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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 living between Shyne and Jerry Tem Brooks, another black Shreveport pioneer.

Shyne represented District F on the Shreveport City Council for 23 years. He served from November 1982 to January 1994; November 1995 to November 2002; and November 2006 to December 2014.

Shyne has an undergraduate degree from Grambling State University and a Master’s degree from Louisiana Tech University.

He is a retired Caddo Parish school teacher and coach.

Shyne was known to be the ultimate people’s representative. He constantly advocated to improve the lives of all who lived in District F. He was known for tangling with anyone, especially those in the mayor’s office who did not share his compassion for his constituents.

Shyne was a one of a kind politician and in many ways, the type that is still needed today.

Hats off to Joe Shyne and the Shreveport City Council!
 

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 for police and fire.

The taxes actually expired at the end of last year. Many citizens questioned Tyler’s decision to have the propositions on the ballot this year versus last fall.

Shreveport has almost 125,000 registered voters. The voter turnout was approximately 8%.

Interestingly enough, the voters were selective in casting their votes.

The largest number of voters pulled levers on proposition #1 for improving, repairing and maintaining city streets (10,040 voters). Proposition #5 for pension, life insurance, and hospitalization for city employees was the least popular tax (9,954 voters). 

Percentage wise, Proposition #4 for salaries, uniforms and equipment for police and fire departments had the largest margin of approval (69%). The tax for city parks and recreation maintenance and operations had the lowest voter approval (64%).

Tyler campaigned vigorously for the tax approvals, making over 30 presentations to civic groups and neighborhood meetings.

The local firefighters union ran ads in the Shreveport Times.

The propositions were endorsed by the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, The Shreveport Downtown Development Authority , the Committee of 100 and the Shreveport Times. 

This writer also endorsed the taxes with a front page editorial in the Sunday April 21 edition of the Shreveport Times. Ads supporting the taxes were also placed by this writer in the Shreveport Times.

As expected, the tax propositions drew heated opposition from many citizens, especially on social media. 

Most voters who opposed the taxes were either anti-government or anti-Ollie.

In the first instance, evidently the “naysayers” do not believe that the primary purpose of government is to provide basic services to citizens. In the second, the “opposers” seemingly were confusing the tax propositions with the mayoral election in November.

On the Thursday before the tax vote (April 26), Adrian Perkins announced his candidacy. He did not comment on the propositions.

The Saturday of the vote, Lee O. Savage made his announcement at an afternoon event. Savage advised the crowd that he had voted no on the taxes.

Naturally, Tyler was very happy that all the taxes were approved. She said that “the citizens had the confidence that we’re doing what we said we were going to do.”

Evidently, Tyler believes the passage of the taxes will be a springboard for her re-election campaign. She stated in a post election interview that she was going to run on her accomplishments.

Most political observers do not believe that the passage of the taxes will translate into voter goodwill in November. The most likely political impact of the tax election is that it poured cold water on the rumored mayoral campaign of Caddo Commissioner Steve Jackson.

published in The Forum News on May 7, 2018

Both Adrian Perkins and Lee O. Savage formally announced their campaigns for Shreveport mayor last week.

The two events were like night and day. More like a dark, no stars, no moon night and a bright, no clouds sunny day. The only real similarities were that both candidates are men.

Perkins announced at 11:30 am on Thursday, April 26 in a meeting room at a West Shreveport hotel. Savage announced at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 in the Agriculture Building at the State Fair Grounds.

Perkins had about 80 in attendance, divided equally between whites and blacks. Savage had a little over 100 in his audience, with fewer than five blacks in attendance. 

Perkins is a Democrat. Savage is a Republican.

Perkins was introduced by his former high school principal, Sandra McCalla. Savage was introduced by his son.

Perkins spoke for less than 30 minutes. He did not entertain questions from the audience. Savage spoke for almost an hour and answered audience questions for another 30 minutes.

Perkins had two elected officials at his event, Shreveport City Councilman Oliver Jenkins and Caddo Parish Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts. Savage had none.

