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Voters for City Council candidates get many messages during the campaigns from the candidates. Almost all of these are based on good government principles. Some can not be actually accomplished by a council member, either acting alone or with a majority of the Council. 

Council members can not fire Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump, or for that matter any city employee other than the Council Clerk Art Thompson. 

City council members can not direct police strategies nor supervise the internal operations of any city department. 

City Council member can not schedule road repairs/repaving or the water and sewer mandated repairs. 

Council members can not magically transform neighborhoods nor can they make city hall more transparent. 

Council members can not force the mayor to sign contracts or agreements of understanding requested by developers. 

Council members do not have the right to participate with the mayor in meetings with businesses seeking to expand, relocate or start up in Shreveport. 

Council members can not annex property into the city limits or deannex property out of the city limits without the consent of the property owners. 

Council members can not single handedly cut government waste, red tape or required procedures. 

Soo…what can they do? For beginners, any actions for the Council require a majority vote. 

Council members vote on contested re-zoning/re-classification decisions of the Shreveport Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission. But even those cases may be finally determined by the courts.  

Council members vote on matters that affect economic development such as zoning, city ordinances, and Investment Tax Exemption Program tax credits.  

Council members vote on the annual city budget and they can propose amendments to the same during the process of reviewing the budget or thereafter. 

Council members can push concerns of constituents by direct communication with the mayor and department heads and at the council meetings.  

Council members can make inquiries into what the administration is doing—or not doing—on matters of concern to their district and the entire city. 

A council member can have a voice in shaping city policy by lobbying, making budget appropriations and by introduction of ordinances and resolutions.  

Council members can be a bridge between John Q. Citizen and city hall, by either directing constituents to the appropriate departments/persons to answer inquiries or by directly responsibility for these concerns. 

Council members can attend functions within their district and provide encouragement, direction, and assistance in citizen efforts to participate in the governmental process, build neighborhood organizations and interface with city personnel on behalf of their constituents. 

The effectiveness of an individual council member depends in large part on both getting other votes as well as powers of persuasion for initiatives that have public merit. 

 (This article was published in The Inquisitor on Thursday, October 4, 2018)

Well, it depends on who you ask. And if you are running for re election.

The introduction of an ordinance to authorize the establishment of a needle exchange program raised a few eyebrows at the Council work session on Monday September 9.

The ordinance, introduced by Council B representative Jeff Everson, also decriminalizes distribution and/or possession of hypodermic needles and syringes by organizations and participants in the program.

Needle and syringe exchange programs are designed to prevent and reduce the transmission of communicable diseases transmitted by injections.

Specifically they are intended to reduce the spread of HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, and other blood-borne diseases. Another goal is to reduce needle stick injuries to law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel as well as by others who find discarded syringes.

In addition to disposal of used needles and hypodermic syringes, these programs may also provide needles, syringes and other drug use supplies in an effort to prevent the sharing and/or reuse of needles.

Needle exchange programs are legal in Louisiana if authorized by a municipality. New Orleans and Baton Rouge now have them. The Shreveport Philadelphia Center wants to establish a needle exchange and can do so without public funding.

Council members James Flurry , Willie Bradford and Stephanie Lynch are running for re election. No doubt they will put their toe in political waters before deciding their vote. Flurry says he has received negative input from his constituents.

The Council will consider adoption of this ordinance on November 13, the week after the November 8 primary. Flurry and Lynch each just have one opponent so their seats will be decided. Willie Bradford may be in run-off election. This delay should provide sufficient time for review, input from citizens, and remove the re election hurdle for at least two council members.

Leaving out “politics” during re election campaigns is virtually impossible to do. However in the abstract it is difficult to logically argument against the ordinance.

An issue that Shreveport’s next mayor will need to address early next year is the Shreveport Police Department (SPD) headquarters building on the corner of Texas Avenue and Murphy Street.

Specifically, whether to continue to spend large sums of money on maintenance and repair or just start over with a new building.

The aging facility has many well documented problems with air conditioning, plumbing and restrooms and building security.

The SPD headquarters is, quite frankly, a dump compared to the Shreveport Fire Department headquarters on Common Street.

The estimated cost of a modern facility is an open question. The numbers range from $14 million to over $20 million. Any construction would be financed by general obligation bonds approved by Shreveport voters.

Chief Administrative Officer Brian Crawford says the now abandoned Sears building at Mall St. Vincent could be a great option for a new SPD headquarters. This building is owned separately from the mall.

