JOHN E. SETTLE JR

Ron Lattier is THE city attorney for the city of Shreveport.

His salary is $169,500 plus benefits.

The 2021 budget for the city attorney's office exceeds $1.2 million.

Lattier is only PART TIME city attorney.

Lattier has a private practice of law. It is unknown how many hours he spends in his private practice during the normal work week.

Lattier misses at least one work day per month attending meetings of the Red River Waterway Commission in Natchitoches. He is paid to attend these meetings.

He also is out of office during the work day each month attending meetings of the Caddo Levee Board. He is paid to attend these meetings.

When confirmed by the city council it was known that Lattier had a private practice of law and that he would be allowed to maintain the same. It was NOT known at that time the extent of his private practice and the hours if would take him out of the city attorney office.

On two occasions the chief deputy city attorney has appeared before the city council and answered a council question incorrectly. One can only wonder how many other times city officials have been misinformed by assistant city attorneys on other matters.

As a member of the waterway commission Lattier voted for funding of the Bawkowski bridge which required funding by the city of Shreveport. He was the city attorney at the time of the vote. This vote was an obvious conflict of interest.  

After the bridge funding was approved, the city attorney's office reviewed a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement by and between the city and the waterway commission. This review, even if NOT by Lattier, is also a conflict of interest for the city attorney office to handle  after Lattier's waterway commission vote.

Shreveport needs a full time city attorney, with "full time" being defined as in the city attorney office five days a week working as city attorney. Put another way, the city attorney should NOT have a private practice of law or be on any paid boards or commissions that require regular absence from the city attorney's office.

Lattier is the only PART TIME Shreveport department head. This is NOT good government and it reflects negatively on the Perkins administration.

Lattier also is first PART Time city attorney that Shreveport has had under the council mayor form of government. He needs to be the last one.