Wichita Falls council says lake lots won’t be sold after executive session; residents press for input, lower prices

The Wichita Falls City Council voted after executive session on May 6, 2025, to keep city-owned lots at Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo off the market for the foreseeable future.

The decision follows months of resident requests to allow purchases of leased lots. In public comment at the council meeting, multiple residents said sample appraisals produced prices well above what many lot-holders could afford and asked the city to create a formalized process for resident input on lake property decisions.

Why it matters: dozens of lot owners told the council the parcels are core to family life and local recreation and said high appraisal figures would force some longtime residents to leave the lakes. The city’s appraisal work and legal obligations — and the council’s choice not to sell — affect household finances, local neighborhoods and future maintenance expectations for parks, roads and services at both lakes.

Council and staff description of the legal and appraisal constraints

Mayor Tim Short told the meeting that, following executive-session deliberations, “we are not gonna sell any lake lots at any price at any time in the foreseeable future.” City staff later said that state law requires municipalities to sell property at fair-market value as set by a certified appraiser. Council…