JOHN E. SETTLE JR.
It’s a question that has not been discussed much by local politicos.
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins is a candidate for the U.S. Senate. If elected, he must resign as mayor of Shreveport.
If Perkins loses his Senate race, he still could be headed to the nation's capital. There is some talk that he could become part of the Biden administration if Joe Biden becomes president.
The Shreveport City Charter provides that the chairman of the Shreveport City Council becomes the mayor pro tem if the office of mayor is vacant. Presently, James Flurry is the Council chair, and Levette Fuller is the vice-chair.
The council's rules of procedure provide that the chair and vice-chair are elected at the council's first meeting in January of each year. That date is Jan. 13 of next year.
The council officers serve for one year. They can be elected for successive terms.
If Perkins resigns at year’s end or early January, a special election to fill his unexpired term would be on March 20 with a runoff date of April 24.
In such an event, Flurry would serve as mayor pro tem until Jan. 13. The newly elected chair would then be chair until the mayor’s seat is filled.
In this scenario, the election of the council's next chair becomes much more significant.
If Flurry declines to throw his hat into the ring, Fuller is not automatically crowned as his successor. However, she is not guaranteed the chair seat.
The position of mayor pro tem would be a major plus to a mayoral candidate if that seat comes open. Some observers say that the back room politicking for the council chairmanship has already begun.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE September 18 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.