City of Newport

Welcome to Newport, Arkansas

Newport is located in northeast Arkansas and offers the wonderful qualities of living in small town America, while also having access to big city conveniences just a short drive away. Whether it is educational opportunities in the public schools or Arkansas State University-Newport, cultural activities at Jacksonport State Park, through the local festivals held year round or a cost of living that is lower than the state and national averages, you’ll find a lot of reasons to love Newport. Come, visit and stay – for a day or a lifetime and you’ll find out why we love our hometown.


This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.


Want to start a business in Newport, Arkansas? Check out our Newport Business Starter Kit to get you started on the right track!

Message from the Mayor

Mayor Derrick Ratliffe

Derrick Ratliffe

Mayor

Email


Welcome to Newport. Our town is nestled in the heart of the Delta. We are blessed to have some of the richest soil in the country. We are also blessed to have a robust economy and excellent community involvement. As an economic and education hub, our future is bright. We are constantly searching to enhance our healthy industrial presence, while maintaining good use of the rich soil available to our farmers. 


Our school choice offers a diverse opportunity to receive a quality education from kindergarten through college. Newport School District also has a great after-school programs for all students K-12. These programs provides rich enrichment activities also.


Arkansas State University @ Newport (ASUN) is a jewel in the state higher education reservoir. The school just added softball and basketball programs to its 2023-2024 calendar.

We pride ourselves on family atmosphere. You can live safe, work to earn a good living and play at one of our many public parks or along the beautiful White River. Many churches here are also very welcoming to all.


We hope this website will provide all that you need to know about our wonderful town. If it does not, we have a friendly staff at our city hall that is eager to help. 


Thank you for visiting Newport virtually and/or in person.


Derrick Ratliffe

1 (870) 523-6568 x 5

Emergency Information

911 - Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff

Non-Emergency Fire (870) 523-2895

Non-Emergency Police (870) 523-2722

Non-Emergency Ambulance (870) 523-2895

Non-Emergency Sheriff (870) 523-5842
Adult Abuse & Neglect
1 (800) 482-8998

Arkansas Forestry Commission  1 (870) 633-6693

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Violation Hotline  1 (800) 482-9262

Arkansas VINE Program  1 (800) 510-0415

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives  1 (800) 800-3855

CenterPoint Engergy, ARKLA  1 (800) 992-7552

Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline 1 (800) 482-5964

Crisis Center Adult Hotline 1 (888) 274-7472

Crisis Center Teen Hotline 1 (800) 798-8336

Crisis Intervention Agencies 1 (888) 818-4673

Entergy  1 (800) 968-8243

Environmental Protection Agency  1 (800) 424-8802

FBI  1 (501) 221-9100

Jackson County Office of Emergency Management 1 (870) 523-6011

National Runaway Switchboard  1 (800) 786-2929

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  1 (800) 273-8255

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline  1 (866) 331-9474

Newport Animal Control (870) 523-2722

Poison Center  1 (800) 222-1222

Statewide Sexual Violence Crisis Hotline/Safe Places 1 (501) 590-2466

The Committee for Missing Children  1 (800) 525-8204

White River Area Agency on Aging  1 (800) 382-3205

Women and Children First  1 (800) 332-4443


City Departments

The different departments of the City of Newport are here to serve you. To learn more about the various departments or to find contact information for a specific department, follow the links below.


 City of Newport - (870) 523-6568

    District court/Fine payments x 1

    Parks and Rec x 2

    City Inspector/Code Enforcements x 3

    Human Resources x 4

    Mayor’s Office x 5

    Accounts Payable x 6

    City Clerk/Treasurer x 7

    Operator x 8


  • Police & 911 Department

    Newport Police Department

    Police Chief Larry Dulaney – (870) 523-2722


    The Police headquarters are located at: 

    616 Second Street 

    and is attached to the Newport Municipal Building.


    The police department consists of:

    • 19 full time sworn officers
    • 4 part-time sworn officers
    • 1 animal control officer
    • 1 support person

    The Newport Police Department operates the county wide 911 system with 4 full time radio operators working 24 hours a day.


    The average annual budget for the police department is $850,000.00. The average annual budget for 911 is $200,000.00.


    Police department personnel bring over 140 years of experience to their jobs.


    Our mission:

    To serve and protect as well as enforce all Federal, State and City laws. To be a community oriented Police Department.

  • Fire Department

    Fire/Ambulance

    Emergency – Dial 911

    Fire Chief – Alan Gansz

    Phone: (870) 523-3331


    The Newport Fire Department proudly serves and protects the lives and property of the citizens and visitors of Newport in a variety of ways.  Residents of Newport enjoy a lower cost of living and doing business in part because of our ISO fire class rating of 3. Our department of 16 full-time and 18 volunteer firefighters provides coverage from three fire stations with four pumpers, one service truck, one snorkel, and two ambulances.


