Texas-side city officials taking applications for Ward 4 seat

The Texarkana, Texas, City Council is accepting applications to fill its vacant seat and plans to appoint a new member within about three weeks.

Those who wish to represent Ward 4 on the council must submit a letter of interest and an application to City Secretary Jennifer Evans by 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4.

The application form is available at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., or on the city’s website at ci.texarkana.tx.us/171/City-Council.

To qualify, a candidate must be a registered voter who has lived in Ward 4 for at least six months and in Texas for 12 months prior to the election.

All applications and letters of interest will be public record and included with the agenda for the Aug. 14 council meeting. The council will interview all interested candidates during that meeting. If the council chooses an applicant, he or she could be sworn in and begin serving immediately.

Brian Matthews held the Ward 4 seat from 2012 until Monday, when he resigned because he has moved out of the ward and therefore no longer qualifies to represent it. His term expires in November 2018.

Ward 4 is an area bound roughly by Interstate 30, College Drive, North State Line Avenue and Interstate 369. It contains Spring Lake Park, Texas High School, Texas Middle School and Texarkana College. A map of city wards is available online at arcg.is/2tzN3jU.