Story By: Wes Merriott

The Bossier City Charter Commission voted 4-3 to add retroactive term limits for the offices of Bossier City Mayor and Bossier City Councilmen in a late-night session Monday night.

The Bossier City Charter Commission met Monday night in Bossier City’s municipal hall.

The measure comes nearly 7 months after the Commission was formed by an act of the Bossier City Council, to review the Home Rule Charter that lays out the framework for the city government. In essence, the Charter serves as Bossier City’s “constitution.”

In a meeting that stretched well past 9pm, Commissioners wrangled with their most divisive topics, including who is eligible to run for public office, financial matters led by the City Finance Director, and finally, term limits for the Mayor and City Council.

“This will instill a lot of confidence in the City that you are going to have change,” David Crockett stated to the Commission as he spoke in favor of the term limits amendment.

“We are here simply, to give the people what they have asked for,” Commissioner David Johnson said as he addressed the Commission.

Julianna Parks, local attorney and Bossier Parish Police Juror, gave an impassioned speech against term limits.

“I don’t feel like the people who signed the petition have been educated on the pros and cons of term limits,” Parks said as she entered the debate. “When you say these people want term limits, I don’t know that is necessarily true.” The audience at the meeting began jeering and openly laughing during Parks’ nearly ten minute attack on term limits, causing Commissioner Shane Cheatham to ask the audience to come to order.

Ultimately, Parks was unable to sway her colleagues and the Commission voted 4-3 to add the retroactive term limits amendment to the proposed City Charter. Shane Cheatham, Lee Jeter, David Johnson, and Preston Friedley all voted to pass the measure. Julianna Parks, Vicky Whitman, and Sandra Morehart voted against it. Notably, Parks and Morehart were appointed to the Commission by Councilmen David Montgomery and Don Williams, respectively, and both of those councilmen would be prevented from running for an additional term of office if the new Charter is passed by the voters.

The Bossier City Charter Commission will have one final meeting on June 18th to address the few remaining items that had not yet reached consensus. After their final meeting, the approved amendments, including term limits, go to the City Council for a blanket approval to send to the voters. According to the current City Charter, in Section 21.04, “The City Council shall submit any amendment or amendments as recommended by the Charter Review Commission to the electors of the City.”

Note: You can watch the entirety of the June 10th meeting on the Bossier City Charter Commission YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BossierCityCharterCommission.