SettleTalk.com

It’s not even the Ides of March, but yet the rumblings on Shreveport mayoral candidates are increasing virtually daily. 

Qualifying for the local elections (mayor, city council and Caddo School Board) is July 18 – July 20. The primary election is November 6 and the run-off election is December 8.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler has announced that she will seek a second term. She is expected to have a formal announcement after the April 28 millage vote.

Tyler had three low-key fund raising events starting in August of last year. A campaign finance report filed January 11 reflected campaign funds of $33,000 as of December 31.

Tyler must answer two primary questions in her campaign. The first is Shreveport’s crime rate, which has increased, and the lack of economic development during her term.

On Tuesday, February 27, Adrian Perkins sent out an email soliciting funds for his mayoral campaign. He advised that he had talked to neighborhood association presidents, oil and gas business professionals, and education professionals on issues facing Shreveport’s next generation.

Perkins is a West Point graduate and a Harvard Law School student. Although he is a Captain Shreve graduate, he is a relative unknown to many politicos in Shreveport.

Despite his email soliciting funds, Perkins advises that he will not be making any official announcement on a mayoral campaign without substantial citizen support. Perkins may find that his connection with State Senator Greg Tarver (he is dating Tarver’s daughter) may be problematic to many voters.

Lee O. Savage has launched a Facebook page for his mayoral ambitions. Savage will have a formal announcement on April 28, and he is out and about in the community in an effect to gain visibility.

Savage, a white Republican, will be bucking the traditional wisdom that the days of white Shreveport mayor ended when Cedric Glover narrowly defeated Jerry Jones in the 2004 mayors race. His name recognition is also very low. 

Savage may find his campaign ties to former Caddo Commissioner David Cox are not necessarily a plus for a city-wide campaign. And the same can be said about his posturing to be a political embassary for Elliott Stonecipher, a blogger with a penchant for conspiracy theories.

Another candidate who has been widely rumored to enter the race is Caddo Commissioner Steven Jackson. Jackson is in his first term on the Commission and served as the Commission president in 2017. 

Jackson worked in the Glover’s mayorial administration and is the former mayor’s political protégé. Jackson is also closely aligned with former Shreveport Councilman Calvin Lester. 

Jackson has been very critical of fellow commissioners who do not vote for his proposals. He is notoriously thin skinned and frequently calls out the media on reporting that he disagrees with. His association with Glover and Lester could be real negatives for him.

Former Shreveport Police Department homicide detective Rod Demery is being encouraged by many in both the black and white communities to enter this race. Demery currently works as the chief investigator for Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart.

Demery is widely respected in the law enforcement ranks. His TV series, “Murder Chose Me” ,is now in its second year. Demery is a rarity in Shreveport politics—a black Republican. 

Demery’s record of service and his accomplishments in Shreveport are more than all of the other potential challengers combined. His current employment with the DA’s office is, however, definite limitation on any mayoral ambitions.

Tremecious Dixon is a latecomer to the mayoral candidate discussions . Dixon is a real estate developer who grew up on a north Caddo farm. He has little civic involvement. He says that he is considering a run for the Mayor’s office.

There’s no doubt that Tyler has a substantial advantage over any challengers. Only one Shreveport Mayor has lost a re-election bid since the mayor-council form of government started in 1979.

Tyler’s speaking tour touting the tax millages gives her the opportunity to brag about her record as Mayor. As evidenced by her 2017 campaign finance report, individuals and companies that make substantial dollars from city work will generously fund her campaign.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler has announced that she will seek a second term as mayor. She indicated that any formal announcement will be after the April 28 vote on “new” ad valorem taxes.

Tyler refers to the tax initiatives as “renewals.” Since the millages expired on December 31 of last year, her classification is technically incorrect.

The tax vote gives Tyler ample opportunities to meet with Shreveport voters and tout her accomplishments during her three years of service. It could also be a referendum on her Administration.

Tyler’s 2017 candidate’s report indicates a fund balance at year end of $33,386.62.

Tyler has held three low key fundraising events. Big Os Catfish, Silver Star Grill and the Petroleum Club were paid almost $7,000 for events in September and December of last year.