Crawford highlights the large square footage of the 3 story building, the expansive parking around the building and the ground floor entrance on the south side as major pluses along with the proximity to I-49.

Relocation to this building could also give a much needed boost to the mall merchants. Whether or not the additional sales tax revenue to the city would offset the loss of ad valorem taxes from converting the building to a municipal facility is an open question.

Don’t expect Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler to be pushing a new SPD building until after the election. With her approval rating at an all time low, the last thing she will be talking about is a new bond issue.

Connecting the dots to say that a new building for the SPD with help reduce crime may be a Houdini task that no mayoral candidate is ready to attempt. However the issue of what to do about the current SPD headquarters is a good question that has yet to be addressed by the candidates.

(This article was published in The Inquisitor on Thursday, September 27, 2018)

Voter turnout is always a major concern for political candidates. And it is no different for Shreveport mayoral and council candidates this year.

The primary is on Tuesday, Nov 6. The run-off election is on Saturday December 8. Both days can be problematic for candidates and their supporters.

Weather is always a concern, and work days can be a challenge for some voters. Saturday elections can be impacted by college football games, and hunting seasons.

But the big “if” this year is the lack of big names on the ballot. There is no presidential election and no U.S. Senate race.

The ballot will have 6 Constitutional amendments and two propositions. There is also a special election for Louisiana Secretary of State and the U.S. Representative 2 year term.

The number of Caddo registered voters has been up and down since 2008. The largest number of voters was in the 2012 election (169,859). This number fell by over 1000 for the 2016 election.

As of September 16, the registered votes were 161,156, which is 8703 less than the 2012 high. Caddo registrar of voters Ernie Roberson does not predict any big uptick in number of registered votes. He says Caddo Parish continues to lose voters by death and relocation.

Voter turnout for Caddo elections has been falling since the 2008 presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain. In that election the turn out was 66.71%. Total voters cast was 109,529.

The 2012 presidential election was between incumbent Obama and Mitt Romney. The voter turnout was 66.30%. Total votes cast was 112,624.

The 2016 Trump versus Clinton presidential election had a turnout of 63.36%. Total votes cast was 106,911.

Roberson says that the turnout could be as low as 40%. He is certain that it will be much less than 60%.

(This article was published in The Forum on Tuesday, September 25, 2018)

The Shreveport mayoral and council campaigns often appear to be more of beauty contests than fact driven contests. And in the forums, candidates often sound like parrots as they all answer the same questions.

 

With incumbents, the obvious factors are job performance while in office. For the mayor this involves the leadership of the city. With council incumbents attendance at work sessions and council meetings, votes on key issues, and responsiveness to constituent matters are issues for voters.

 

In the current campaigns voters can look at the personal lives of the candidates, especially those that are not incumbents running to be re-elected.

 

One consideration is home ownership—does the candidate have “skin in the game” in the sense of paying Shreveport ad valorem taxes?

 

Jim Taliaferro has been in Shreveport for over 20 years. He does not own a home. He claims his mother’s residence as his voter domicile.

 

Steven Jackson has lived in Shreveport for 7 years. He does not own his residence.

 

Adrian Perkins has just returned to Shreveport after West Point, 3 combat tours and Harvard Law School. He does not own a Shreveport residence.

 

Council B candidates Levette Fuller and James Carstensen do not own a residence in the city.

 

As far as “run ins with the law”, Steven Jackson’s problems with having a current Motor Vehicle Inspection sticker and required car insurance have been well documented.

 

Carstensen’s police record includes guilty pleas for careless operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a suspended license, unlawful discharge of a firearm, 3 separate incidents of speeding, operating a motor vehicle with expired license plates, a seatbelt violation and driving an improperly registered vehicle. He was also found guilty of disturbing the peace and keeping a disorderly place.

 

Lee O. Savage has filed a bankruptcy.

 

Patrick Kirton, a candidate for District C, previously had financial problems. Tax liens were filed against him by the state of Louisiana and the IRS. He also had 2 money judgments recorded against him in Caddo Parish records. (All the liens and judgments have been paid.)

 

The rap sheet of Keith Hanson, a District D candidate, shows guilty pleas to 2 speeding tickets, 3 expired license plate tags, and 2 expired inspection stickers.

Joey Hester, another District D candidate, is a part time police officer for the town of
Blanchard. If elected, he will have many potential conflicts of interest in votes concerning the Shreveport Police Department.