Perkins grew up in Cedar Grove, and he graduated from Captain Shreve High School. Savage grew up in Sunset Acres, and he graduated from Woodlawn High School.

Perkins graduated from West Point, and he will graduate from Harvard Law School this month. Savage graduated from LSU-Shreveport. 

Perkins served eight years in the U.S. Army and did tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Savage does not have military service.

Perkins did not announce his campaign manager or chairperson. Savage announced former Caddo commissioner David Cox as his campaign chairman and Parker Ward as his campaign manager.

Perkins said Shreveport needed a new police chief, but he did not mention a name. Savage said that he wanted former Shreveport Police detective Rod Demery to be his police chief. (Demery attended both announcements. He says that he is committed to reducing crime in Shreveport and that he is not backing any candidate.)

Notables at the Perkins announcement included Byrum Teekel, Ursula Bowman, Henry Walker, James Heard, Fred Ratzburg and Don Hobdy.

Notables at Savage’s announcement included Cox, Ward, local Caddo Republican leader Louis Avallone and Jimmy Allen, a member of the Republican State Central Committee.

Perkins listed major campaign issues to be the city’s crime rate, the lack of affordable flights out of the Shreveport Regional Airport, the city’s declining credit rating, and the city’s declining tax base. Perkins also said that jobs for all citizens are and that, as mayor, he would have a well staffed and professionally qualified economic development team.

Savage emphasized crime, litter and property standards, street potholes, the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission and the airport as major issues. Savage said the city needs an economic development board and that the city was not getting its bang for the buck with the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP).

Notable quotes from Perkins included.
    •    “I am not too young to be mayor. In fact, I am old enough to know what needs to be done and young enough to get it done.” 
    •    “I make up my lack of political experience with my leadership experiences in the U.S. Army and Harvard Law School.”
    •    “As a soldier and a commander, I made decisions as if the lives of my soldiers depended on me. I will take the same urgency to city hall as mayor.”
                
Notable quotes from Savage included:
    •    98% of America is safer than Shreveport
    •    Shreveport’s general fund is “funny money” and the city has a lot of money that no one is doing anything with.
    •    Corruption is everywhere at city hall and if not stopped now, it will only get worse and worse.

Perkins and Savage offer substantial contrasts, both between themselves and the current mayor. How they deliver their message and build a voter base will be the key to their campaign success. Additionally, attracting voters from Tyler’s support base will be necessary to win this election.

published in The Shreveport Times on May 3, 2018

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler recently said that she was going to run for re-election this year based on her accomplishments in office.

Hopefully, she will make a big dent in Shreveport’s unemployment rate in the near future if she wants to be the next mayor.

Both Tyler’s announced candidates Adrian Perkins and Lee O. Savage have listed economic development as major planks in their platforms.

Perkins has vowed to set up a three-person highly skilled economic development team in the mayor’s office if elected.

Savage has questioned the effectiveness of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) as it relates to bringing jobs to Shreveport.

Data released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission on Friday, April 20 showed that the state’s nonfarm job sector added 12,500 jobs from March 2017. This is the sixth straight over-the-year increase from February 2018. And it is the largest over-the-month gain for the month of March since 2010.

But the data for Shreveport metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was NOT good. The Shreveport MSA includes all of Caddo, Bossier, Webster, and Desoto Parishes.

The March 2018 Shreveport MSA unemployment rate for nonfarm jobs was 4.7 percent. The rate was 4.2 percent in February 2018.

Statewide, the unemployment rate for nonfarm jobs was 4.4 percent. The last time the state’s nonfarm unemployment rate was below this level was April 2008.

The average weekly wage in the Shreveport SMA for February (private employment) was $667.49. The average weekly hours was 33.9 and the average hourly earnings were $19.69.

The average weekly wage for the Shreveport SMA was the third lowest in the state. Only Hammond and Alexandria had lower weekly private employment wages.

The average weekly hours for the Shreveport SMA was also the third lowest in the state. Only Alex and Funroe had lower average weekly hours.