The maximum contribution per year for mayor’s race is $2,500. 

Those stepping to the plate with the big bucks were Caddo Commissioner John Atkins, Roy Griggs, Rickey Hall, Shreveport bond attorneys Joshua Williams and Jackie Scott, Fred Kent and his wife Melinda Kent (total of $5,000), and Ronald Wicker.

CDM Smith, a Cambridge, Massachsetts engineering firm, paid $2,500 as a portion of the Petroleum Club catering bill. 

Wimbley Construction contributed $2,000. Williams Creative Group, which is owned by Judy Williams, made in kind contributions of $1,675 for the fundraiser invitations. Jerry Acree, husband of Tyler staffer Arlena Acree, kicked in $1,500 as did KSA, a Longview engineering firm. 

The $1,000 club of donors included Abrams & Larfargue law firm, Barrett Investment Group of Bossier City, Linda Biernacki, Busada and Associates, Al Childs, Lydia Jackson, and Judy Williams.

Two engineering firms also contributed $1,000. These were EJES and Integrated Management Services who both have Shreveport satellite offices. 

There is an old adage in politics that one should “just follow the money.” This is especially true when reviewing contributions to political campaigns.

Roy Griggs was appointed by Tyler to the Port of Shreveport Bossier Board. Griggs was a major player in Tyler’s 2013 campaign for mayor.

Attorneys Williams and Scott are paid big bucks by Shreveport’s bond counsel.

Fred Kent is an insurance broker who has been writing the City’s insurance business since the Hightower days.

Ronald Wicker is a principal in Wicker Construction. This company has several contracts with the City.

CDM Smith also benefits from city dollars with its engineering services. The other engineering firms (KSA, EJES, and Integrated Management Services) have been awarded city contracts.

Adams & Lafargue provide legal services for Shreveport.

Linda Biernacki, who is a major Tyler supporter, had been on the City’s Architectural and Engineering Committee for many years until Tuesday, February 27. Many critics have said this position substantially benefitted her fire protection company.

There is no doubt that an incumbent has a substantial advantage in an election campaign. This is especially true in a mayors race when it comes to raising campaign funds. Tyler’s recent filing is certainly proof of this.

The $1 billion proposed development for Cross Bayou has been a hot topic of discussion lately. Most of the chatter is about the scope of the project which attempts to check all the boxes for “pie in the sky” dreamers.

A closer look of the “development team” of Paul Pratt, Theron Jackson and Curtis Joseph is certainly in order. One commonality of the group, other than their African American race, is that none have any development experience.

Paul Pratt is the lead spokesperson for Gateway Development Consortium. Pratt is employed by Chesapeake Energy Corporation as the director of corporate government relations. In essence he is paid to be “high profile” on several boards.

Pratt’s claim to fame is that he was the Independence Bowl Chairman when Duck Commander was chosen as the bowl sponsor. That ill fated, desperate marriage lasted all of one year. Duck Commander had the best of all worlds—publicity without paying a dime to the bowl.

Another jewel in his civic crown is that he served as the Sci-port treasurer last year. Pratt resigned his position before the news broke that Sci-Port was shutting down. During his tenure on the board designated capitol improvement donations were used to pay operating expenses.  

Jackson is the senior minister at Morning Star Baptist Church. He previously served on the Shreveport City Council and is currently a member (and chairman) of the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission(MPC).

Jackson has a checkered background. He has a 2012 conviction for simple battery for unauthorized touching. The court records indicated that he had an illicit relationship with a young female member of his church congregation.  

Jackson has several unpaid judgments recorded in Caddo Parish records. These include an outstanding $4,000 fine by the Louisiana Ethics Commission.

Shreveport attorney Curtis Joseph rounds out the field of the local developers. Joseph’s primary client is the City of Shreveport. Mayor Ollie Tyler turned over almost all of Shreveport’s defense work to Joseph and his partner Mary Winchell in early 2014.

Joseph was nominated to the MPC by Tyler, reportedly with the understanding that he would closely monitor the actions of MPC Executive Director Mark Sweeney. Within his first six months on the MPC Board, Joseph was the deciding vote to extend an employment contract with Sweeney. Siding with Jackson, Joseph either did not know or did not care that employment contracts by public entities are virtually unheard of as being contrary to good government policy.