    All stations are staffed 365 days a year by three shifts that work on a rotating basis. We provide protection for approximately 17 square miles within the city and an industrial area just outside the city. Some of the services that the Newport Fire Department provides are fire suppression, fire prevention education, fire and life safety inspections, rescue, pre-emergency incident planning, and emergency medical treatment and transport services with both advanced and basic life support.


    We are proud that many of our members are active in a variety of events and activities that include youth sports, boy scouts, schools, churches, civic clubs, and our local Chamber of Commerce.


    The Newport Fire Department is committed to continued training and excellence of service to provide the highest possible protection and quality of life for our citizens and visitors.

  • Public Works

    Kerry Tharpe  – Superintendent

    (870) 523-9884


    The Public Works Department is in charge of residential and commercial sanitation, streets, a maintenance shop facility and recycling. An average of 26 full time employees work in this department that operates on an average annual budget of $1,200,000.


    SANITATION

    • Twice weekly residential garbage pick up
    • Bag of 50 trash bags distributed twice a year to residents
    • Please do not put tires in city dumpsters. Tires can be dropped off at the Newport City Shed.
    • Once weekly residential brush and trash pickup at curb
    • Commercial brush and trash pickup available at request, billed according to volume
    • Chip site available for use by all city residents and contractors working in the city limits free of charge
    • Commercial garbage pickup according to customer need
    • Leaves are to be bagged for curb side pick-up. Bagged leaves are not to be put in the dumpster as the Landfill cannot take them.  Placing bagged leaves in dumpsters can result in a fine.
    • The Newport Recycle Center does not accept tv's or computer monitors.

    STREET

    • Street development within the city limits
    • Street, ditch and storm drain maintenance
    • Maintenance of city owned lots
    • Operation and maintenance of flood pumps
    • Sweeping of city streets weekly

    SHOP

    • Operation and maintenance on city equipment
  • Waste Water

    Martin Steward

    Phone: (870) 523-8121


    The City of Newport operates a modern and up-to-date wastewater treatment facility. Two treatment facilities serve the needs of industry, business and residential customers. The City of Newport completed renovations to the Airbase Industrial Park treatment facility in 2004 and a 2.3 million dollar renovation project on the main sewer treatment facility in 2010. The City of Newport now has a three million gallon capacity per day system. All of this work was accomplished without an increase in sewer rates, which remain among the lowest in the state.

  • Parks & Recreation

    Johnny Long

    Phone: (870) 523-6568, x 2

    Mobile Phone: (870) 512-8185


    Grants are continually received by the Arkansas Dept. of Parks and Tourism for addition and improvement to city park facilities


    NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS

    Lockwood Park, corner of Malcolm Avenue and Lakeshore Drive, on the Newport Lake. Playground equipment, fishing pier, picnic pavilions and an opportunity to feed the ducks. New walking trail completed.


    Normandy Acres Park, corner of Park & Eastern Avenues. Playground equipment and a practice ball field.


    Branch Park, corner of Calhoun & Jones Streets. Playground equipment, outside basketball court, practice ball field and picnic pavilions.


    Airbase Park, corner of Airbase & Johnson. Playground equipment, practice ball field, basketball court and picnic pavilion.


    Crossroads Park, corner of State & Patterson Streets. Playground equipment, basketball court and practice ball field.


    Hines Park, corner of Hines & Warner Streets. Playground equipment, basketball court and pavilion.


    BASEBALL COMPLEX

    George Kell Park, located on Fairground Road, just off Highway 367 is a state-of-the-art ballpark complex. The park is home to a combination of 6 ball fields providing opportunities for t-ball, softball, Little League, Babe Ruth and American Legion players, all with covered bleachers and dugouts.


    The Newport HIgh School Girls Softball team plays their games at the complex on a field with a modern press box facility


    Curtner Field, located in Kell Park, is the ball field where both the Newport American Legion team and the Newport High School Baseball team play. The field is equipped with brick dugouts and foot railings, covered grand stands with “chair style” seating for over 100 and a handicap seating area. An impressive press box rises above the grand stands and across the field is displayed an impressive “big league style” scoreboard.

