Texarkana, Arkansas, board to vote on water budget, airport subsidies Monday

The Texarkana, Arkansas, Board of Directors will consider the water utility’s annual budget, nearly $655,000 in subsidies for Texarkana Regional Airport and a lead pipe modeling contract when it meets Monday.

The regular meeting begins at 6 p.m. Monday, September 21 at City Hall, 216 Walnut St.

Directors will vote on Texarkana Water Utilities’ fiscal 2026-2027 budget, which projects $57.3 million in revenue and $56.3 million in spending across the utility’s Arkansas, Texas and wholesale funds.

The budget document says water and sewer rates increase for all customers effective Oct. 1.

On the Arkansas side, the utility projects $18.1 million in revenue and $18.8 million in spending, drawing $683,526 from its fund balance. Budget documents attribute the decrease to higher debt service payments. The budget also folds the Mandeville and Union revenue funds into the Arkansas Revenue Fund.

Two resolutions would commit the city to its share of the airport’s 2027 budgets. The airport’s operations and maintenance budget projects $1.6 million in revenue against $2.6 million in expenses, a deficit of $1,017,523. Texarkana, Arkansas, would cover $455,952 and Texarkana, Texas, would cover $561,571, split by population under both cities’ codes.

The airport’s 2027 capital budget carries a $443,362 deficit, with $198,671 falling to the Arkansas side and $244,691 to the Texas side. It includes $100,000 for an aircraft rescue and firefighting truck replacement fund, $275,000 for development of a maintenance, repair and overhaul site, $25,000 for vehicle and information technology replacement and $21,140 in debt service.

The Texarkana Airport Authority approved both budgets Aug. 20. Interim Director Russell Henderson is listed to present them.

On the consent agenda, directors will consider a $282,033.79 contract with WSB LLC of Texarkana, Texas, for predictive modeling of lead service lines. The contract totals $720,025, with the rest paid by the utility’s Texas side.

The modeling is meant to help the utility find which water lines are most likely to contain lead ahead of federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements that take effect Nov. 1, 2027. Those rules require a baseline inventory of every service line, a replacement plan and field verification of lines classified as non-lead, at up to 20 percent of that pool each year. They also lower the lead action level to 0.01 milligrams per liter.

The utility selected WSB from 18 firms that responded to its annual request for qualifications in January, according to the packet. Executive Director Gary Smith is listed to present the item.

Directors also will consider an ordinance granting municipal approval for a private club permit at 2905 Arkansas Blvd. for The Salty Pilot LLC. Jack Lovelis filed the application. State law requires cities to approve private club applications by ordinance before they go to the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division.

The applicant has requested an emergency clause, which would put the ordinance into effect immediately. That requires a separate vote and approval by two-thirds of the board.

Other consent items include minutes from the Sept. 8 meeting and a resolution moving five 2027 board meetings that fall on holidays.

Residents may speak for up to five minutes each during citizen communication, with 50 minutes reserved.

The board’s next meeting is Oct. 5.