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Texarkana April 2016 002 (Texarkana Texas City Hall)Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Town Hall · Texarkana

How is Texarkana run?

Texarkana’s city government spent $42.2 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, about $1,172 per resident. Water and other utilities ($9.5 million) are counted separately.

Town website
Next public meeting

City Council

6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers

All meetings →
Day-to-day spending, 2023
$42.2M
year to September 30, 2023
Per resident, 2023
$1,172
In 2022: $1,008, less than 57% of 30 similar cities
Long-term debt
$44.1M
end of FY2023, reported
City staff, 2025
528
full-time · 13 part-time · March payroll $2.7M
Typical tax bill
$2,379
1.39% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Texarkana is run

Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.

Agendas posted online6 upcoming meetings posted, with agendas.Mayor Bob BruggemanAs listed by Open States, October 9, 2026.Runs its own water & sewer32% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2023).A shared school districtShares Texarkana Independent School District with 2 other towns.
★ What stands out · Meetings

6 upcoming meetings at town hall

From Texarkana’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.

Recent meetings

  • Nov2
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 220 Texas BlvdPlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 220 Texas BlvdPlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Nov2
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 220 Texas BlvdPlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingMeeting page ↗
  • Oct12
    City CouncilMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council ChambersCity Council MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct5
    Planning & Zoning CommissionMonday · 6:00 pm · City Hall Council Chambers, 220 Texas BlvdPlanning & Zoning Commission MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Go in person

Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.

Agenda portal ↗
Your share of the 2023 budget

About $1,172 per resident a year, or $3.21 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 18%.

Where the money comes from
Sales taxes 31%Property taxes 23%Utility sales 18%Fees & charges 14%From the federal government 7%Interest, fines & other 4%From the state 2%Other taxes & licenses 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $6.6 million; interest on debt $1.3 million. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $59.6 million.
Compared with similar places

$1,008 per resident in 2022, close to the middle of similar cities

Texarkana’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,008 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 30 Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,078, and the middle half spent $858–$1,268. Texarkana spent less than 57% of them.

Middle half of the group, $858–$1,268Median $1,078Texarkana

Includes sewer and trash ($6.8 million), 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
30

Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Texarkana itself left out).

Over the years

Day-to-day spending is up 16% since 2022

Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Texarkana reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.

Day-to-day spending by fiscal year

2022$36.5 million
2023$42.2 million

Per resident: 2022: $1,008 · 2023: $1,172.

City staff
528

full-time in March 2025, up from 527 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.

Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Texarkana

From public records with a current term; a name is hidden the day its term ends.

Bob BruggemanMayor · as listed by Open States, October 9, 2026Office of the Mayor ↗

Council members and agencies: ci.texarkana.tx.us ↗

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,379 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.39% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Red Lick$4,276
Texas$4,232
Wake Village$2,941
Texarkana$2,379
Nash$2,115
$2,379
typical bill a year
1.39%
effective rate
$171,500
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

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

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

Who works for Texarkana

One full-time city employee for every 68 residents

On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2023 finance file (36,017).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025

Police92
Fire75
Water & other utilities58
Sewer & trash54
Roads & transportation46
Parks & libraries43 + 5 pt
Administration & buildings18 + 7 pt
Health & welfare17
Courts, inspections & corrections7 + 1 pt
Housing & development5
Other113
528
full-time
13
part-time
$2.7M
payroll for March 2025
$32.4M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$61,200
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
82
sworn police officers
73
full-time firefighters
Not compared.Staff are compared with the same group as the budget, and Texarkana’s 2022 budget was a Census estimate, so there is no group to compare with.

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

Texarkana Independent School District

Texarkana’s K–12 school district, shared with Nash, Wake Village. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Texarkana →
$13,608
per pupil · TX $12,815
7,276
students
$169.4 million
long-term debt

Of the $13,608 per pupil, $8,179 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 35%State 47%Federal 19%

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

Also serving Texarkana

Pleasant Grove Independent School District · $11,462 per pupil

Liberty-Eylau Independent School District · $13,367 per pupil

Red Lick Independent School District · $11,867 per pupil

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

Elections · 2024 general election

Texarkana’s votes are counted by county

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

President · Bowie County’s results36,711 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican73.9%27,122 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat25.3%9,282 votes

Others: 0.8% (307 votes).

Most votes in Bowie County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

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

Bowie 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 Texarkana

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Texarkana.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor
    Bob Bruggemanas listed by Open States, October 9, 2026
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
    District 1
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
    Bryan Hughes
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Greg Abbott
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Nathaniel Moran
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
    John CornynTed Cruz

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

Next door

How Texarkana compares with the towns next door

Texarkana spent $1,008 per resident in 2022; the 2 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $84 to $1,300. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Nash: $1,300 per resident (2022)Wake Village: no reported 2022 figuresRed Lick: $84 per resident (2022)NashWake VillageRed LickTexarkana
Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Red Lick$84$4,276
Nash$1,300$2,115
Wake Villageestimate$2,941
Texarkana$1,008$2,379

Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).

Reach Texarkana’s government

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

The Handbook →
Official websiteci.texarkana.tx.us ↗

Questions about Texarkana’s government

How much does Texarkana spend per resident?

About $1,172 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2023, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,008 was less than 57% of 30 Texas cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Texarkana?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,379 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.39% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.texarkana.tx.us.

Who is the mayor of Texarkana?

Bob Bruggeman, as listed by Open States (checked October 9, 2026). The council and agencies are listed on ci.texarkana.tx.us.

How did Texarkana vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Texarkana alone. Bowie County, where 100% of Texarkana lies, voted Trump 73.9%, Harris 25.3% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Texarkana?

528 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $2.7M (about $32.4M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Texarkana in the state legislature?

State Senate District 1 (Bryan Hughes) and State House District 1. The House district also covers 34 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

When is the next public meeting in Texarkana?

The next posted meeting is City Council on Monday, November 9, at 6:00 pm in City Hall Council Chambers, from the city’s own agenda portal.

Ask neighbors about Texarkana’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 →