New Face Behind the Gavel at HP Town Council Meeting

Amelia Bo Marynick may not have finished the school year at Bradfield Elementary, but on April 1 she had the top job in Highland Park.

As “Mayor For a Day,” Marynick conducted a very efficient Highland Park town council meeting with some help from full-time Mayor Will C. Beecherl.

With Marynick standing by, Beecherl read a proclamation recognizing April 6-12 as National Library Week in the town of Highland Park.

“You love libraries don’t you, Mayor Amelia? What’s your favorite part about the library?” Beercherl asked.

“I like that every month there’s a craft,” Marynick responded.

Town librarian Kortney Nelson encouraged residents who do not have library cards to get one. Click HERE to visit the library’s webpage and learn more about its programming.

During a study session after the meeting, the town council reviewed the Highland Park Department of Public Safety’s Texas Law Enforcement Agency Racial Profiling Report for 2024. 

The town heard both the state-required report on data related to traffic stops and a Municipal Court report, which is not mandated by law. Neither independent review found any concerns about inequity based on race.

“Congratulations to you all for having a due process-based court system that’s fair and is consistent with everyone,” Alex del Carmen, a nationally-recognized expert in racial sensitivity training and bias-based profiling, told the council after presenting the Municipal Court report.

Most traffic stops, del Carmen said, resulted in warnings as opposed to citations, and there was no evidence of racial bias. “Congratulations to the chief, to the leadership of the department, for doing such a spectacular job,” he said.