 

No doubt other candidates have major life experiences that voters would consider seriously in determining their vote.

 

Individuals who qualify for public office must accept the reality that they have chosen to put their private life out into the public. And those that have been elected to office should realize that their personal actions are held to a higher standard.

 

A primary consideration, which probably is most difficult to evaluate for non-incumbent candidates, is temperament for the position they seek. Elected officials must be responsive to their constituents and be effective in resolving their issues. They must also properly evaluate matters that are voted upon and be able to work with their elected peers to effectuate their goals. And they must be able to stand the “heat in the kitchen” in the sense that many of their votes will not please all those they represent.

 

Many candidates have already been defensive in forums and thin skinned when questioned about their positions, actions and/or backgrounds. Others have appeared as programmed robots, sticking to a rehearsed set of answers failing to be really responsive to inquiries.

 

Voters who have attended and/or will attend future forums would be well advised to focus on candidate attitudes, body language and presence as much as campaign promises from candidates in determining their votes.

 

Other issues that voters can look to include employment, military service, business experience and education.

 

Leaving behind beauty pageant factors, candidate selection should entail serious review of all these factors, and more.

 

(This article was published in The Inquisitor on Thursday, September 20, 2018)

Who really knows?

Jackson is employed by the David Raines Community Health Centers. The website indicates that he is a the community development coordinator.

David Raines is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides health care to citizens without regard to insurance or income. It is funded with federal tax dollars.

The attorney for David Raines says it is a private corporation and is not subject to the Louisiana Public Records Act.

Jackson has also refused to answer any inquiries about his job.

Whether or not Jackson is allowed to campaign while ‘on the clock” and being paid with public dollars is an open question. Another question is if he is paid by David Raines while he performs his duties as a Caddo Commissioner.

It’s important for taxpayers to know what public employees are doing—or not doing—while on a public payroll. Levette Fuller, an employee of the Shreve Memorial Library, is required to take time off from her publicly funded job to campaign. Jackson should also be required to do so as well because his employer David Raines is also funded with public dollars.

The fact that a company funded with public dollars refuses to answer basic questions about an employee is an issue in and of itself. It certainly speaks to the transparency of David Raines and whether or not public funding should continue.

And for Jackson, who claims to be an ethical elected official, to not answer questions about campaigning while on the public time clock is even more galling. Actually it speaks to the integrity of someone who wants to be Shreveport’s next mayor and its not a good message.

Jackson previously worked for former Shreveport mayor Cedric Glover, and then for mayor Ollie Tyler for a few months before being terminated. From there, Jackson went to DRCHC. Reportedly Glover helped him get this job; Jackson is a self proclaimed protégé of Glover.

Jackson successfully ran for the Caddo Commission in the 2015 after being hired at David Raines. Whether or not he was allowed to campaign for this office while ‘on the clock” is another unanswered question.

Voters who are concerned about this issue—paying an individual with tax dollars while he campaigns for public office—could contact Jackson at spjcacks17.@gmail.com or sjackson@caddo.org.

In the alternative other members of the corporate staff may answer this question:

Willie C. White III, Chief Executive Officer Wwhite@davidraineschc.org

Myrtis Edwards, Chief Operating Officer Medwards@davidraineschc.org

Michael Fuselier, Chief Financial Officer Michael.Fuselier@davidraineschc.org

Ida Edwards, Chief Compliance Officer Iedwards@davidraineschc.org

Clydean W. Gilbert, Executive Assistant to CEO Cgilbert@davidraineschc.org

Cynthia Harris, Senior Accountant cynthia.harris@davidraineschc.org

Glenda Mayer, Revenue Cycle Manager Gmyers@davidraineschc.org

Michael Lawson, Information Technology Manager Mlawson@davidraineschc.org

Jo Noble, Human Relations Officer Jo.Noble@davidraineschc.org

And if no one on the corporate staff will provide any information, perhaps DRCHC board members will respond: Rev. Robert Green, Yolanda Coleman, Dr. Linda Hartwell, Jesse Scott, Shannon S. Warren, Kathy French, Dr. Raymond A. Hicks and/or Annie Pearl Wilson.

Jackson has touted in his mayoral campaign that he has “enacted stronger ethics and transparency on the Commission.” Seemingly his non disclosure stance is totally contrary to his campaign boasting.

Shreveport tax payers should not be paying a candidate to campaign for mayor on the taxpayer’s dime. Plain and simple.