Former Shreveport attorney Larry English is listed as a “national” member of the GDC. While in Shreveport English was a constant center of local controversy, both politically and as an attorney.

He parlayed his race (African American) and political connections to get ‘front cover” roles as local counsel for General Motors, Harrah’s , and the City of Shreveport. English recently was in the news for a case that was heard by the United States Supreme Court concerning his representation of a Bossier inmate now on death row.

English attempted unsuccessfully to be a player in local politics; his impact faded the longer he was in Shreveport. After two unsuccessful efforts to be elected to local office, English relocated to New York City. 

In 2010 a Caddo judge ruled him to be in contempt of court for non payment of spousal support of over $32 thousand dollars.

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

On Tuesday the Shreveport City Council should officially hang out the “We Want Your Business “ sign by approving an industrial tax exemption (ITEP) for Inferno, a Shreveport machining company. 

This exemption has been on the books for many years. In the past, these applications were approved only by the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry. An executive order by Governor John Bel Edwards now allows elected taxing bodies to decide the approval/disapproval of the exemption.

The Caddo Commission approved by unanimous vote the Inferno exemption on Thursday Feb 22. (The vote was 11-0; Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts was out of the Chambers.) The Commission’s vote only affects the dedicated millage to the Parish.

The exemption is for 100% of the ad valorem taxes for the first five years. Thereafter full taxes are paid for years 6-30, unless an additional exemption of 80% for three years is applied for and approved.

Inferno is a small family owned business in Agurs that provides substantial benefits to its employees. The investment of $480 thousand dollars in machinery will allow the production of equipment currently shipped in from India. Three additional full time employees with a new payroll of $200 thousand will be added.

The exemption will be equate to $2,422.80 per year in city ad valorem taxes. The total for five years will be $12,114. 

The new payroll will of course have a multiplier effect. The employees will be paying income taxes and sales taxes as well as real estate ad valorem taxes if they own/purchase a residence. The new dollars in the local economy will also create additional jobs.

The Tyler administration has recommended approval of the exemption. 

Shreveport needs to send a message to potential start-up companies as well as existing businesses that the City wants their business. Just recently Bossier City approved an ITEP application that will create fifty new direct jobs.

Economic development during the last three years in Shreveport has been stagnant and the City Council should approve this application. To not do so will certainly contribute to the out migration of businesses and jobs from a city that desperately needs more quality employment.

Feel free to share all or part of this article with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler is on the rubber chicken circuit pushing what she calls a “tax renewal” set for voter approval/disapproval on April 28.

Actually, these millages are not renewals. 

The taxes expired on December 31 of last year. Critics are complaining that the Tyler Administration is being less than truthful in their sales pitch.

Semantics aside, another issue has cropped up that Tyler can not explain away. 

Emails from city attorney Will Bradford basically admit that tax dollars were utilized improperly to prepare a slick 16 page brochure titled “City of Shreveport 2018 Ad Valorem Tax Renewals…Keeping Our Community Strong.”

At the last Shreveport City Council meeting on February 13 Council woman Stephanie Lynch asked Tyler who prepared the brochure. The answer was that it was produced “in house”.

The city attorney promised to address this issue in an email, which he said would be privileged as “attorney client”, to Council members.

Bradford (not to be confused with Councilman Willie Bradford) later advised that the booklets were “designed by the City’s internal staff utilizing materials and supplies already purchased.” He emphasized that this was to educate the public about the upcoming election. 

Somehow Bradford, Chief Administrative Officer Brian Crawford and Tyler all overlooked a basic problem with the brochures contents…that being that it urged voter approval of the tax initiatives. The Louisiana elections code clearly prohibits the use of public funds to urge any voter to “vote for or against any proposition.”

Obviously public dollars were expended to pay the city employees who prepared the booklet. And the same is true for the city materials and supplies that were utilized.

The Election Code does allow for the expenditure of public dollars for the preparation of “factual information relative to a proposition appearing on the election ballot.

