About Us
Mission
By being a strong voice and resource to government, we promote the policy of best practices in the delivery of public services to enhance the quality of life for all rural Texans.
History
In January 2001, ARCIT was formed to create a unified and collaborative voice for rural and small cities in Texas. The organization began with 69 cities, counties and economic development corporations who worked together on House Bill 7, which created the Office of Rural and Community Affairs during the 77th legislative session. In the past 15 years, ARCIT has grown in membership, in turn, giving rural and small communities a strong unified voice with the Texas legislature and state agencies.
Who We Serve
ARCIT consists of Texas cities with a population of 50,000 and under, counties with a population of 200,00 and under, as well as Economic Development Corporations, Chambers of Commerce, Utility Districts in qualifying cities and counties, as well as other groups working within rural and small communities.
ARCIT offers a strong voice and resource to the Texas state legislature, Texas state agencies and the federal government to promote the best practices, policies and programs for rural and small communities, while enhancing the quality of life for all Texans.
Larger counties in Texas continue to grow at unprecedented rates, and thus a considerable amount of legislative attention and action is being designed to benefit the larger communities without regard as to its impact on the rest of Texas. The needs of Texans living in rural or less populated areas are being pushed to the wayside, but the one size fits all legislative attitude does not work for everyone. It is the aim of ARCIT to ensure the voices of rural and smaller communities in Texas are heard and our members have a seat at the table when the legislature and agencies are making decisions impacting our communities.