If anyone ever doubted that Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler is not in a “full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes” re-election mode, the recent refunds for excessive sewage charges should answer that question.

On Friday, Sept. 7, city government sent checks to 12 local businesses totaling over $230,000.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that many Shreveport voters are employed by these businesses. The list includes Benteler Tube & Steel, Calumet Lubricants, Christus Health/Highland, Hollywood Casino, Libbey Glass, Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino and Willis-Knighton Health System.

The letter accompanying the checks advised that “the payment is being made to correct sales tax discrepancies with your account and is calculated to include judicial interest for your inconvenience.”

Interestingly enough, only two of the check recipients had filed suit requesting payment of judicial interest — The Haven Property Owners Association and Briarwood Apartments.

The transmittal letter did not include any attachment explaining the calculation of the refund or the added judicial interest. It just said that corrections were made in January of this year to the sales tax calculation on the sewage portion of commercial accounts and just recently to eliminate the sales tax collected on the security fee on these accounts.

A glaring omission in this communication was any statement as to the legal impact of depositing the refund check. Specifically, would depositing the city’s check preclude any further recovery of overpayment and interest? This failure is totally inexcusable and is probably the most irresponsible action by any Shreveport mayor since the commencement of the mayor council form of government in 1978.

Other questions that were glossed over include why the checks were not mailed sooner— like right after the sales tax collection correction in January of this year? Or why the tax collection on the security deposit continued through August?

To those who have closely followed this mushrooming water billing debacle, the real underlying questions are even more damning — and indicative of very poor basic governmental management. How long key administration officials have had knowledge of the overcharges is open to speculation.

The litigation filed by The Haven and the owners of the Bridgewater Apartments alleges that Barbara Featherston, director of Shreveport’s Water & Sewerage Department, became aware in September 2015 that the sales tax did not apply to commercial sewage charges. Yet these taxes were collected from July 2015 until January of this year.

Both Tyler and Chief Administrative Officer Brian Crawford admitted in February 2017 depositions that the water billing system was not operating correctly and that an audit was needed. But no audit has been conducted.

Tyler has consistently blamed former Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover for many ills that she inherited, including the water billing system.

How much longer she will “kick the Glover can” as an excuse for not addressing and solving Shreveport’s water billing errors is an open question. Seemingly, Shreveport voters should be tired of the constant mantra of “blame Glover, not me.”

Tyler’s reluctance at the Southern Hills mayoral forum to commit to a full and expeditious audit of the water department is further evidence of her “leadership” style, which is to admit no mistakes, to take no advice and to exclude city council members in her decision making.

With the exception of water billing, Tyler has restored much needed accountability to city hall. But she has basically “maxed out” when it comes to improving the efficiency of Shreveport’s departments and employees. She continues in a role as an administrator, not a progressive, innovative leader.

Tyler has constantly preached that she is professionally running the third largest city in the state. Her campaign push card lists her “experiences as a CEO,” detailing budget amounts and the number of employees she supervises. And she touts her “proven experience, proven leadership, proven integrity” as a campaign slogan.

If the continuing water billing fiasco is to be the standard for evaluating Tyler’s performance as mayor, then she should not be re-elected.

(This article was/will be published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, September 16, 2018)

Caddo commissioners are the top paid. And Caddo Parish school board members the lowest. Based on the budget sizes of each group, Commissioners are overpaid by a large measure. And school board members just the opposite. (For the record the Caddo commissioners are the highest paid part time elected officials in the state.)

 

The twelve commissioners are paid $1,892 per month. The president gets an additional $100 a month Compensation.

 

The twelve school board members receive $800 a month. The school board president is paid $900 per month.

 

The seven Shreveport council members are compensated $1268 per month. The council president gets an extra $200 per month.

 

The Commission and the Shreveport Council meet four times each month—two work sessions and two regular meetings. They both have numerous committees that meet periodically.

 

The school board has one work session and one regular meeting each month. The executive committee meets monthly.

 

The school board budget is in excess of $492 million dollars. The city of Shreveport operating budget is $488 million. The capitol improvements budget, which is funded with bond money, is $877 million. The commissions budget is $74 million.

 

As far as the number of constituents, city councilmembers have the most. After the 2010 re-apportionment, each district was roughly the same size. Due to population shifts, District F (Stephanie Lynch) has the smallest population and District D (Michael Corbin) has the most population, — by a 4,000 plus margin.

 

Although the school board and the commission both have the same jurisdiction—the entire parish—their 12 district lines differ (go figure?).

