The City of Texarkana Unveils MyGOV TXK

There’s a streetlight out in your neighborhood, or maybe an overgrown crepe myrtle is crowding out a stop sign, blocking the view as you pull out onto the main thoroughfare. On your daily commute, you are reminded of that house at the end of the cul-de-sac that has been on the market a while, and the yard is starting to look a little rough. You think to yourself, “Someone should report that to the city, but where do you even report those kinds of issues?”

The City of Texarkana, Texas, is working to make the process for reporting concerns like these easier. In the past, there was a simple web form called “Report-A-Concern,” but once you clicked send, your request was sent off to an email inbox, and you never knew what happened to it. City staff processed the concerns, and the issue might have been taken care of quickly, or it might have been referred to municipal court, or rerouted to another agency like TxDOT or even Bowie County. This system of reporting resident concerns left a lot to be desired in the form of follow-up and communication.

Enter a new system of reporting called MyGov TXK. This system provides a way for residents to see what action has been taken once they report an issue and lets you know when things are fixed. The new tool, live now on the City’s website, is aimed at helping residents report issues and facilitating easier communication between city staff and residents. When a resident sees an issue, they can go to texarkanatexas.gov and click on “MyGov.” Once they’re redirected to the MyGov portal, residents will have the option to submit a request. Here, they can report issues such as litter, substandard structures, right-of-way violations, and much more. If the resident enters their contact information, they’ll be notified about progress on the issue at each step of the process. There’s also an option to remain anonymous if the need arises. This system will also be used to improve our development process for new businesses with contractor registration and permitting processes now online; there’s even an option for contractors to pay online.

Managing concerns is one thing, but getting residents involved in the decision-making process is a completely different conversation. Even harder still is the task of recruiting volunteers to serve the city with neighborhood cleanup days, community garden planting, and youth programs. To that end, the City has issued our annual call to recruit residents to serve through an online application process to fill vacancies on existing boards and commissions. Last year the city had multiple positions filled through this new process and is encouraging more community involvement in 2023.

A current list of each board and commission, along with current appointments and openings, can be found at www.ci.texarkana.tx.us/370/Boards-and-Commissions. This link provides descriptions of each board, commission, and committee, along with term dates, duties, residency requirements, and meeting schedules. Some boards, commissions, and committees have residency requirements or require special skills and knowledge, while others do not. Board, commission, and committee members are required to attend regularly scheduled meetings. If the board or commission you are interested in has been filled, the City still encourages its residents to apply. Applicants to boards and commissions that are currently full will be held for City Council consideration for the next available vacancy.

The time to get involved is now. The City of Texarkana, Texas, needs you, your opinions, your ideas, and your service to make our community a place we all enjoy.

David Orr
City Manager