000 charge filed last week for not reporting personal debt on a 2023 form, with his total amount owed reaching $14,850 in fines. The Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) states that all elected officials must file financial statements to ensure transparency. Candidates running for public office in Washington must file an F-1 Personal Financial Affairs Statement, which documents the candidate's salary range, the real estate they own, and membership on boards of committees, among other important information. According to The Tacoma News Tribune, Burkett did not turn in F-1 forms for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2021, while running in the mayoral race, he didn't turn in his 2020 F-1 or his C-1 candidate registration form. When requested to file the paperwork accordingly, he failed to include and disclose the $13,850 he owed in fines to the PDC. 'Mayor Burkett is one of the approximately 5-10% of people who don't correct their forms when contacted by PDC staff,' Edwards wrote in an email to The News Tribune. 'Despite this, and despite the many thousands of dollars that Mayor Burkett already owes the agency for years of ignoring the law, the PDC still offered to suspend virtually all of today's penalty if he corrects his F1 report.' Burkett did not appear at last week's hearing. KIRO Newsradio has reached out for comment. Burkett's term as mayor ends December 31, and the fines have been sent to collections.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pierce County mayor owes state $15K for breaking campaign finance laws, PDC says
The mayor of Buckley is in hot water with the state. The Washington State Public Disclosure Commission says Beau Burkett owes the state nearly $15,000 for breaking campaign finance laws. Burkett — who was elected in 2021 and whose term expires this year on Dec. 31 — has violations dating back to 2015, when he served on the Buckley City Council. 'To my knowledge, he hasn't paid any of his fines,' Natalie Johnson, spokesperson for the PDC, told The News Tribune. In a brief enforcement hearing on Thursday afternoon, the PDC added $1,000 to the mayor's mountain of debt. It ruled that Burkett failed to disclose the $13,850 in debt on a 2023 financial statement, which he filed on Feb. 27, 2024. That brings the total he owes to $14,850. Burkett was not at the hearing, which The News Tribune attended, nor did he have an attorney show up in his place. The News Tribune sought an interview with Burkett for this story, but he did not respond by deadline. Every candidate running for public office in Washington state is required to file an F-1 Personal Financial Affairs Statement, which documents the candidate's salary range, the value of real estate they own, membership on boards of committees and more. Candidates must complete this form within two weeks of announcing their intention to run for office. 'It discloses a variety of things personal to you, and it's intended to show conflicts of interest,' Johnson told The News Tribune. 'So, for example, if it's a school board member candidate, you'd want to know if they owned a portion of a construction company that the school board then contracted with to build a school.' According to PDC documents, Burkett did not turn in F-1 forms for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2021, while running in the mayoral race, he didn't turn in his 2020 F-1 or his C-1 candidate registration form, PDC documents show. In 2022, he didn't file his 2021 F-1, documents say. Below is a breakdown of when the PDC issued fines to Burkett over the years, according to PDC documents. The PDC says he has not paid any of these fees: Aug. 21, 2015: $100 Feb. 7, 2017: $250 Oct. 15, 2017: $1,000 Nov. 20, 2018: $500 March 11, 2021: $1,000 Nov. 16, 2021: $1,000 July 9, 2022: $10,000 In 2023, the PDC took the two most recent cases — totaling $11,000 — to Pierce County Superior Court. A judge ruled on Aug. 18, 2023 that Burkett had to pay the $11,000 with 12% interest. Johnson told The News Tribune that all of Burkett's fines have been taken to collections. When The News Tribune asked what happens after those fines get sent to collections, she said it's the same process as anyone else who doesn't pay debt they owe. 'The collections agency, at some point, can take them to court and can get a lien on the property, wages garnished – that sort of penalty,' Johnson said. 