Bradford advised Council members that the last page of the booklet which has the “say yes “ language will be removed from any future printings of the booklet. Bradford opined that “all other pages and remaining information is position neutral.” Hopefully he will advise both the Mayor and the CAO to be careful in their presentations to not couch the votes as “renewals.”

How all this plays out is a question that will be answered on April 28.

Tyler is already taking great liberties in touting the accomplishments of her three plus years in office in support of the taxes. An example is claiming credit for the direct flights of American Airlines to Charlotte which were subsidized by another tax millage and negotiated by the Ark-La-Tex Regional Air Service Alliance, not the City. 

And while tooting her own horn, Tyler fails to mention that crime during 2017 increased.

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

In all the political hot stove talk about the fall mayor’s race, very little has been said about the Council races.

All seven of the Council seats will be on the ballot. 

To date, Council members Stephanie Lynch and James Flurry have publicly stated they will seek re-election. Councilman Willie Bradford is undecided. Councilman Jerry Bowman is expected to seek another term.

Council members Jeff Everson, Oliver Jenkins, and Mike Corbin can not seek re-election.

A few names have been mentioned to fill these seats in District B, District C and District D. To date, nothing more than a little smoke on who is really interested in running.

In today’s world of unrelenting and often unforgiving social media, many who harbor Council ambitions are playing their cards close to their vest. And those that have been mentioned have very little, if any, active civic involvement to speak of.

One name that has been suggested is that of Broadmoor Neighborhood Association (BNA) president Rob Broussard.

Under his leadership BNA has increased its membership from 20 to over 1,000 members which includes households. And the list of BNA accomplishments is basically over the top. For those readers interested in a 40 item listing, an email request will be honored.

Most recently Broussard met with Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler seeking more street projects in 2018 for Broadmoor. He reported at the BNA meeting on February 13 that projects of over $397 thousand dollars plus concrete street panels for Pennsylvania had been added to the 2018 work schedule.

There’s no doubt that Broussard is a “doer”. 

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

It’s a question being quietly discussed and cussed in many Shreveport venues. “Quietly” in the sense that getting comments for publication is like finding hens teeth.

Shreveport Mayor Tyler has nominated, Erin McCarty, a well known newscaster, to fill one of two expired seats on the controversial Architectural/Engineering Selection Committee (A/E). McCarty is to replace Linda Biernacki, who was appointed by former Mayor Cedric Glover.

Biernacki has been under heavy criticism because of two reasons. The first is that her fire prevention company has major ties to the construction community in Shreveport. Additionally, Biernacki was a heavyweight in Tyler’s mayoral campaign.

The A/E makes recommendations to the mayor about which companies should receive no-bid professional services with the city. The ordinance provides that the Committee is to “assure the city selects qualified firms to provide it with architectural, engineering, interior design, construction management, land surveying.”

After posting a statement on the KEEL website, McCarty has declined to provide any further comments. 

When she spoke to the Shreveport City Council on Monday, Feb. 12 at its Administrative Conference, McCarty stated that the A/E committee decisions should be made “fairly” and if not, that she “would not be part of the process.”

The construction community has expressed their displeasure with McCarty’s nomination. Publicly, they are quiet because they hope to get work from the City. 

In large part this is the same group that made contributions to Tyler’s campaign in 2014. And they can again expect to be hit up to fund her re-election effort.

Likewise the media community is taking a “mum is the word” attitude on public comments on McCarty’s nomination. Off the record, most have questioned the appropriateness of McCarty accepting the nomination from the perspective of media integrity.

On the KEEL website McCarty says she advised Tyler that she “will continue to be critical of things going on at city hall” if she deemed appropriate.

Many city hall spectators view McCarty’s nomination as an election year ploy by Tyler. To date Tyler has declined to make any comments on this nomination.

McCarty has declined to answer questions about the economic impact of her nomination on her radio station group. Questions are also being raised about current and future advertising with her radio station group by those companies affected by the A/E recommendations. And the same is true concerning political ads that will be placed in the upcoming mayor’s race. 

