I believe that we should begin now to plan for a General Obligation bond issue election for capital improvements to be held April 27, 2024. It has become clear to me that the City has significant capital needs that cannot be addressed within our regular operating budgets or American Recovery (ARP) funds. A well-planned, realistic bond issue could meet many of those needs. To meet the timelines for an April 2024 election, we need to start now.
Developing a proposed bond issue should involve a partnership among citizens, Council members and City departments. To do that, I intend to create a Citizens Capital Improvements Committee for the sole purpose of determining the projects that should be included in a bond issue proposal. This approach has been used successfully previously in Shreveport and is the best way to assure that everyone's voice is heard.
This committee will include 19 citizens from throughout the City - two selected by each City Council member and five at-large representatives I will select. Retired LSU-S Chancellor Dr. Larry Clark has agreed to chair the committee.
This will be an intense process that will involve a number of meetings between now and the end of the year. Representatives of City departments, led by the Chief Administrative Officer, will serve as the committee's technical advisors.
I will recommend that committee members hold public meetings to seek public input on possible bond issue projects. They will also ask citizens and Council members to submit suggested projects, based on the needs they see within our neighborhoods.
I believe that we will have the best chance of success if the voters are presented with a menu of choices for their approval. Areas like public safety, streets and drainage, parks and water and sewer should be presented as separate propositions, allowing the voters to make choices about the worth of each category's projects. The committee will determine if other categories of projects ought also to be proposed for voter approval.
The City Council has the final authority on whether to call an election and which propositions will be included.
We have the opportunity to improve our City's most basic infrastructure and to meet many of the unfunded needs we all see. I ask for your cooperation and support as we begin this important process.