Texarkana mayor urges approval of three-question streets and drainage bond; estimated $50 per $100,000 impact

The mayor of Texarkana, Arkansas, told residents the city will ask voters in November to approve a three-question streets and drainage bond package that leaders say is needed to address a roughly $6.5 million annual shortfall in maintaining roads and drainage.

The proposal puts three questions on the Nov. 18 ballot: Question 1 seeks roughly $2.4 million to refund outstanding 2012 street-improvement bonds; Question 2 would authorize about $41.9 million (commonly rounded to $42 million) for street rehabilitation; and Question 3 would authorize about $5.4 million for drainage projects, including dredging major creeks. The mayor said Question 1 must pass to free up 2.5 mills so the city can reach the statutory 5-mill limit that would enable the additional borrowing described in Questions 2 and 3.

City officials said the ballot figures are maximums based on what property-tax revenue could be over the next 10–20 years and that the initial issuance is expected to be smaller. Officials estimate the city will receive about $25–27 million in the first issuance, with roughly $21 million targeted for street work and $4 million for drainage.

If approved, the package would be funded by a modest property-tax increase the mayor estimated at about $50 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value. The mayor and staff clarified that homeowners who currently have their property value frozen under county rules (for example, seniors with an existing freeze) would still see the stated $50-per-$100,000 calculation applied to the assessed value on record; reassessment rules and exemptions determine when a frozen assessment resets.

Officials described the contents and timing of the work: a city-commissioned street study by consultant Infrahub produced a prioritized list based on pavement condition and cost-benefit analysis; the mayor said 58 streets are on the initial priority list for full rehabilitation. Work would be contractor-driven after engineering and bidding; officials estimated bond proceeds would likely be available in April or May 2026 and that completing the prioritized streets could take up to two years.

Drainage projects outlined by staff include cleaning and dredging Nicks Creek and Jones Creek to address localized flooding. The mayor also described three ways the city could extend the bond’s reach: projects coming in under budget, investing bond proceeds short-term to earn interest while construction is staged, and potential differences in market rates or revenue projections that could increase available funds.

Staff and attendees discussed debt-service assumptions. The city’s bond formula assumes a 20-year debt-service schedule; officials described the consultants’ approach as conservative and referenced the 2012 bond, which city leadership said was repaid ahead of schedule.

Officials announced a series of ward-level town halls and additional meetings before board meetings to explain the plan and answer residents’ questions: Ward 1 on Oct. 21 at Life House Church; Ward 3 on Oct. 23 (location to be determined); Ward 4 on Oct. 28 (location to be determined); Ward 6 on Oct. 30 at Sugar Hill United Methodist Church; Ward 5 on Nov. 6 at Central Baptist Church (5:30 p.m.); Ward 2 location and time were listed as to be determined. Early voting times and locations were given by staff; officials said early voting would include dates in mid-November at the American Legion Building (525 E. Broad St.) and that Election Day is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18.

The mayor closed by urging residents to attend the town halls, review the Infrahub priority list (available through the public works department and the city website), and vote in November to support long-term maintenance of the city’s streets and drainage.

The board did not take a formal vote at the meeting; the presentation and public schedule were informational.