The question of the week for the Shreveport city council on Tuesday will be the vote on the appointment of Henry Whitehorn as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Shreveport mayor Adrian Perkins is also asking that CAO Sherricka Fields Jones be approved for the new position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Whitehorn was questioned by councilman Willie Bradford extensively at the Feb. 11 council meeting. Specifically, Bradford inquired about any associations of Whitehorn that could be problematic if he was named the CAO.
Whitehorn acknowledged that the elephant in the room was Lynn Braggs.
Whitehorn said that "Braggs is more than just a friend to me. He is like family to me and we've known each other for almost 30 years. He has never asked me, and never will ask me, to do anything illegal, inappropriate or unethical."
Braggs served as campaign manager for both Cedric Glover and Ollie Tyler. It has been widely reported that Braggs was on the payroll of companies that received large city contracts from both the Glover and Tyler administrations.
Only councilman Jerry Bowman Jr. stated he would vote for Whitehorn. No other council member disclosed their position on the appointment. (It is anticipated that the Jones appointment will be unanimously confirmed.)
Off the record several council members have expressed concerns over the proposed Whitehorn appointment. These include his relationship with Braggs, his lack of city hall experience/knowledge and the compatibility (or incompatibility) of his law enforcement background with the CAO position.
Needless to say, those that may be inclined to vote against the appointment do not want to be on the losing side. The mayor and the CAO have tremendous authority over city programs that could negatively impact a council member's district and constituents.
The fundamental question for the council will be, again, the role of the council versus that of the mayor. This tug of war, which has been basically between councilman Nickelson and Perkins, has been going since both took office last year. This vote could be another log in the fire between the two.
Simply put, can the mayor hire who he wants to run the city? It’s a fundamental question that the council has wrestled with several times during this term.
John came to Shreveport in January of 1977 when he was transferred to Barksdale AFB.
He’s been active in Shreveport politics since deciding to make Shreveport his home.
John practiced law for 40 years and he now monitors local politics. He regularly attends Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish Commission meetings.
John is published weekly in The Inquisitor, bi-monthly in The Forum News, and frequently in the Shreveport Times.
He enjoys addressing civic groups on local government issues and elections.