The average private sector hourly earnings for the Shreveport SMA was the second lowest in the state. Alex had the lowest.

Admittedly, the statistics are not just for Shreveport. Many believe that the actual Shreveport numbers are worse than the SMA because of the numerous large private sector employers in Bossier Parish.

No matter what spin is placed on the unemployment statistics, it is evident that the state numbers confirm what is general street knowledge. Shreveport needs jobs.

It will be hard for Mayor Tyler to show that she has brought a net increase in meaningful new jobs to Shreveport.

As they say in the backwoods, there is a big difference between “talkin’” and “nouncing” —and an even bigger difference between “nouncing” and “qualifin’.”

Shreveport now has three individuals who have officially announced their intentions to run for mayor.

In January, Mayor Ollie Tyler had a low key announcement that she would seek a second term. Adrian Perkins announced on Thursday April 27 and Lee O. Savage on Saturday (April 28) afternoon.

All three made their intentions known before the results of Saturday’s  tax vote were known. Several other mayoral wannabes have delayed their decisions until these votes were tabulated.

Tyler and Perkins are black Democrats. Savage is a white Republican.
Tyler is 73, Perkins is 32, and Savage is 64.

Tyler’s only elected position is her current one. Neither Perkins nor Savage have ever run for political office.

Tyler’s performance as mayor will define her campaign. Perkins will campaign on his future vision for Shreveport. Savage will focus on the City’s needs.

Tyler’s background is public education. She has been a Caddo teacher, principal and superintendent.

Perkins is a West Point graduate and veteran of military service. He will graduate from Harvard Law School in May.

Savage has a business background. He currently is the general manager of a local heating/air conditioning company.

As an incumbent, Tyler has a definite advantage over Perkins and Savage. However, her age and anti-government sentiment could be election challenges.

Perkins will emphasize his youth, his military background, and his ideas for his hometown. He will no doubt argue that his lack of local political experience is a positive versus a negative. Perkins is first mayoral candidate to have a posted billboard for his campaign.
 

Savage will emphasize the failure of leadership at city hall. He says that corruption is running rampant through city government and he will stamp it out. Currently, Savage is the only candidate with a campaign office.

No doubt the April 28 tax vote will shape the mayor’s race. Additionally crime in Shreveport, and its larger than life perception, will be a key campaign issue. Another is jobs, or the lack thereof, for all sectors of the city.

Most politicos doubt that a white candidate can win the mayor’s race. The real question is if Savage can play the spoiler’s role and get into the run off.

In 2014 Victoria Provenza , a white independent candidate, knocked out early front runner Patrick Williams in the primary. She was trounced in the run off. Savage can expect the same fate if he gets into a run-off. 
Former Shreveport homicide detective Rod Demery was seriously considering a run for mayor. Known for the TV series “Murder Chose Me”, Demery announced on Facebook recently that he would not enter this race.

Caddo Commissioner Steven Jackson, a black Democrat, has been positioning himself to run for mayor for quite some time. He has delayed any decision until the tax election. Jackson previously served in the Glover administration and will have the backing of Glover if he enters this race.

Ray Smith , a white Libertarian, has a FaceBook page “ Ray Smith for Mayor of Shreveport.” John Paul Young, a white independent, also has a Facebook page for mayor. Neither candidate is expected to draw any significant votes if they qualify.

Retired Shreveport Police officer Jim Taliaferro, a white Republican, is also kicking the mayoral election can.

Tyler, Perkins, and Savage will probably run the course. There is some street talk that if all the Saturday tax votes failed, Tyler may not seek re-election. 

Qualifying dates for the November 6 election are July18-20. So there is plenty of time for reconsideration of a mayoral run, and for others to jump into the race. 

With three announced candidates, time is not on the side of any other serious candidate in the sense of putting together a successful campaign. With the possible exception of Jackson, it looks like the field for Shreveport’s next mayor is now set, with Tyler, Perkins, and Savage.