  • Court

    State District Judge at Third Judicial District 

    Judge Henry Boyce

    Phone: 870-523-9555

  • Airport

    Thomas Sanders, Manager

    Terminal – (870) 523-3613


    Newport Regional Airport is a full service general aviation airport with two 5,000 ft. long by 150 ft. wide concrete runways, taxiways and ramps.  Runway 18/36 offers WAAS LPV GPS instrument approaches with MIRL, REIL and PAPI lighting systems.  The AWOS weather station is located on site and incorporates the latest FAA technology.  The 5,000 sq. ft. terminal building was constructed in 2012 and offers flight planning, rest and refreshment areas for flight crews with comfortable waiting and conference areas for passengers.  The facility is open after-hours with credit card access to Shell 100LL avgas and Jet-A fuel and push-button access to terminal facilities and courtesy car.  The airport offers a full service aircraft maintenance facility and hanger that offers service and repairs to single engine piston through corporate jet aircraft.  Individual airport owned hangers presently accommodate 19 based aircraft, with more hangers in the planning stage.  The large airport ramp area has room for large corporate aircraft and tie-down spaces for over 50 aircraft.  The airport ramp area is well lighted and fenced with an 8 ft ornamental security fence and the City of Newport maintains a 24/7 manned fire station on site for airport operational saftey.  The Terminal is located at 3800 North Operations Drive, Newport, Arkansas 72112.

  • Inspection / Building Code

    Trey Randolph

    Phone: (870) 523-6568, x 3

    Mobile Phone: (870) 217-1970

    The Inspection/Building Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for the following:


    Issuing building permits for construction within the city limits of Newport

    Working with Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment to ensure a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the City

    Providing zoning code information

    Assisting in the enforcement of laws necessary to preserve sanitary and healthy conditions

    Working with department heads to guarantee safety regulations are adhered to by all city employees in the workplace.

  • Mosquito Control

    Kenneth Grady 

    (870) 503-1438

    The City of Newport has operated its own extensive mosquito control program since the summer of 2002. During the summer of 2003, an airplane equipped for spraying was added to a fleet of 8 trucks to fight the mosquito battle. The use of the most up-to-date equipment and techniques has made our program very successful, and the envy of many Delta cities.


    The trucks spray the entire city 6 nights a week and the city is sprayed by plane as needed. Special spraying for outdoor activities is available upon request.


    Maintenance and upkeep of the vehicles, airplane and equipment is done by the mosquito control department.

  • Water Department

    Wendale Comer, General Manager

    Phone: (870) 523-5847


    The Newport Water Commission operates a state-of-the-art water treatment facility.  Water is delivered to Newport industries, businesses and industries from a number of wells locate throughout the community.  Water rates in Newport are among the lowest in the state and are significantly lower than the national average.  The 4,000,000 gallon system currently has a surplus capacity of almost 2,000,000 gallons.

  • Business Licenses

    Companies are required to have a business license to conduct business within the city limits of Newport.  Licenses can be purchased at the City of Newport Municipal Building, 615 Third Street, Newport, AR 72112.  Contact the City at (870) 523-6568  x0 for more information.

City Council

The members of the Newport City Council represent citizens living in four different Wards within the city, with two council members per Ward. Feel free to call your city council member with issues that are important to you.


City Council

Ward 1, Position 1 – Regina Lake, (870) 523-2921,  Email

Ward 1, Position 2 – Leroy Mansko, Jr., (870) 523-5771,  Email

Ward 2, Position 1 – Carol Falwell, (870) 217-1310,  Email

Ward 2, Position 2 – Michael Allen, Jr., (870) 919-5525,  Email

Ward 3, Position 1 – Kathy Green, (870) 503-0714,  Email

Ward 3, Position 2 – Julie Moss, (870) 217-2154,  Email

Ward 4, Position 1 – Donny Ivie, (870) 217-9021, Email

Ward 4, Position 2 – David A. May, (870) 503-2985,  Email

Meeting / Event Facilities

  • American Legion Hut, Remmel Park, Newport, AR 72112 (870) 503-6898
  • Arkansas State University Newport, 7648 Victory Boulevard  (870) 512-7800
  • IMAD Village Community Center, 947 Hout Circle, Newport, AR 72112 (870) 664-6643
  • Jackson County Senior Center, 400 North Pecan Street, Newport, AR 72112 (870) 217-0456
  • Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center, 111 Avenue Street, Newport, AR 72112 (870) 523-2143
  • Newport Business Resource Center, 201 Hazel Street  (870) 523-1009
  • Newport Country Club, 703 Walker Drive  (870) 523-8904
  • Silver Moon Club, 2917 Hwy 367 North  (870) 523-8064
  • Unity Health Community Room, 1200 McLain Street  (870) 523-8911
  • W.A. Billingsley Jackson County Library, 213 Walnut  (870) 523-2952

Agendas & Minutes

The City of Newport is pleased to make the Agendas and Minutes of the City Council meetings available to the public. Select the date of the meeting below to see the agendas or minutes for that particular meeting.

Agendas

Minutes

Contact Us


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City of Newport

615 Third Street

Newport, AR 72112

Phone: (870) 523-6568

Fax: (870) 523-4365

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