KEN KREFFT
Contributing Columnist
A 3-3 tie vote at the Dec. 14 Shreveport City Council meeting defeated the proposed 13% pay raise for Shreveport police officers and firefighters.
In support were John Nickelson, Grayson Boucher and LeVette Fuller, and in opposition were Tabatha Taylor, James Green and Jerry Bowman Jr.
The absence of a current District E member due to the recent resignation of James Flurry played a role in this tie. Once the governor appoints a new District E council member, and if all seven members at a meeting vote on an item, there won't be a tie.
I live in District C, yet I wanted to address the current lack of representation for District E citizens. I was the only one who spoke about this topic at the Dec. 14 council meeting.
All seven council districts supported Proposition 1 on the Dec. 11 electoral ballot. Although propositions 2-5 were all defeated, it is noteworthy that 59.2% of the city's voters, in an unofficial turnout of 12.8%, approved the public safety proposition to issue $70.65 million in general obligation bonds. Their principal and interest will run 20 years.
Inasmuch as District E's voters supported the police and fire proposal, a new District E member might wish to consider the public safety pay raise the next time it might be proposed. Should the appointee oppose the pay hike and seek a four-year term next fall, good luck. The voters will remember such opposition.
The Shreveport Police Department has about 125 positions which are funded in the 2021 budget yet are vacant. The fire department has many vacancies. The 2.75% city sales tax has generated $135,010,677.57 through November. This figure is $18,808,381.18 more than 2020 for the same 11-month period.
Once an annual total is known on Jan. 3, 2022, we may end this year $19 million or $20 million over 2020. Such funds are sustainable. None of the sales tax is renewable. It's all permanent.
The council members voting against the public safety 13% pay raise recommendation are correct to express concerns if such general funds will be there in the next few years. They will be.
I hope this important item gets another city council vote once District E has its member.