 

Like an old dog with fleas, a bad hip, and a leaky bladder, the problems of the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) just keep becoming more and more obvious, –and harder to ignore. 

Seemingly these are not a concern for the MPC Executive Director Mark Sweeney. He just had a tax payer paid holiday with key staff members this past weekend in the Big Easy at a convention. 

Of course he took along the MPC Board member who hired him, Lea Desmarteau, and her MPC BFF Nancy Cooper, who is now MPC vice president. And Winzer Andrews who always votes along Sweeney lines.

How many of the MPC staff and whether or not Sweeney’s other 2 MPC buds, Theron Jackson (MPC President) and Curtis Joseph, traveled along is not yet known. (Yes, a public records request has been made).

Jackson and Curtis may have stayed in town to work on the latest Cross Bayou development farce. They are two of the three local principals in this proposed project.

Interestingly enough, those two will not be able to vote on the myriad of MPC approvals that will be needed for the project because of a conflict of interest. Thus, the four anti Sweeney board members will have the majority. Jackson and Joseph have not endeared themselves to that crowd, to say the least. So, good luck on those MPC votes!

Sweeney was back in his office on Tuesday (April 24) from his New Orleans hiatus. 

His “welcome back home present” was a letter from Shreveport attorney Allison Jones updating Sweeney, the MPC Board members, Shreveport City Attorney Will Bradford, the Shreveport Council, Parish Attorney Donna Frazier, and the Caddo Parish Commission on the claims of Judy Negrete over an alleged unlawful MPC termination employment by Sweeney.

Jones alleges age discrimination and retaliation under the Louisiana whistleblower statute. Ms. Negrete was a long time MPC employee singled out for termination along with 2 others who were white, and over the age of 40.

Jones has now filed a charge on behalf of her client with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights. Jones says litigation will soon be forthcoming. 

The City of Shreveport and Caddo Parish fund the MPC. Jones has indicated that she will name the City and the Parish along with the MPC as defendants. 

Leaving the Negrete matter aside, Sweeney has other wolves at this door.

Councilman James Flurry is leading a charge to create a city zoning and permit office. Flurry wants the operations of the MPC, as they affect all the property within the city limits, to be handled by a newly created city department. The Council vote has been scheduled for May 8. 

The Caddo Commission is also discussing a separate office for MPC cases that are within the four mile radius of the city limits.

Sweeney also has another problem.

His initial budget for 2018 was approved by the MPC Board last fall for submission to the City and the Commission. The MPC submitted the same funding requests for 2018 that had been approved for 2017.

The Commission cut his 2018 budget request by $20 grand. The City then adjusted their 2018 MPC funding by $190,000 to confirm to the funding criteria in an MPC Economic Feasibility Study.

The MPC Bylaws specifically require that the budget or any amendments be approved by the full Planning Commission. The MPC board did not approve the revised MPC budget for 2018 after the funding cuts. 

And to add all this is pressure on Sweeney from the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce to make things right. 

The recent town hall meeting drew over 100 angry members of the building and planning community who complained about MPC fees, staff hostility, and the onerous requirements of the Unified Development Code that Sweeney orchestrated. A second town hall meeting is to be scheduled and Sweeney can expect to be roasted, not toasted, again.

The upcoming council vote on internalizing the MPC will be a campaign issue for Furry, and the others running for re-election this fall. (Jerald Bowman, Willie Bradford and Stephanie Lynch). And for those termed out (Jeff Everson, Oliver Jenkins, and Michael Corbin), their votes on the MPC will be a part of their legacy.

 

 

It’s safe to say that neither the Downtown Airport (DTN) or Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) are considered to be tourist attractions. However, if general aviation is your business or hobby, these airports are like a second home.

Problem is that since the arrival of the current Shreveport Airport Authority (SAA) Director of Airports Henry Thompson, these airports have become more a battleground than a retreat.

Thompson took the helms as airport director in November 2015, after serving over 20 years at the San Francisco International Airport. Thompson relocated to Shreveport after an employment dust-up in the City by the Bay. He entered into a private settlement with the San Francisco Airport Commission in 2016.

