Potter County appoints Mary Willis as fire marshal, sets $5,000 bond

Mary Willis, a firefighter and investigator who retired from the Amarillo Police Department after 25 years, asked the court to appoint her as Potter County fire marshal and outlined goals for education, inspection, abatement and investigations. "At this time, I would like to ask to be appointed as your Potter County Fire Marshal," Willis told the court.

Willis described plans to increase school outreach, work with neighborhoods on abatement and pursue Firewise community recognition, noting that mitigation efforts would rely heavily on volunteers and partnerships with local and state agencies. She said the fire marshal’s office would coordinate abatement work, investigations and education and invited commissioners to attend community meetings.

The county attorney explained the legal steps required to create a fully authorized fire marshal position under Chapter 352 of the Local Government Code, including appointment, setting a bond and deciding whether the office should report directly to the court or operate under the fire chief’s authority. "The first thing that has to be done is the court has to appoint the fire marshal," the county attorney said, and recommended a typical bond amount of $5,000.

Following discussion about supervision, resources and fee schedules, commissioners moved, seconded and approved three actions: appoint Mary Willis as Potter County fire marshal, set the bond at $5,000, and delegate day‑to‑day supervision to the fire chief. The court asked Willis and staff to return with any needed memoranda of understanding with city agencies, proposed fee schedules for inspections, and recommendations for code or ordinance changes needed to implement enforcement.