Texarkana, ARVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Texarkana Mayor & Board of Directors Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

9 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Director Ward 3 · 1 seat

Director Ward 4 · 1 seat

Director Ward 5 · 1 seat

All city voters choose the mayor. Voters in Wards 3, 4 and 5 each choose their own ward's director. Wards 1, 2 and 6 are not on the ballot.

2 notes on these statements

Mayor Allen Brown is not on the city's 2026 candidate list for mayor. City of Texarkana, Arkansas

Laney Harris, Tammy Waters, Jennifer Harland, Otha Williams, Clinton Brewster, Natasha Crabbe, T.J. Wall, Danny Jewell and Laura Nix were listed as scheduled to attend a candidate meet-and-greet at Lonoke Baptist Church. Texarkana Gazette · Sep 28, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Terry RobertsWard 1 Director on the Texarkana, Arkansas Board of Directors.2sourcedSteve SmithWard 6 Director on the Texarkana, Arkansas Board of Directors.2sourced

Start here

Match quiz4 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesAirport and the juvenile center demolition, City budget and the audit, Street repairKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Early voting begins

Mon, Oct 19, 2026

All key dates

What the next council decides

Airport and the juvenile center demolition

Where it standsIn March 2026 the board approved the engineering agreement and bid authority to demolish the former juvenile detention center on airport property, over objections from two directors.

What's on the tableWhether the city keeps paying its share of airport deficits and how it handles the demolition and the planned airport maintenance facility.

  • Airport Director Paul Mehrlich said the FAA requires the building to come down before the extended runway can open. TXK Today
  • The demolition work is estimated at $300,000 to $320,000 and is to be funded through a $400,000 grant split 50-50 between the Arkansas Division of Aeronautics and the two cities. TXK Today
  • The airport's 2027 operations budget projects a deficit of $1,017,523, of which Texarkana, Arkansas, would cover $455,952. TXK Today

City budget and the audit

Where it standsCandidates and directors are raising how the city spends money and how it chooses its outside auditor.

What's on the tableHow the board sets the annual budget, whether to seek competitive bids for the audit, and whether to change the city's sales tax.

  • Director Jewell questioned recurring 3% fee increases in the audit contract and asked for competitive bids; the renewal passed with Director Harris casting the lone no vote. TXK Today
  • Candidate T.J. Wall says he has written a Financial Recovery Proposal and wants a path to phase out the Arkansas-side sales tax. TXK Today

Street repair

Where it standsThe city is designing and contracting work under its 2025 street bond program.

What's on the tableWhich streets the next board adds or schedules for repair and how it pays for them.

Grocery access in College Hill

Where it standsThe city manager announced a public survey and a Chamber of Commerce committee working on bringing a grocery store back to College Hill.

What's on the tableHow much the city and the ward's director take part in recruiting a grocer.

  • City Manager Tyler Richards announced a new public survey on community needs in efforts to bring a grocery store back to College Hill. TXK Today
  • A Chamber of Commerce representative said the group is working on a recruitment packet to pitch to national grocers. TXK Today
  • Assistant Mayor Harris said in September 2025 that the College Hill area would not have a grocery store since Save-A-Lot would be closing. City of Texarkana, Arkansas · Sep 2, 2025

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should the city do about the former juvenile detention center on airport property?

  2. 2. What should the city do about the Arkansas-side sales tax?

  3. 3. How should the city choose its outside auditor?

  4. 4. What should the city do about street repair?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Terry Roberts, Steve Smith4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Texarkana, Arkansas, has a city manager form of government: the elected Board of Directors sets policy and a city manager hired by the board runs the city day to day. TXK Today
  • Six directors are each elected by the voters of their own ward to four-year terms, and the mayor is elected citywide to a four-year term. TXK Today
  • The mayor presides over board meetings and votes as a member of the board. TXK Today

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