To say Thompson has not become a BFF of the private airport crowd is an understatement. In fact, this group would buy him a one-way ticket to destination anywhere if he were to relocate soon—like yesterday.

Thompson is threatening the very lifeblood of private aviation—hangar leases and Minimum Standards.

All of the land at the downtown and regional airport is owned by the airport authority. 

The airplane hangars are either owned by the SAA or they are privately owned on land leased from the airport.

The issue, for both the businesses and private pilots who own hangars, is that the airport authority seems -at least to them- to have embarked on a land grab. The two-front battle has hit leaseholders both through a reversion clause in the leases and in onerous Minimum Standards that seem short on due process. Many of these leaseholders have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into hangar building and maintenance, some, more than $1 million. The hangars house businesses, corporate jets, and small ‘puddle jumpers’ owned by long-time fliers.

Since Thompson’s arrival, the historic practice of “automatic renewal” of leases has ended. And those that have spent major bucks constructing private hangers do not have a guarantee of a continued tenancy with the airport. Additionally, current leaseholders have basically lost the long-honored practice of being able to assign the ground lease to effectuate the sale of the privately constructed hangar. 

And although rent is still being paid by the tenants (be they renting a city hanger or just the land under the privately constructed hanger), the SAA has been slow, like in glacial speed slow, in renewing the leases. To its credit, The airport authority did approve the renewal of 16 leases at its last meeting.

When Thompson ran into heated opposition last year with his proposals, Shreveport Mayor Tyler appointed a tenant advisory committee to work through the issues privately. 

Jim Graves, Danny Aiello, W.T. Coleman, Mike Stanberry and Chris Kinsey are the valiant committee members who have, to date, taken a vow of public silence. The stalemate between the tenants/leaseholders is still at an impasse despite many meetings and countless hours of, which is to date, wasted effort. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates the Shreveport airports. Recently the FAA conducted an audit of the SAA operations. Reportedly complaints by the local leaseholders prompted the audit, which has yet to be released.

And despite the nonresolution of the lease issues, Thompson has now increased the pressure on the downtown airport tenants by proposing changes to the Minimum Standards. This 140 page plus treatise regulates everything from grass cutting to wind speeds for the users of the downtown facility. 

Violations of these rules can lead to terminations of leases. Many of the downtown airport crowd believes Thompson’s objective is just that – to kick them out and take their hangars.

Needless to say, the uncertainty surrounding the substantial investments by hangar owners is causing much distress at both airports. Not only have the values of these expensive improvements plummeted, but many tenants are thinking of relocating out of the area. 

And those tenants who have expired leases are in fear that their property will, in effect, be taken by a lease to a third party. Needless to say, litigation is being considered as a last alternative and the term ‘Class Action’ has been used.

No doubt, Thompson is in the resume building process after his departure from the Golden Gate area. Substantially increasing income to the airport authority by lease renegotiations or hangar “takeovers” is a suspected motivation of his alleged Machiavellian tactics.

This being a re-election year for first-term Mayor Tyler, the last thing she needs is an angry influential group of citizens and local businesses claiming foul over the actions of a city department head. How much longer the teapot will steam without whistling is an open question. But when it does, one can expect the pot to boil over and hot water to spill out on Thompson, Tyler and the members of the Shreveport Airport Authority.

Seemingly with all the other challenges of the local economy, the very last thing that is needed is for the private pilots and the businesses that depend on general aviation to feel the need to locate elsewhere. According to hangar owners, that possibility is very real. 

Unless you are Rip Van Winkle, every reader should be aware of the long simmering fuss over the operations of the Shreveport  Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC).

The building community has been up in arms for quite some time on the difficulties encountered with the Shreveport MPC, especially when compared to its counterpart in Bossier. Many say its an obstacle course in Shreveport versus a cake walk on the east side of the river.

