Potter County

Potter County Offices

Potter County Town List

Potter County is named after Texas Secretary of the Navy Robert Potter, who helped compose the Texas Declaration of Independence. Amarillo, the county seat, stems from Spanish meaning yellow due to the soil color in Amarillo Creek. Most houses were also painted yellow as an honor to the name. 

The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, is a well-known stop on Texas’ Route 66 for its scrumptious steak challenge. Additionally, the city is home to the famous space museum, the Don Harrington Discovery Center, the Space Theater, and other renowned theaters and art events. 

Counties that border Potter County include Moore County on the North, Carson County on the East, South by Randall County, and Oldham county sits on the West. In terms of geographic location, it lies on latitude 35°25′ North latitude and longitude 101°53′ W.  

Topography 

The clay-rich soil of the region is referred to as Amarillo, which in Spanish means “yellow”. The upper plains, primarily flat and desolate, include grassy grasslands and irrigated farmland.  

Atmospheric conditions here are semi-arid continental in nature, with significant seasonal temperature fluctuations and a significant amount of wind. Temperatures rise throughout the day, but the nights are comfortable as well. Temperatures can plummet below zero at any time of day or night due to the unpredictable nature of the winter’s warm and cold air masses.   

Spring and summer are prime times for thunderstorms and snowstorms, respectively. As the storm track moves northward, droughts and dust storms are possible. In the northern hemisphere, the first freeze occurs in early November, and the last freeze occurs in late April. 

The county sits 3,000 to 3,800 feet above sea level, with the region covering 902 square miles. Soil types are predominantly red and chocolate loams, with a bit of sand and clay. Lake Meredith is an eight-mile-long lake located in Potter County’s northwest, formed after the Canadian River damming in 1965. 

Economic Activity 

In the Amarillo region, agriculture’s primary source of income is cattle. Amarillo’s net income increased significantly between 2010 and 2016, averaging roughly $150 million each year. Cash payments from cattle reached a new high in 2015.  

In 2016, they plunged rapidly, adding to the local economy’s decline. Farmers only earned $124 million in 2016, a $240 million decrease from 2015. The same thing happened in 2015 as well as last year.  

Residents and commuters who live outside the Amarillo metro area benefit from a recent uptick in the local economy. 

As a result, Amarillo has experienced an influx of more than $125 million annually from local families over the past decade. The country’s major oil and gas producing areas experienced a rebirth in the decade prior. In turn, this has resulted in a rise in the country’s foreign exchange revenues. 

Potter County Historical Background 

The county’s economy flourished and altered substantially when new railways entered the region in the late 1890s and early 1900s. An enormous divisional office was constructed in town in 1899 by the Santa Fe line. A blacksmith and machine shop, as well as an eight-stall engine house, was also built. As a result, by 1904, the county was connected to rail lines coming from Southern Kansas, Pecos, and northern Texas regions.  

Natural gas and petroleum were discovered in massive quantities during this time. An enormous shift in the local economy occurred as a result. A gas field 25 miles northwest of Amarillo was discovered in 1918. It swiftly rose to the top of the global rankings.  

Potter County had no oil in the first decade of the twentieth century. Phillips Oil, Shamrock Oil and Gas, Magnolia Petroleum, and the Texas Corporation (Texaco) established headquarters in Amarillo after discovering large quantities of oil nearby and a massive refinery to treat it all was erected east of the city. 

Cowboys and ranches are very important to the people of Amarillo. Some remnants of Amarillo’s heyday as a Route 66 hotspot may still be seen around. Until recently, the region was inaccessible because of the extreme heat of the plains, but modern transportation, heating, and air conditioning have made it possible. As a result of these changes, non-Western cultural institutions are becoming as rare as trees in the city’s central region. 

Commissioners Court 

Four commissioners are elected from “commissioner precincts” (so named since each precinct only has one member), while a county judge is chosen at large. The Board of Commissioners in Potter County consists of five members.  

The county judge has no power to overturn a decision made by the commissioner’s court. It is up to the commissioners to select how they vote based on their preferences (being the tie-breaker in close calls).  

The county judge has a lot of judicial duties when the county is tiny. It is easier for a judge to sit on the commissioners’ court and sign off on elections if the county is larger. The commissioner’s court is in charge of approving the county budget and making important policy choices because elected authorities like the sheriff and tax collector aren’t in control of these matters.  

Voting districts are modified every ten years to ensure that all residents have equal voting power and to account for the preferences of those who live in the county at large.  

The county judge, Lucy Tanner, can be contacted at [email protected] or (806) 379-2250. 

County Offices 

Sworn peace officers, constables have the same authority as regular peace officers and can be summoned to incidents. Potter County has constables on call to deal with truancy charges. Constables deliver subpoenas and other critical documents of the civil and criminal judicial systems. As a bailiff for the courts, the constable ensures that everything runs well as a bailiff for the courts. Constabulary officers also handle the office’s finances and collect money or property from persons who have been compelled to do so by a court of law.   

• Darryl Wertz heads Constable Precinct One, and the physical address to his office is  900 S. Polk, Suite 413, Amarillo, TX 79101. Alternatively, he’s available by phone at (806) 379-2399. 
• Constable Precinct Two is led by Georgia Estrada, whose physical address is 500 S. Fillmore, Suite 503, Amarillo, TX 79101 or telephone (806) 379-2436. 
• Chip Parker is the Constable at Precinct three, and the physical address is 13651 I-40 West, Amarillo, TX 79124 and available through phone at (806) 242-3407. 
• The constable at Precinct Four is Idella Jackson, whose address is 500 S. Fillmore, Suite 326, Amarillo, TX 79101, or via phone number (806) 349-4945. 

The county auditor is responsible for ensuring that the county’s financial records are correct and that all of the money the county spends is per the budget and the applicable legislation. Every elected official’s books and financial records are available to the county auditor at all times, and the auditor performs several audits of the county’s financial operations.  

The county auditor and the county commissioners must approve claims for county funds. A system of “checks and balances” ensures the financial security of the county. You may reach the county auditor by calling (806) 349-4801 or emailing [email protected]. 

There are three judges on the Seventh Circuit’s bench with the chief justice. A Chief Justice presides over the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. If you’re appealing from a lower court in 46 Texas counties, this court can hear your case. Disputes that aren’t post-conviction writs of habeas corpus or death penalty appeals can be heard by this court from lower courts in civil cases if the judgment is greater than $100, fees excluded.  

The chief judge to the Seventh Circuit is Hon. Diane S. Sykes from the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building. The physical address to the office is 517 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202. Alternatively, you may contact the Chief Judge through the Seventh Circuit Clerk’s Office via telephone at (312) 435-5850.