Texarkana A&P Commission approves FY2026 budget, asks for bond timeline and economic-impact analysis

The Texarkana Advertising & Promotion Commission on a voice roll call approved its fiscal year 2026 budget after an extended discussion about a proposed parks capital bond and how it would affect grant funding.

Unidentified staff, who presented the budget, said the packet included a late revision reallocating $267,000 into the parks line and estimated that contractual expenses and the bond payment would bring FY2026 expenses to “about 1,200,000 in expenses, and then you'll end with a fund balance of about $331,000.” The presenter also told commissioners that the commission's A&P fund should keep a minimum reserve of $150,000.

Why it matters: Commissioners weighed whether to prioritize continuing grant awards or to invest A&P money in a larger capital project intended to attract more tournaments and tourism revenue. Staff said a bond would reduce the annual pool available for discretionary grants to roughly the level the presenter estimated ($150,000 annually) but could support a one-time capital upgrade expected to boost long-term visitation.

What was proposed and debated: Staff described a bond structure tied to a 15-year amortization and explained that the supplier estimates synthetic turf life at about 20 years (with high-wear areas replaced via cutouts). The presenter said bond counsel and a public finance firm are preparing a timeline; bonds would be issued through the Public Facilities Board and require transferring park property to that board. The presenter described two cost scenarios discussed earlier: a $7,000,000 bond for the current park project or roughly $30,000,000 to build an entirely new complex.

Commissioners asked for clearer data before committing. Several members asked staff to run the local project through IMPLAN and to share the Texas study the presenter referenced so the commission can assess whether hotel and sales-tax gains would justify reduced grant capacity. The presenter said quotes for a three-phase economic-impact study ran about $30,000–$40,000 and offered to share the Texas-side report and run the local numbers.

Formal action: Unidentified Speaker 3 moved to approve the FY2026 budget and Unidentified Speaker 4 seconded. A roll call recorded affirmative votes (Mills, Director Jewell, Holmes, Wright, Dotson and Brewer); the motion carried. (Dodson was later annotated as present for the record.)

What's next: Staff will provide the bond counsel's timeline and the IMPLAN economic-impact output ahead of a scheduled vote to formally enter the lease with the Public Facilities Board, which staff said would be the initial procedural step to fund the bond.

Quotes: “If you were to move forward with that large project, then this is what y'all would have left over,” the budget presenter said, summarizing projected grant capacity under the bond scenario. “The consensus was to move forward with that,” the presenter added about preliminary direction from a prior meeting, while noting no formal vote had been taken on issuing bonds.

Context and clarifications: The presenter said recent grant cycles had drawn down fund balance and that last year the commission went into the red; the pause on allocations reflected an effort to rebuild reserves and align bylaws and internal processes. Contractual obligations the presenter identified included legal services, advertising contracts (current through December), finance staff and park superintendent salaries, and ADC worker costs tied to bylaw commitments.

The commission did not adopt any bond authorization at this meeting; members instead directed staff to produce the requested impact analysis and bond schedule so the board can take a formal vote at a future meeting.