For starter, MPC Executive Director Mark Sweeney initially closed his office from noon to 1 p.m. each day. Lights out, doors locked and phone on answering machine. Do much for being “business friendly.” After media pressure, including from this writer, Sweeney began keeping his office open during the lunch hour. 

Sweeney orchestrated the development and adoption of Shreveport’s Unified Development Code (UDC). The goal was to combine building and zoning requirements in an easy-to-follow format.

The result has been adoption of a complex labyrinth of requirements for property development. The building community reports that Shreveport’s uniform development code is expensive and difficult to comply with because its requirements are more suitable for Palm Springs than Shreveport.

And to top it off, Sweeney and his staff have a well-deserved reputation of being non-responsive and difficult to work with.

The MPC’s jurisdiction is all the property within the city limits and the four miles  outside the city boundaries. 

The MPC is funded by the City of Shreveport to the tune of $800,000 a year.  The city also provides free office space and accounting service. 

The parish contributes $200,000 per year.

As an independent agency, the MPC does not report to either the Shreveport City Council or the Caddo Parish Commission. Its nine member board is appointed by the city and parish officials.

Sweeney has five loyal board members who would walk  with him into shark infested waters. The other four board member would push Sweeney and his followers into the brink.

Shreveport City Councilman James Flurry has introduced an ordinance to bring MPC operations into city governement. If enacted the city would have a planning office that addresses property within the city limits. Council probably will vote on the Flurry ordinance on May 8.

Flurry believes an internal office would provide accountability to the Council. He also believes there would be a substantial cost savings. The MPC payroll for 16 employees exceeds $900,000.  

The Bossier MPC office has five employees and it handles almost as much work as the Shreveport MPC.  

Several Caddo Commissioners are unhappy with the MPC, especially Mario Chavez and Lyndon Johnson. Chavez made the motion to reduce parish MPC funding thid year by $20,000.

Both Chavez and Johnson have advocated reducing the MPC’s jurisdiction to one mile outside the city limits. An internal planning office for the parish has also been discussed, as well as contracting with the proposed  city planning office for the limited number of parish permits 

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce recently held a town hall meeting to discuss the MPC’s operations and the Shreveport Uniform Development Code.  More than 100 members of the architect and building community attended, and those speaking were consistent in their criticism of both the UDC and the MPC office staff.

Chamber Executive Director Tim Magner presented to the group an eight-page summary of over 50 suggested changes in the UDC and enforcement by MPC staff. The UDC has been amended many times by the Shreveport City Council.  Amending it takes a long time.

It was suggested that the MPC staff could, much like its Bossier counterpart, be more flexible in their interpretation of the UDC standards. Magner announced that a second town hall meeting would be held in May. 

As is his practice, Sweeney has refused to make public comments on the chambers’ recommendations or any of the controvesy surrounding his office. He has an employment contract that ends in October of this year. (He is the only public official in Northwest Louisiana with a contract, ehich are virtually non-exitent in the public sector.)

Realistically speaking the Chamber’s efforts will probably be fruitless in the sense of effectuating real change, especially in the foreseeable future. Shreveport is saddled with an over-the-top regulatory code orchestrated by Sweeney that is also enforced in a dictatorial style by Sweeney. In other words, the Shreveport UDC is Sweeney and Sweeney is the Shreveport UDC.

Mayor Ollie Tyler has refused to take a position on Flurry’s effort to make the MPC a city department. Many believe that this is another failure in her leadership.

Tyler nominated the last appointed MPC member, Curtis Joseph, to whom Tyler awarded substantial city legal work in her first months in office. One of Joseph’s first key votes was to extend Sweeney’s contract. He is one of the five “bonded at the hip” Sweeney supporters.

Joseph is one of the three principals, along with MPC Board Chairman Theron Jackson, in Gateway Development Consortium LLC, which has proposed a $1 billion development of Cross Bayou that would require a substantial city investment plus multiple building permit and zoning approvals from the MPC.

The best course of action is for the council to vote for an internal MPC office. This change would take several months to effectuate, and the sooner the process is started the better.