 

School board District 3 (Margaret Brown) and District 5 (Bonita Douzart) are almost the same size. They are the smallest district by population. District 9 (Barry Rachal) is the largest district.

 

Caddo Commission District 5 (Jerald Bowman) and District 6 (Lynn Cawthorne) are virtually the same in population, and they are the two smallest districts. District 9 (John Atkins) is the largest district by a considerable margin.

 

Each of these representatives are elected for four year terms. Council members can only serve 2 consecutive terms. Commissioners and school board members are limited to 3 consecutive terms.

 

Employee wise, the school board is the largest by a large margin. Over 5500 people work within the school system. Shreveport has 2800 employees and the Commission 353.

 

Each group is important in its mission. Each body has its own personality that is clearly reflected in their meetings, elected representatives and administrations.

(This article was published in The Forum on Wednesday, September 12, 2018)

Labor Day traditionally is the kickoff for local contested elections. And this election season is no different. Other than several forums, the campaigns of the Shreveport mayoral candidates have been relatively quiet.

Counting from Sunday, Sept. 9, there are fewer than 60 days to the Tuesday, Nov. 6, primary. Thus voters can expect to see the five major candidates — Ollie Tyler, Adrian Perkins, Lee O. Savage, Jim Taliaferro and Steven Jackson — ramp up their campaigns.

This depends, of course, on the amount of campaign funds of each candidate.

The size of each candidate’s war chest is top secret. The first campaign finance reports to the Louisiana Ethics Commission are not due until Oct. 9. It will cover income and expenses of each campaign through Sept. 27. After that, the next report must be filed by Oct. 29 for the time interval between Sept. 27 and Oct. 17.

The Oct. 9 reports will provide a quick read on the chances of success of each candidate. Not only will it list campaign donors, but also campaign reserves.

Candidates can beef up their reports by making personal loans to their campaign. And they can downplay their reserves by holding contributions until after the reporting period before making deposits.

There’s more to running a campaign than getting and spending money, of course.

Perkins jumped out with billboards right after his July announcement. He also has started TV ads in recent weeks.

On May 1, Savage opened his campaign headquarters on Youree Drive Extension. In August, Perkins opened his headquarters on Lakeshore Drive near Jewella Avenue. Recently, incumbent Tyler, the incumbent mayor, set up shop on Youree Drive in the Broadmoor area.

The two other major mayoral challengers are Taliaferro and Jackson, a Caddo Parish commissioner. Neither responded to emails asking about plans for campaign headquarters.

Savage has pushed hard to get out over 700 yard signs. Tyler and Perkins, as well as Taliaferro and Jackson, also have yard signs scattered about.

All Caddo schools have been in session for a few weeks. Thus candidates no longer must compete with the back-to-school routine that affects practically everyone.

There are no more major holidays between now and the November primary. With the exception of out-of-town football games and the opening of hunting seasons, most voters are “in town” until Thanksgiving.

Absent a major disaster, Tyler is virtually assured to be in the Dec. 8 runoff election. The big question is who will be her opponent and what the vote margins are between the top five candidates.

As an incumbent, Tyler has a major advantage in raising funds. How successful her challengers are in this critical area is a question that will not be known for another month. Needless to say, campaign dollars will be determinative in the election of Shreveport’s next mayor.

While scrounging for money, candidates are also looking for endorsements. Most endorsements are accompanied by campaign donations. These can have a domino effect on a campaign for more endorsements and donations.

The mayor’s race has been to most a topic for idle conversation since the announcements this summer. This election should become much more prominent in the minds of Shreveport voters between now and Nov. 6.

(This article was published in The Shreveport Times on Sunday, September 9, 2018.)

Its almost been two years since my good friend Dr. Artis Cash unexpectedly died. 

Time goes by…seemingly faster and faster. And I still miss our every other day telephone conferences about local politics. 

This being an election year in Shreveport, it sure would be great to be kicking the “political can” 
with Cash on a daily basis. If anyone could ever dig up scoop, it was Cash. 

And believe you me, political candidates would return a Cash call—whether they liked him or not. 

His towering presence topped with a hat was not to be ignored,–and yes he did stand out in a crowd.
 
Cash had a great sense of humor and a love for people—all people—that could not be matched. 

Revered and reviled, Cash transcended the mundane and pettiness of politics, always seeming
goals that furthered the benefit of all citizens.

(This was published in the Shreveport Sun on Thursday, September 6, 2018)