City Council may tap new member

The Texarkana, Texas, City Council is likely to appoint a new member at its meeting Monday.

The council will interview the two applicants for the Ward 4 seat, which has been vacant since Brian Matthews resigned from it July 28. If, as expected, the council decides to appoint one of the candidates, he or she will be sworn in immediately.

Special education teacher Christie Murray-Alcorn and associate professor Walter Casey applied to complete Matthews’ term, which ends in November 2018.

A public hearing on the planned city budget for fiscal year 2018 is also on the agenda. The budget proposes a property tax rate increase from $.70 to $.74 that would generate more than $885,000. The new rate would mean $40 more a year in property taxes per $100,000 in home value.

The council will vote on whether to establish a Budget Advisory Committee to advise it on the fiscal 2018 budget. The committee would comprise seven citizens, one appointed by each council member and another by the mayor.

The council will also conduct a public hearing on formally adopting collective bargaining with the Texarkana, Texas, Fire Department. City residents voted in November 2016 to allow TTFD firefighters to engage in collective bargaining with the city.

The meeting includes an open forum during which members of the public may address the council on any topic for up to five minutes each.

The full agenda and supporting documents are available on the city’s website at texarkanacitytx.iqm2.com/ Citizens/Default.aspx.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.

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