Ok, I get it.
It’s not a four-letter word but to many its worse. I am referring to “taxes”.

The disdain for taxes is not new. And in fact, disparaging references to taxes and tax collectors go back to Biblical times.

Jesus Christ was asked if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. His response was to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s.

The City of Shreveport is not part of the Roman Empire and Mayor Ollie Tyler is not Caesar. Reviewing the vicious attacks on the mayor by several bloggers, one may think that she is a combination of Caesar, Pilate, Judas and the Devil himself. 

Seemingly these malcontents are determined to severely criticize Tyler no matter what side of the street she walks on, much less which wig she wears.

In all fairness, Tyler is doing her job as Shreveport’s top elected official. Yes, doing her job to ensure that the City has sufficient finances to provide basic services to its residents.

These taxes expire every 5 years. They were last renewed in 2013. They have been in effect for more than 40 years. They are not new in the sense of a first time levy. They are not increases. 

Tyler’s only real decision was to have the taxes on the ballot this year versus last year.

Tyler has not committed a heinous crime or for that matter any crime. It would be malfeasance to not put the taxes on the ballot for approval.

So…get over it!

These 6 tax propositions are for basic city services that benefit all city residents.

These include improving, repairing and maintaining city streets. They also pay for recreation centers, swimming pools, and playgrounds.

The taxes also pay city employees, salaries, police and fire personnel uniforms, and equipment as well as employee pensions, life insurance, and hospitalization.

Lastly, the taxes will continue current police staffing.

All of the tax propositions have been in effect for more than 40 years. Together they produce more than $11 million or 5% of the City’s total $221 million General Fund Budget.

For those that like to continually carp about city taxes, city property tax rates have been reduced by more than 6 mils in the last 3 years. Shreveport city taxes are now at their lowest levels since 1982.

The vote on April 28 is not a poll on Tyler’s job performance. 

It is not a vote for the next mayor, which will be in November. But it is a vote that will affect the city’s quality of life, and thus the city’s future.

Hopefully, Shreveport voters will separate any frustrations with city government from the importance of these tax propositions. Let’s don’t cut off our nose to spite our face.
Vote yes on all 6 tax propositions!

Estimates are just that…educated guesses. And many say this is especially true when it comes to population estimates.

Census data recently released shows that Louisiana was one of eight states to see its population drop last year. The updated population estimates from the U.S Census Bureau are from July 1, 2016 to July 1, 2017.

For Louisiana the net decrease was fewer than 2000 people. Out migrations outpaced natural increases, that being the difference between births and deaths.

So how did Northwest Louisiana fare? Not good.

The total estimated population of Bossier, Caddo, Webster and Desoto parishes as of July 1 last year was 440,933. This was an overall decline of 4147 from I July 2014.

Not surprising, Bossier and Desoto parishes showed a population gain. In the targeted 3 year window Bossier Parish had a estimated population gain of 2718. Desoto Parish had a slight population increase (274) in this period.

In the same interval Caddo Parish had a population loss of 4137. Webster Parish also showed a decline (921) in these 3 years.

These estimates, which by their nature are dated, confirm that the population in Caddo and Webster is most likely shifting to Bossier and Desoto Parish.

Looking back to the population estimates on July 1, 2010, the trends are more pronounced.

Caddo’s highest population estimate was 257,354 on July 1, 2013. This number decreased by almost 11,000 in the next 4 years. The population in Bossier Parish increased by 10,000 from 1 July 2010 to 1 July 2017.

In that 8 year interval Desoto’s population gradually increased each year.

Webster Parish largest population estimate was July 1, 2011. The population declined by almost 2000 by 1 July 2017.

The total estimated population of the 4 parishes only increased by 1122 during the 8 year interval.

In the coming years, a net overall population increase in the 4 parish area is not likely absent a major economic impetus. This could be the strong rebound in the oil and gas industry or the relocation/establishment of a major manufacturing facility to the area. In all honesty, neither of these two prospects are likely.