Goodness...this is an old issue. It started under mayor Ollie Tyler. It was approved by mayor Adrian Perkins and consummated by Mayor Tom Arceneaux.
I am referring to the donation by the North Shreveport Business Association (NSBA) of land on North Market for the construction of a Shreveport Police Department (SPD) substation. This construction was approved in a 2021 bond issue.
SPD selected this location because it was best suited to serve several areas: MLK, Lakeside, Agurs, Cherokee/Highland Park, downtown and the entertainment district. SPD Chief Wayne Smith is, and always has been, an ardent supporter of this site.
Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor was big supporter of Tyler and Perkins. Her BFF/lover attorney Ron Lattier served as Perkins’ city attorney, and he was involved in the negotiations for the NSBA donation to the City of Shreveport. Taylor was in favor of the
donation when serving on the Council under Perkins.
But all that changed when Arceneaux took office as mayor. Suddenly the North Market location near the intersection of Hearne Avenue is not close enough to the MLK area. But this reasoning is par for the course for Taylor in her opposition to Arceneaux
as mayor.
Taylor almost always opposes initiatives by the Arceneaux administration. Both Taylor and her running buddy/minister James Green frequently resort to "the race card" in feeble efforts to support their positions on council issues. Green's opposition to the current administration is not as open and blatant as Taylor's albeit he is just as constant.
The North Market donation has a clause requiring a police substation to be on the property for 25 years. UNDER LOUISIANA LAW, A REVISION IS NOT AUTOMATIC. IT IS ONLY EFFECTIVE IF ORDERED BY A COURT OR AGREED TO IN WRITING BY THE CITY AND NSBA.
This clause is problematic to some council members. The bond to fund the substation construction is for 20 years, and thus the restriction is not a problem for bond funding.
The City has expended approximately $300,000 preparing the donated parcel for construction and the City was ready to receive bids for the construction of the substation.
Taylor used the reverter clause as a tool to hold a special meeting of the council to chastise the mayor over the donation. She abruptly ended the meeting without giving the mayor any opportunity to explain his positions and actions. This meeting resembled a Salem witch trial, and it was one of the worst displays of council abuse in the history of the mayor-council form of government.
At the council meetings this week, Taylor stated her opposition to the North Market location even if the reverter clause issue is resolved. She should realize that she does not have, in effect, a veto power simply because the substation location is in her council district. She is the representative of her district but it’s not a kingdom that she rules over as royalty.
Similarly, the other council members have an obligation to all Shreveport citizens to make the best decisions for the city on all matters--whether in their district or not. Assuming the reverter clause is appropriately resolved, the other council members should approve this North Market location and direct the mayor to proceed asap with construction.
Additional delay only serves to increase construction costs, undermine citizen confidence and impede progressive growth in the city along with being contrary to good government practices. It’s time to move on with the substation construction on the North Market property and to approve the sale of bonds from the 2024 bond issue for streets and drainage projects.