If McCarty considers herself to be a true media journalist versus a radio personality entertainer, it is difficult to accept her decision to accept the Mayor’s nomination. In a similar fashion, it’s hard for the Mayor to rationally defend the McCarty nomination.

McCarty will be the first media personality to serve on an on-going government committee under the mayor-council form of government. And if her nomination is not approved, that also will be a first.

The Shreveport City Council vote on McCarty is Feb. 27.

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

The recent announcement of new possible development on Cross Bayou has raised more questions than answers. In a presentation to the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Paul Pratt pitched a $1 billion ten year public/private,  mixed-use development on Cross Bayou.

The information released by a public relations firm for the Pratt development group was long on hype and short on details.

A short list of inquiries include the following:

    1.    Pratt is an executive with Chesapeake Energy. What role does Chesapeake have in the project? 
    2.    What roles do Theron Jackson and Curtis Joseph have, and how does this affect their positions on the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC)? 
    3.    What is the planned “municipal complex with 1000 to 2000 employees”? 
    4.    Has the Pelicans G-League team abandoned its plans to locate in Florida? 
    5.    In DDA presentation Pratt did not mention the Pelicans—so it this a new development? 
    6.    How much money is expected from the City for the project? 
    7.    How much money is expected from the Parish for the project? 
8.    What other participation is expected from the City and the Parish? 
    9.    Who will operate the charter school and does it expect local or state funding? 
    10.    And does the charter school really expect to hire 350 employees
    11.    Will the City attempt to gain approval of any participation from the Council as before with the failed sports complex or allow Shreveport voters to approve?
    12.    Cross Bayou flooded last year. What remediation will be necessary to prevent future flooding and what regulatory approvals will be needed? 
    13.    What is expected from the state of Louisiana? Pratt said a public private partnership needed with the state and local government. 
    14.    Other than the DDA, what groups, government entities, etc have been briefed on this project which was NOT known to the general public until Wednesday of this week? 
    15.    Larry English is an attorney who once practiced in Shreveport and has relocated to the Big Apple. What is his role in the project? 
    16.    Is it a conflict of interest for Curtis Joseph to be a contract attorney for the City of Shreveport and be a part of the Cross Bayou development group ?

This proposed development will be the subject of close scrutiny in coming months.  Mayor Tyler’s proposed sports complex, which failed to garner council approval, is still fresh in the mind of Shreveport citizens.  

This is an election year for Tyler and the council members.  Expect all those seeking to be re-elected this fall to be very careful in their consideration of spending any Shreveport public funds on this venture.

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name. 

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler’s biggest setback as mayor was the defeat by the Shreveport City Council of her proposed sports complex for Cross Bayou. Now a private group is quietly making the rounds with the “downtown crowd” pushing a new development for this area.

The December minutes of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) show that Paul Pratt, an executive with Chesapeake Energy, made a presentation to the DDA board for a proposed $1 billion, ten-year public/private, mixed-use development on Cross Bayou. The partnership would be with Gateway Development Corporation and would consist of local and out-of-state investors. The City of Shreveport and Parish of Caddo are also being approached to partner with the developers.

This development would include a new municipal anchor building that would house 2,000 permanent downtown employees, a hard bank development on Cross Bayou, a new technology center of education anchor with 300 jobs, retail, and apartments. Mr. Pratt says the project would potentially bring 2,000 jobs and 5,000 residents to downtown, as well as new single and multi-family housing.

In a press release Pratt advised that he has formed Gateway Downtown Consortium (GDC), whose membership team has decades of experience working with Public/Private Partnerships. Theron Jackson, former City Council member; General Contractor, Rickey Hall and Attorney Curtis Joseph along with Mr. Pratt serve on GDC’s local team. It’s national members are Daron West and Larry English of the infrastructure development firm, AirRail, both of whom have deep roots in Shreveport. Janus Property, which is developing a million square feet of commercial space in Manhattan, is a partner on the development team.

“There have been decades of discussions and numerous plans to develop the Cross Bayou waterfront, but I always believed the initiative had to begin in the private-sector and would need to stand on its own without the bells and whistles, usually associated with attracting tourists,” said Mr. Pratt.

