Monthly Archives: May 2018

Until 2014, members of the Caddo Parish School Board (CPSB) were not term-limited. That means that could serve any number of consecutive four-year terms. But since 2012, they are limited to 3 consecutive four-year terms. Some of the Board members were “grandfathered”. Dottie Bell’s tenure on the board may total 20 years. This assumes that […]

Shreveport mayor wannabes need to accept a cold hard political fact. Incumbents have a major advantage over challengers. And it’s no different with Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler. Currently Adrian Perkins, Lee O. Savage, Jim Taliaferro, Ray Smith and John Paul Young have said they will qualify for the mayoral election. From Tyler’s perspective, the more […]

In the near future, Shreveport residents can expect to see more white and brown cars of the Caddo Sheriff’s office on Shreveport streets. Well, not all the streets.  Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said sheriff deputy patrols will be in the areas of thecity that are contiguous to the city limits. In essence, sheriff deputies will […]

If anybody doubted director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (and Caddo Sheriff) Steve Prator when he said that it was a matter of “when” not “if” the Red River will flood again, a recent study confirms in spades this prediction. Titled “An Evaluation of the Causes, Consequences and Potential Solution to Increased Red River […]

Paul Pratt argues that it is time for the City of Shreveport to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gateway Development Council. Actually its time for Pratt and his associates to take off their rose tinted glasses and acknowledge some realities about their proposed pie in the sky development at Cross Bayou. The state […]

If Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler or the Shreveport City Council had a magic wand, what would they wish for? A proposed billion dollar development on Cross Bayou or safe streets? Would they want to fund infrastructure improvements for Cross Bayou or for more law enforcement assistance to mitigate murders—and find the criminals? Councilman Willie Bradford […]

If government officials had a magic genie, they could wish for a clean slate on any proposed Cross Bayou development in downtown Shreveport.  Last year, the Shreveport City Council unanimously defeated (6-0) a request by Mayor Ollie Tyler to engage bond counsel to help float municipal bonds for a proposed sports complex at Cross Bayou. […]

So when did the Shreveport City Council start telling the Mayor what to do? That’s exactly what a resolution introduced by Councilman Willie Bradford attempts to accomplish. Bradford (not to be confused with city attorney Will Bradford) has introduced a resolution that reads that “the Shreveport City Council approves and authorizes the execution of a […]

It was fitting that the Shreveport City Council voted unanimously on April 24th to place commemorative markers on Alton Street to celebrate the public service of former City Councilman Joe Shyne. Shyne has lived on Alton Street for over 40 years. It was appropriate that Council member Stephanie Lynch introduced the resolution. Lynce grew up […]

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler had a lot to lose if the April 28 tax propositions had failed. How much she had to gain if the taxes were approved is an open question. All six propositions passed. These taxes, which had been on the books for 40 years, help fund basic city services and employee benefits […]