Texarkana A&P board votes to suspend grant funding in 2026 to rebuild reserves
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Summary
The Texarkana A&P board voted to suspend discretionary grant funding for 2026 by recorded roll call after reviewing projected revenues, a forthcoming $700,000 annual bond payment for a baseball-field project and recurring obligations; staff will notify applicants by letter.
The Texarkana A&P board voted to suspend discretionary grant funding for calendar year 2026 to allow the board’s fund balance to rebuild. The motion — “no grant funding for 2026, which will allow the fund balance to build” — was made by Member (Speaker 6), seconded by Member (Speaker 4) and passed by roll call with six votes in favor and one opposed.
The vote followed a presentation from finance staff (Speaker 5) who said projected revenue for the fund is “roughly 1,500,000.0” and outlined the board’s annual obligations, including attorney fees and park staff salaries. Member (Speaker 4) reminded the board of a previously approved baseball-field bond the board expects will require $700,000 per year for 15 years on a roughly $5,000,000 project, which reduces the pool available for discretionary grants.
Board members debated alternatives before the vote. Member (Speaker 3) urged placing a cap on grant awards rather than an outright suspension; staff had proposed options ranging from a $0 to a $150,000 cap on grants. Finance staff asked that any motion be specific (for example, “place a $150,000 total cap on grants funded for 2026”) so the office can implement the board’s direction precisely.
After the vote, staff said they will prepare and circulate a letter to previous applicants announcing that no grants will be available for 2026 and invited board members to suggest wording. One member suggested the notice explain the decision as a temporary reset to rebuild the fund balance and to reinforce the board’s grant policy (including the expectation that multi-year grantees be self-sustaining after about three years).
Finance staff also noted that grant reimbursements often arrive late in the year and that year-end carryover can therefore vary; the board’s estimate of discretionary funds to reallocate ranged from roughly $150,000 to $180,000 in available funds if the bond obligation and other commitments are counted. Members were told the board is not yet contractually obligated for the bond payment in the current budget cycle and that parks operations would be covered by the city if grant support were withdrawn.
The board expected phone inquiries after the announcement and agreed staff would draft messaging and circulate it to members for approval. The meeting adjourned after the board completed the agenda.
