Texarkana A&P Commission Meeting Summary - May 12, 2026

The Texarkana Advertising and Promotion (A&P) Commission held a meeting on May 12, 2026. The board appointed a new member, reallocated funds from a paused bond project, and approved event funding for the Big Damn Water Park and a headlining concert. The commission also reviewed a new downtown cleanup initiative and restructured its annual funding process.

Consent Calendar

• Appointment of Rachel Scott: The board unanimously voted to recommend Rachel Scott, a lifelong Texarkana resident and CFO of DPN Collection (a local hotel management company), for appointment to the A&P Commission. She stated her interest in helping allocate AMP tax revenue to boost local tourism.
• Reallocation of $750,000: Following a pause on a major bond project, the board voted unanimously to reallocate $750,000 from the 2026 budget back into the city's general fund balance. The discussion confirmed the fund balance minimum of $150,000 is maintained.

Discussion Items

• Big Damn Water Park Event Funding: Applicant Leavens requested $181,000 in reimbursable funding for five special events (Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day "Stay and Play," Juneteenth community celebration, Drone Night, and Movie Nights). The board expressed concerns about the Labor Day event conflicting with lake activities, the Juneteenth event conflicting with an established downtown festival, and the Drone Night conflicting with the air show. The applicant agreed to coordinate with downtown organizers. A board member who initially opposed the proposal stated they changed their mind due to the proposed revenue-sharing model, where the applicant returns all gross revenue exceeding $20,000 per event day to the city. The motion passed unanimously.
• Clint Black Concert Funding: Applicant Goldsmith requested $45,000 for a Clint Black concert scheduled for September 12. A board member reported a potential date conflict with the artist's schedule discovered through an agency check, but the applicant insisted the date was secured and pledged to provide a signed contract immediately. The funding is structured as reimbursement for marketing, promotion, and talent fees.
• City Cleanup Initiative: The chairman provided an update on plans to partner with the district court to deploy probationers for weekend and post-event (e.g., Taco Fest) cleanup downtown. No formal A&P action was required, but the board agreed to revisit the issue in three months and consider direct A&P funding if the court partnership fails to materialize.
• Annual Funding Process Restructuring: The board discussed the length of the annual funding workshops, which typically run over four hours, leading to inequitable attention for late-presenting applicants. The board reached a consensus to split the single workshop into two consecutive days for the 2027 funding cycle, followed by a separate meeting for the final vote on allocations.

Key Outcomes

• Rachel Scott recommended for appointment to the A&P Commission.
• $750,000 reallocated to the fund balance.
• $181,000 approved for the Big Damn Water Park event series (reimbursable with revenue sharing over $20k/day).
• $45,000 approved for the KM Sports Entertainment / Clint Black concert, pending standard reimbursement verification.
• Cleanup initiative to be pursued with the district court; A&P funding to be considered as a contingency.
• Annual funding workshop to be split into two consecutive days for the 2027 cycle.