Board to mull residency requirement for A&P Commission

Only one action item is on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Texarkana, Ark., Board of Directors.

The board is expected to vote on an ordinance that would expand the candidate pool for members of the city Advertising and Promotion Commission.

Under current rules, four of the seven A&P commissioners must live in Texarkana, Ark., and be owners or managers of hotels or restaurants within the city limits.

The proposed change would let those commissioners be residents of Miller County, not just Texarkana, as recently revised state law allows.

The board voted Aug. 7 to appoint Sandy Varner, owner of Pop’s Place restaurant, to the commission. One seat is vacant.

At the board’s Aug. 21 meeting, A&P commissioner and Ward 1 Director

Linda Teeters emphasized that the residency requirement is all that would change.

“Living in Miller County changes nothing about how their business collects the tax, nor does it change how the A&P would disperse those funds,” she said.

The A&P Commission authorizes use of revenues from the city’s 3 percent hotel and 2 percent restaurant taxes to support the city’s tourism and hospitality industries.

Finance Director TyRhonda Henderson will present a budget variance report at the meeting. A draft distributed Friday shows year-to-date revenues of $8,437,891, 46 percent of the amount estimated for the year. So far in 2017, the city has spent $8,786,770, 45 percent of estimated expenditures.

The agenda includes a citizens communication time during which members of the public may address the board on any subject for up to five minutes each.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 216 Walnut St.

On Twitter: @RealKarlRichter