'That's something that the collections agency takes care of for us.' According to the PDC's website, Burkett has turned in F-1s for the years 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, he didn't turn in his 2019 or 2021 F-1s until years later in 2024. At Thursday afternoon's hearing, the PDC said Burkett filed a 2023 F-1 on Feb. 27, 2024, but the form did not disclose the $13,850 in debt to the PDC. Johnson told The News Tribune candidates and officials are required to disclose any debt above $2,400 on an F-1 form, unless it's credit card debt. J Leach, the presiding officer at Thursday's hearing, ruled that Burkett now owes the PDC an extra $1,000, bringing the total up to $14,850. If Burkett pays these fees or sets up a payment plan, the PDC will waive $900 of the $1,000 fine, bringing his total to $13,950. The PDC has until May 31 to send an official order to Burkett, and Burkett has 30 days to take action after the order is sent. Connor Edwards, the man who filed the complaint against Burkett, told The News Tribune Thursday that he thought the penalty should have been harsher than the $1,000 fine, with $900 suspended if Burkett starts paying. 'Mayor Burkett is one of the approximately 5-10% of people that don't correct their forms when contacted by PDC staff,' Edwards wrote in an email to The News Tribune. 'Despite this, and despite the many thousands of dollars that Mayor Burkett already owes the agency for years of ignoring the law, the PDC still offered to suspend virtually all of today's penalty if he corrects his F1 report.' Edwards is a recent law school graduate who has filed more than 2,000 complaints with the PDC against dozens of officials across the state. It started when he became a campaign treasurer for many politicians, a job that started as a way to make some extra money during law school. He wants to challenge the way the PDC handles these cases. 'The PDC is a paper tiger when it comes down to it,' Edwards said. '... all they do is dismiss the case with an administrative dismissal and say, 'Don't do it again.'' He filed another complaint against Burkett on May 1. This complaint alleges that Burkett filed an F-1 form covering 2024, but did not disclose the $13,850 in debt. He said Burkett's long history of ignoring campaign finance laws is important because these laws allow the public to be informed about their elected officials. '[It's a] right to see that information so that they can make an informed choice when it comes time to vote,' Edwards said. 'I've been to other countries around the world where corruption is a very big problem — and that's in large part because many of the elected officials over there, they don't have to file these types of disclosures.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ALDOT evaluating damage to Upper River Road overpass at I-65
Apr. 30—Damage caused Monday to the Upper River Road overpass at Interstate 65 is being evaluated by the Alabama Department of Transportation, but the agency said it's too early to know the extent of repairs that will be needed. At approximately 12:48 p.m. on Monday, an excavator being transported by a 2020 Mack Pinnacle 64T tractor-trailer being driven by Christopher W. Douglas, 40, of Trinity, struck the concrete overpass at Upper River Road, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The Alabama Department of Transportation said they responded to the scene after receiving reports that a southbound vehicle had struck the underside of the bridge, littering I-65 with chunks of concrete and causing traffic backups. An initial inspection by a bridge engineer showed damage to the concrete on all six girders — the long horizontal beams that support the bridge deck. ALDOT said the steel rebar appeared intact in all of the girders except one. The most heavily damaged girder is the outside girder on the north side of the bridge, which supports Upper River Road's westbound shoulder and is not part of the load path for the travel lanes, according to ALDOT. As a result, the westbound shoulder was closed. "It's too soon to speculate about any closures that might be necessary for repair, or a timeline for that," said ALDOT North Region spokesman Seth Burkett. "They will need to look at it further." ALDOT said crews removed all loose concrete from the underside of the bridge and trimmed any exposed rebar, allowing the southbound lanes of I-65 to reopen before 8 p.m. Monday. The agency's Emergency Bridge Inspection Team is expected to continue evaluating the bridge later this week to determine the extent of repairs needed. Should significant repairs be necessary, the impact on traffic could be dramatic. According to ALDOT, Upper River Road near the overpass had a daily traffic count of 4,682 vehicles in 2023, the latest data available. I-65 near the overpass had a traffic count of 54,370 vehicles per day. Burkett said the clearance between the road and the overpass is 15 feet, 11 inches, an inch less than the standard clearance of 16 feet. "For that reason, the bridge has warning signs posted indicating the clearance," Burkett said. "The signs are on either side of the roadway approaching the bridge." He said the legal limit for vehicle height is 13 feet, 6 inches, measured from the ground to the top of the transported load. "Anything taller would require a permit and ALDOT-approved route," Burkett said. Burkett said ALDOT plans to raise the Upper River Road overpass and one other overpass when I-65 is resurfaced, which he said will begin this summer. — or 256-340-2442.
