David Prescott was officially declared the winner of the Place 3 seat on the Amarillo City Council on June 16 after the council canvassed the June 7 runoff election results during a special meeting. He defeated incumbent Tom Scherlen by 50 votes following a closely watched and often heated campaign.
Prescott, an environmental consultant and owner of the engineering firm Talon LPE, will be sworn in next week. He said he is relieved the race has concluded and is ready to shift from campaigning to governing.
“I’m glad that it’s over with,” Prescott said. “We had campaign watchers and people following the process closely to ensure it was done right. Voting integrity is crucial. If people are going to take the time to vote, it has to be correct, or everything we stand for as a country is in question.”
Runoff fatigue and low turnout
Prescott acknowledged the slim margin of victory and said it reflected a sharply divided electorate, noting that voter fatigue likely played a major role in the city’s low turnout.
“I think people were just worn out,” he said. “There was a lot of fatigue. The runoff got nasty, and it discouraged people. But I’m proud of the folks who voted twice, in the general and the runoff. That’s what it came down to — those who wanted change and came back out.”
He said he was especially encouraged by his performance in Potter County. “I was proud of the support we had there. It meant a lot.”
During Monday’s special council meeting, residents Claudette Smith and Michael Fisher raised questions about security camera issues at Randall County polling locations. Prescott said he had not heard of the concerns before the canvass.
“I wasn’t aware of any issues with the cameras until today,” he said. “We had some folks watching the ballot counting, but nothing was reported to me.”
Campaign finance: ‘Too much money’
Prescott called the amount of spending in the race excessive, noting that between both candidates, the campaign likely exceeded $400,000 in total expenditures.
In this March file photo, incumbent Tom Scherlen (left) shakes hands with David Prescott, candidate for Amarillo City Council Place 3, while Nune Perez looks on at the First Family Auditorium in Amarillo during a citywide candidate forum.
“I think that’s too much money for a city council race,” he said. “It worries me that we’re going to get into a situation where only people who can raise large amounts of money can run, and that’s not healthy for democracy.”
While grateful for his donors, Prescott said the system should be reevaluated.
“Am I thankful for the money that came in? Absolutely,” he said. “Every donor helped us. But I think there should be caps. We can’t make this a race only for the wealthy or well-connected.”
He also expressed concern about the financial burden faced by his opponent, who reportedly took out a $150,000 personal loan.
“I feel for Tom,” Prescott said. “He’s a retired guy. I hate that he had to go into debt to run for office. That’s not what local service should look like.”
Scherlen’s legacy and community engagement
Scherlen served on the council for two years and became known as a passionate advocate for transparency and frequent host of public discussions. He was a vocal opponent of the city’s controversial abortion travel ordinance.
Prescott praised his opponent’s public accessibility but said his own approach would focus more on streamlining council operations and tackling infrastructure.
“Tom did a great job engaging with residents, no doubt about it,” Prescott said. “He had great loyalty and really showed up. But I don’t know if spending time talking to the same four or five people every week is what moves Amarillo forward.”
Getting up to speed, following up on infrastructure and wastewater costs
Prescott said he has already begun meeting with City Manager Grayson Path and staff to prepare for his new role.
“I’m drinking from a fire hose right now,” he said. “I don’t want to be an anchor to the city council. I want to be ready to vote, understand the contracts, and be prepared. I want to make good, informed decisions from day one.”
A central point of contention during the campaign was the future cost of Amarillo’s wastewater infrastructure upgrades. Critics accused Prescott of exaggerating potential costs, but he said the estimates were based on professional projections — not political fearmongering.
“Our city manager worked on a nearly billion-dollar project in Paris, Texas,” he said. “He’s said early estimates for Amarillo are in that range — maybe more. Now we’re hearing $2 billion for both plants. I’ve asked for the data, and I plan to review it closely.”
Prescott said his professional background gives him insight into how such systems function, though his company, Talon LPE, will not seek city contracts while he’s on the council.
“We clean up contaminated soil and groundwater — we don’t build wastewater plants,” he said. “And we won’t bid on any city work. That’s a hard line. That’s transparency 101.”
Representing all of Amarillo
Prescott acknowledged that with just over 50% of the vote, he will need to work hard to earn the trust of many residents who did not support him.
“You’re not going to make everybody happy,” he said. “But if we spend taxpayer money wisely and make decisions using common sense and logic, people will come around.”
He said he’s already heard from residents with a range of concerns, and he plans to prioritize major infrastructure and public safety issues.
“I’ve had calls about all sorts of things, including things outside the city’s jurisdiction,” he said. “But I want to focus on what really impacts human health and quality of life. We can’t fix everything, but we can focus on the big things that matter most.”
Looking ahead
Prescott said the tone of the campaign was often discouraging but he’s ready to focus on results, not rhetoric.
“There were so many lies out there,” he said. “People saying I wanted to raise taxes by $500 million, or that I was going to personally benefit from city contracts. It was ridiculous. But at the end of the day, people saw through that.”
Now, with the election behind him, Prescott said he’s ready to help steer the city toward solutions.
“I ran to make a difference,” he said. “I’ve got the experience, the track record, and the work ethic. I’m ready to get started.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: David Prescott discusses city of Amarillo priorities in interview
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