City of Helena-West Helena

What City of Helena-West Helena does

The City of Helena-West Helena is a consolidated municipal government in the Arkansas Delta, formed by the merger of Helena and West Helena and operating under Arkansas state law. It delivers essential public services to residents and businesses of Helena-West Helena and Long Lake, including water and sewer utilities (with pump stations), police protection, fire suppression across three stations, street maintenance, sanitation collection, code enforcement, and district court operations covering criminal, traffic, and civil matters. It also operates the Regional Landfill, which serves as the consolidated solid waste facility for three counties (Phillips, Lee, and St. Francis) within the Solid Waste District at a $35 per ton tipping fee, and manages the Thompson-Robbins Airport through an Airport Commission.

The city generates revenue from five primary streams: subscription-style water and sewer rates (increased January 2026 per an amended water rate study to qualify for infrastructure repair loans), a 2% Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Tax credited to the A&P Commission for tourism promotion, regional landfill tipping fees, business license and regulatory fees, and municipal fines and court fees. Customers include city residents (primary), local businesses, visitors and tourists drawn by the King Biscuit Blues Festival and historic sites, and regional municipalities using the landfill.

The city is anchored by two significant assets: the 4,000-acre Helena Harbor Industrial Complex — a flood-protected industrial park centered on a 2.25-mile slackwater harbor with a 9-foot depth and 300-foot width channel — and a deep cultural heritage including Civil War sites, Mark Twain references, and the Phillips County Library (the longest continuously operating library west of the Mississippi, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975). Distribution is delivered through eleven physical offices, online bill payment at hwhwater.com, live-streamed Zoom council meetings, and community channels including Facebook, YouTube, the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce, and the Visit Helena tourism website. Governance is led by Mayor Joseph Whitfield, a City Council representing three wards, and department heads across Fire, Police, Water, Street & Sanitation, Code Enforcement, Courts, and Landfill.

Name

City of Helena-West Helena

Legal name

City of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas

Website

https://hwh.ar.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The City of Helena-West Helena is a consolidated Arkansas Delta municipal government providing water, sewer, public safety, sanitation, code enforcement, courts, and regional landfill services to residents, businesses, and three counties, anchored by the 4,000-acre Helena Harbor Industrial Complex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Executive Offices (92111)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

Keywords

• Municipal water services
• Solid waste management
• Public safety services
• Code enforcement
• Municipal court administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Water and Sewer Utility Services: The city provides water and sewer services to Helena, West Helena, and Long Lake. Revenue comes from water rates and sewage rates, which were increased in January 2026 per a water rate study to help qualify for loans to repair water infrastructure.
2. Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Tax: Two percent of all revenues generated by the local HMR Tax are credited to the Advertising & Promotion Fund, administered by the A&P Commission for tourism promotion, convention center operations, and public recreation facilities.
3. Regional Landfill Tipping Fees: The Regional Landfill handles solid waste from three counties (Phillips, Lee, and St. Francis) within the Solid Waste District. Tipping fee is $35.00 per ton.
4. Business Licenses and Regulations: The city collects fees for business licenses and enforces municipal code related to business operations within the city.
5. Municipal Fines and Fees: Revenue from court operations including criminal plea and arraignment, criminal trials, traffic violations, and civil cases handled by the District Courts Department.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The City of Helena-West Helena is a municipal government that delivers essential public services to residents and businesses of Helena, West Helena, and Long Lake, Arkansas. Its core offerings include water treatment and distribution, sewer services, fire and police protection, street maintenance and sanitation, a regional solid-waste landfill, code enforcement, and district court administration. The city also promotes tourism and economic development through the A&P Commission and the Helena Harbor Industrial Complex.

