Two Shreveport City Council members indicated Tuesday that they are prepared to approve the first bond sale, which voters approved in this year’s election after weeks of delays, at their next meeting. Some people say they haven’t reached that point yet. The others said nothing.
For the past month, the Shreveport City Council has been in a rare stalemate over a decision to postpone general obligation bond sales approved by voters earlier this year to build a number of infrastructure projects across the city. There is. The City Council had hoped instead that the administration would focus on abandoning Shreveport Police Headquarters and embarking on a rebuilding process approved by voters through a 2021 bond election, but the project cost would have been too high. Therefore, it was not started.
In two weeks, an ordinance that would allow the city to sell $88 million in general obligation bonds from the 2024 election will be reintroduced to the City Council. Road, water and utility improvements that Shreveport voters approved in April require approval before the city can sell the bonds to banks or other entities. At its three regular meetings since September 24, the City Council unanimously agreed to postpone the vote on the ordinance regarding the police headquarters.
The company’s headquarters complex on Texas Avenue became a hotspot for urban conflict during the same period. The week before the Sept. 24 meeting, City Council members asked Mayor Tom Arsenault to abandon the complex, citing its poor condition and potential health risks to officials from mold. However, Arsenault refused to issue their request for a state of emergency, saying at the time that he did not believe a state of emergency existed or that such a declaration would provide the necessary powers.
The battle over the headquarters has since expanded to include plans to build a police substation on North Market Street, another project funded by the 2021 bond sale. City Council members recently took issue with the deal, in which land would be donated to the city for the project, and a provision requiring Shreveport to use the land for public safety purposes for at least 25 years, otherwise They argued that there was a risk that ownership would revert to the North Shreveport Business Association Foundation. They say they didn’t know – it’s not a starter.
The administration introduced an ordinance Tuesday asking the Legislature to approve the sale of $28.9 million in 2021 voter-approved bonds for public safety buildings, including the headquarters complex. Congress could vote next week to approve both sales.
Two City Council members, Gary Brooks and Alan Jackson, said Tuesday they are generally satisfied with the administration’s efforts so far and will lift the embargo at their next regular meeting and issue an $88 million bond. He indicated he intended to vote to approve the sale.
“This will probably be the last vote to postpone,” Brooks said. “I feel like the administration has done 90 percent, or basically everything, of what we asked police headquarters to do.”
Mr Jackson said he was glad the council seemed ready to move forward. The council president said the police headquarters should always have been a priority, but suggested the city should be able to handle both projects at the same time.
“There are many needs in this city, and I do not agree with setting aside $88 million in turnkey projects to address the needs of the citizens who voted for this money. is ready for that. Please push this forward,” he said. “I want to prepare for the next one.”
Two other City Council members, Grayson Boucher and Tabitha Taylor, said Tuesday they were not yet fully satisfied or ready to say whether to bring forward the bond item at the next regular meeting. .
“I have a similar relationship here with Councilman Brooks, and we still need answers, especially when it comes to the North Market Street substation,” Boucher said. “The Mayor and Chief of Police have done a great job finding a location. They have really done more than I expected in such a short period of time. I am pleased with the progress. “But I still have some questions.” There’s nothing that can’t be accomplished within two weeks. ”
Taylor was less clear about his intentions for the next meeting. She has been one of the most vocal advocates in Congress for a moratorium on bond sales until the police headquarters facility issue is resolved.
“There are still some questions that need to be answered regarding tying taxpayer funds to this bond, which are very important before tying taxpayer funds to another bond,” Taylor said. Ta. “What happens in the next two weeks will definitely depend on the actions of city officials. And as city officials are moving, I’ll be watching to see if that continues.”
Councilors James Green and Ursula Bowman, both of whom have been vocal about prioritizing headquarters before selling 2024 bonds, would not comment on their plans for the next vote. Councilman Jim Taliaferro was absent Tuesday.
