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Arp, TX water tower IMG 4418Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY 3.0
Town Hall · Arp

How is Arp run?

Arp’s city government spent $375,000 on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $359 per resident. Water and other utilities ($72,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Election Day

Tomorrow

General election in Texas.

Register or check: vote.gov ↗
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$375,000
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$359
In 2022: $359, less than 57% of 346 similar cities
Long-term debt
$2.5M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
12
full-time · 0 part-time · March payroll $43,164
Typical tax bill
$1,340
1.26% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Arp is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

★ What stands out · Your share of the 2022 budget

About $359 per resident a year, or $0.98 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 50%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 27%Property taxes 20%Fees & charges 18%Sales taxes 18%Interest, fines & other 12%From other local governments 5%
Not in the receipt.Interest on debt $106,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $553,000.
Compared with similar places

$359 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Arp’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($359 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $433, and the middle half spent $184–$752. Arp spent less than 57% of them.

Middle half of the group, $184–$752Median $433Arp

Includes sewer and trash ($187,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
346

Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Arp itself left out).

Over the years

No trend yet

Arp reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $1,340 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.26% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Arp$1,340
$1,340
typical bill a year
1.26%
effective rate
$106,100
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Arp’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Arp’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Arp →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Arp

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See arptx.com for Arp’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Arp yet.arptx.com ↗
Agendas

Arp’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on arptx.com ↗.

Who works for Arp

One full-time city employee for every 87 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,046).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police6
Water & other utilities2
Administration & buildings1
Courts, inspections & corrections1
Roads & transportation1
Parks & libraries1
12
full-time
0
part-time
$43,164
payroll for March 2022
$517,968
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$43,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
6
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Arp had 11.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 295 of the 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 6.1: Arp had more than 86% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Arp Independent School District

Arp’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Arp →
$13,485
per pupil · TX $12,815
1,002
students
$15.1 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,485 per pupil, $8,550 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 34%State 56%Federal 10%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Arp’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arp alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Smith County’s results.

President · Smith County’s results104,186 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican71.9%74,862 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat26.9%28,041 votes

Others: 1.2% (1,283 votes).

Most votes in Smith County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Arp lies in Smith County. Every 2024 race in Smith County is on the county’s page.

Smith County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Arp

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Arp.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
    Officials: arptx.com ↗
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Arp’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Arp’s government

How much does Arp spend per resident?

About $359 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $359 was less than 57% of 346 Texas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Arp?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,340 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.26% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see arptx.com.

Who runs Arp’s government?

See arptx.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Arp yet.

How did Arp vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Arp alone. Smith County, where 100% of Arp lies, voted Trump 71.9%, Harris 26.9% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Arp?

12 full-time and 0 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $43,164 (about $517,968 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Arp in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Bryan Hughes) and State House District 6 (Daniel Alders). The House district also covers eight other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Arp’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →