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Texarkana council adopts 2025–26 budget and sets property tax rate at $0.65 per $100
Summary
The City of Texarkana unanimously adopted the fiscal 2025–26 budget and approved a property tax rate of $0.65 per $100 of assessed valuation — an increase the city characterized as effectively 7.65% — and ratified a related ordinance that raises more total property taxes than the prior year.
The Texarkana City Council on Wednesday adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a property tax rate of $0.65 per $100 of assessed valuation. Council members voted unanimously to adopt the budget and to ratify an ordinance noting the newly adopted budget contains a property tax rate that raises more total property taxes than the previous year.
What happened: Council approved Ordinance No. 2025‑120 (adopting the budget and appropriating resources for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025) after a roll call vote. Council also approved motions allocating components of the tax rate, including maintenance and operations and interest and sinking components, and then approved the overall property tax rate of $0.65 per $100. Council members who made motions and took part in roll calls included Council member Hart (motion to approve the budget) and Council member Page (moved the ad valorem tax rate motions). City Secretary Jennifer Evans conducted roll calls during the votes.
Why it matters: The council’s actions set city revenue and spending levels for the coming fiscal year and establish the tax levy that will appear on property owner bills. The council also passed an ordinance ratifying the recently adopted budget that contains the property tax rate and acknowledged that it “raises more total property taxes” than the prior year.
Votes and procedure: The budget ordinance and tax rate measures were carried unanimously in roll‑call votes; council members present — Meador, Davis (Jay Davis, council member, Ward 6), Hart, Matlock, Page (Christie Page, council member, Ward 4) and Mayor Barry Bruggeman — all voted yes. The city read the required motions into the record prior to each roll‑call vote.
Details: Council read separate motions addressing the maintenance and operations portion and the interest and sinking debt service portion, and motions referencing T1 and T2 jurisdiction components for debt service. A final motion stated that adopting the tax rate of 0.65 represents a 7.65% increase relative to the prior rate; the council approved that motion as required by state rules for tax increases.
Next steps: The tax levy will be applied to the property rolls for fiscal 2025–26; the council did not discuss any additional changes to the budget at Wednesday’s meeting.
