The city of Texarkana, Ark., is requesting applications to fill two vacant seats on its Advertising and Promotions Commission.
A July 14 letter from City Manager Kenny Haskin to managers and owners of local hotels, motels and restaurants asks anyone qualified and interested in serving to apply.
The letter does not name a deadline. An application form is available on the city's website, arkansas.txkusa.org.
Applicants must be Texarkana, Ark., residents who own or manage hotels/motels or businesses selling prepared food and beverages in the city.
"The vacancy will be filled by nomination made by the remaining members of the Commission with approval by the City Board of Directors," the letter states.
A pair of recent resignations created the vacancies. Deborah Wright resigned from the commission in March, and Randy Thomas resigned following completion of the commission's new bylaws July 7.
Thomas recently moved to Texarkana, Texas, and therefore no longer meets the Arkansas-side residency qualification to serve on the commission. The commission's attorney, Joshua Potter, has advised it that a commissioner whose qualification status changes can legally complete his or her term, he said. However, Thomas chose to resign to avoid any perception of impropriety, he said at the commission's July 7 meeting.
In a July 8 email to the commission made public as part of meeting agenda materials, Potter also advised that "members of the commission may be appointed to successive terms on the commission.
"The commission, with the exception of the member who is up for reappointment, must vote on the reappointment of the member. Then, the city board must approve the appointment."
The commission authorizes use of revenues from Texarkana, Ark.'s 3 percent hotel and 2 percent restaurant taxes to support the city's tourism and hospitality industries.
For 2016, the commission distributed $418,240 among 21 recipients, including Texarkana, Ark., Baseball Association, Texarkana Parks and Recreation, Four States Fair and Rodeo and Four States Auto Museum.
For more information about the application process, call City Clerk Heather Soyars at
870-779-4995.