Product overview

City of Helena-West Helena operates as a municipal government providing essential public services to residents. The city's core offerings include water and sewer utilities, police and fire protection, street maintenance and sanitation, regional landfill services, code enforcement, and district courts. A city council meeting platform enables public participation through live YouTube streaming and Zoom integration. A proposed mobile application for real-time city alerts is pending approval.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Municipal Water & Sewer Services Provides water treatment, distribution, and sewer services to Helena, West Helena, and Long Lake. Maintains pump stations for a clean, safe, and sanitary sewer system. Rates were increased starting January 2026 per an amended water rate study to help qualify for infrastructure repair loans.
• Police Department Services Law enforcement services including patrol, investigations, and community safety programs serving Helena-West Helena. Headquartered at the Phillips County Justice Complex.
• Fire Department Services Fire suppression, emergency response, and fire prevention services operating across three fire stations (Stations #1, #2, #3) serving the community.
• Street & Sanitation Department Maintains city streets, drainage, and public spaces including routine hard trash collection, street repairs, drainage maintenance, and park upkeep. Sanitation routes were updated effective July 1, 2025.
• Regional Landfill Services Handles solid waste from three counties (Phillips, Lee & St. Francis) within the Solid Waste District at a $35.00 per ton tipping fee.
• Code Enforcement Enforces city ordinances related to property maintenance and land use, addressing blight, overgrown properties, and unsafe structures. Code Enforcement and Community Safety tip forms were added to the city website in January 2026.
• Courts Department Administers justice in accordance with Arkansas law, providing court services including criminal plea, arraignment, trials, traffic court, and civil court.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Eastern Arkansas Workforce DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026City of Helena-West Helena partners with Eastern Arkansas Workforce Development to support out-of-school youth, providing workforce development opportunities for the community.
• Helena Harbor & Phillips County Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Helena Harbor Industrial Complex consists of 4,000 acres of flood-protected industrial sites centered around a slackwater harbor. The Economic Development office is led by John Edwards and promotes business development in the region.
• Phillips County Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chamber of Commerce website hosts the community calendar for Helena-West Helena events and provides resources for visitors and residents.
• Main Street HelenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain Street Helena focuses on economic restructuring, promotion, and innovative design to further development by embracing the past. Their mission is to promote preservation and economic revitalization of the historic downtown business district.
• Thrive (Arkansas Delta)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe city website was developed by Thrive, an organization serving the Arkansas Delta region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• City of Marianna, Arkansas: Small Arkansas Delta municipal government in neighboring Lee County — directly comparable in population size, economic base, and reliance on water/sewer utility revenue. Marianna faces similar rural Delta demographic pressures and infrastructure-funding dynamics.
• City of Clarksdale, Mississippi: Mississippi Delta municipal government across the river with a parallel blues-music cultural heritage and tourism proposition. Comparable in population, demographic trajectory, and reliance on water/sewer and tourism-related revenue streams.
• City of Blytheville, Arkansas: Arkansas Delta city of similar size and economic structure, with a comparable mix of municipal water/sewer services, industrial-base legacy, and rural-population pressures. Operates its own municipal utilities and public-safety departments much like Helena-West Helena.
• City of Forrest City, Arkansas: Municipal government in St. Francis County, one of the three counties served by Helena-West Helena's Regional Landfill. Comparable in scale and Arkansas Delta economic profile, with overlapping solid-waste-district and economic-development considerations.
• City of Greenville, Mississippi: Mid-sized Mississippi Delta municipal government operating water/sewer utilities, an airport, code enforcement, and regional waste services. Shares the same Lower Mississippi economic and demographic profile as Helena-West Helena.
• City of Wynne, Arkansas: Cross County, Arkansas municipal government operating its own water and sewer departments and public-safety services. Comparable in scale and in navigating rural-Arkansas infrastructure-funding constraints.
• City of West Memphis, Arkansas: Larger Arkansas Delta city on the Mississippi River with a similar industrial-complex and river-based economic history. Operates water/sewer utilities, landfill, fire, police, and courts under the same general-administration framework as Helena-West Helena.
• City of Stuttgart, Arkansas: Small Arkansas city in the Delta/Grand Prairie region with comparable municipal-service delivery model (water, sewer, sanitation, fire, police, courts). Useful comparison for utility-rate-setting and small-city infrastructure-financing approaches.

Others

• Arkansas Municipal League: Statewide association that provides legislative advocacy, training, and risk-management services to Arkansas cities and towns. Relevant as an enabling/ecosystem organization that shapes the policy, training, and pooled-services environment in which Helena-West Helena operates.

Broad incumbents

• City of Pine Bluff, Arkansas: Larger Arkansas Delta municipal government with a broader portfolio of services and economic-development initiatives than Helena-West Helena, but operating under the same state-level municipal framework and facing similar Delta-region demographic and infrastructure pressures.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cityofhelena-westhelena4680/streams
• Facebookfacebook.com/61583336852816

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Helena-West Helena