The City of Texarkana, Texas has revamped its boards and commissions application process to encourage community members to become actively involved in local government. A new webpage is also now available that provides descriptions of each board, commission and committee along with term dates, duties, residency requirements and meeting schedules.
Texarkana, Texas Mayor Bob Bruggeman encourages residents to consider applying. “From the Airport Board to the University Planned Development District, the recommendations provided by many of our resident board and commissions are a very important part of the local government process,” Mayor Bruggeman said. “Anyone interested is invited to apply for a position on a board or commission serving the City of Texarkana, Texas.”
The City of Texarkana has a number of City Council-appointed Boards, Commissions and Committees, and sometimes the City Council may occasionally appoint ad-hoc committees for special purposes. As a part of this year’s process, the city is proposing to restart Keep Texarkana Beautiful (KTB) which was organized in 2010 for the purpose of promoting the beautification of the Texarkana community.
Texarkana, Texas City Manager David Orr explains the reason for the new initiative.
“The vision of the City of Texarkana, Texas is to be a thriving regional center for education, business and culture which attracts and serves our residents and visitors,” Orr said. “To accomplish our vision and mission, it takes a network of selfless volunteers, who advise the city on its board and commissions.”
Some boards, commissions and committees have residency requirements or require special skills and knowledge, while others do not. Board, commission, and committee members are required to attend regularly scheduled meetings. A current list of each board and commission, along with current appointments and openings can be found at www.ci.texarkana.tx.us/370/Boards-and-Commissions.
The City will receive applications annually from persons interested in serving, generally during the summer months. To begin the process of filling these vacancies, an altered schedule may be necessary the first year and applications will be accepted until July 15th. Applicants to boards and commissions that are currently full will be held for City Council consideration for the next available vacancy.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Evans, Texarkana, Texas City Secretary at (903) 798-3930 or email j.evans@txkusa.org.