Based on GDC’s research, thriving urban cities begin with one single economic principle: creating density. Density creates growth. Economists call this phenomenon agglomeration. Not only does geographical proximity reduce cost, but it also facilitates the exchange of knowledge and spurs innovation. It is a principle that holds true regardless of the industry.

As a result, GDC concluded the following concept had the best chance for success:

1. A Municipal Complex with 1000 to 2000 permanent employees

2. A Technology-based Charter School with 350 employees

3. A Sports Complex whose Anchor tenant would be the Pelicans G-League Team, but would also be attractive to local, regional and national sporting events such AAU

4. A 5000-unit mixed-use housing with residential and single family homes

The project, called Cross Bayou Point, is a $1 billion 10-year development of Cross-Bayou and Ledbetter Heights.

Pratt cautioned that for the project to be successful, GDC must form a Public/Private Partnership with local and state government. With Mr. Pratt taking the lead, GDC has held discussions with local business and political leaders to test support of the idea. The consensus was “if not now, when?”

According to Mr. Pratt, “What excited everyone is the civic initiative from the local business community and the investment, participation and enthusiasm of local leadership.” GDC has met with state leaders and Mayor Ollie Tyler and has received tentative support for the concept. According to Pratt: “Mayor Ollie Tyler, while enthusiastic about the concept, has made clear that the city will require complete transparency, if it is to be involved. GDC’s next step is negotiating a non-binding Letter Of Intent with the City of Shreveport followed by formal negotiations to create a public/private partnership to move the project forward as soon as possible.

“The DDA is unanimous in our belief that the Cross Bayou downtown waterfront is an untapped treasure and could become something amazing and create jobs, opportunities and tax base. Our yearly Program of Work calls it possibly the most underutilized urban waterfront in the country and one that is ripe for development. As with all developments, the devil is in the details in terms of the use mix, funding streams, long-term sustainability, and the integration of the project into the rest of downtown.” (Liz Swaine, DDA Executive Director.)

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to use my  name. 

In the “good ole days”, tax renewals for basic government services were generally a slam dunk for voter approval. 

Those days have changed, as witnessed by the defeat of several Caddo Commission renewals last year.

Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler has called a special election on April 28 to renew ad valorem taxes.  These five year renewals for basic city services expired on December 31, 2017. 

Tyler decided to not seek these renewals last fall. This decision could be a big mistake, both for the renewals and her upcoming bid to be re-elected for a second term as mayor.

The Tyler administration is stressing that the renewals are “essential for maintaining basic city services.” These services include for street repairs, SPAR recreational facilities, police and fire uniforms, and city employee salaries, pensions and health insurance.

If passed the renewals should generate more than $11 million bucks a year. This amount equates to 5% of the city’s total $221 million general fund budget.

Tyler is now in the full sales pitch mode. One can expect her to make appearances at every gathering of five or more citizens, whether welcomed or not.

For many reasons these renewals could face voter displeasure.  

The first being the word “tax” itself.

Touting that the ballot propositions are not for new taxes is technically incorrect. These taxes have expired. Thus Shreveport property taxes due in December of this year will go down if the renewals fail.

Many citizens vote not only with their pocketbooks, but also their perception of their quality of life. 

Crime, especially violent crimes, has increased during Tyler’s administration. Thus the perception of a “crime problem” in Shreveport is in fact a reality.

Many citizens, especially those in the Broadmoor neighborhood, are unhappy with the street repairs made, and not made, from the 2011 Glover bond packages. 

Other citizens have a growing concern that Shreveport’s economy is stagnant and that too many “good” jobs land on the east side of the river. The recent designation by Money Magazine of Bossier City as the best place in the state to live has rubbed salt into many citizen anxiety wounds. 

Many voters are unhappy with special elections for tax renewals. Tyler could have placed the renewals on the November ballot.

Citizens that are still receiving excessive water bills from the City (actually DOWUS) may also voice their displeasure by voting against the renewals. 

The approval of the tax renewals should not be considered a given. Additionally, many voters may selectively decide on each of the six tax propositions.

That includes the mayor and the council elections. 

Feel free to share all or part of this column with others and to post to Facebook. No requirement to list my name.