ByJOHN E. SETTLE JR
Focus SB News
The long wait for a new council person for Shreveport's District E ended on Tuesday, Dec. 28.
By letter to Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Alan Duval Jackson Jr., Ed.D. as the interim councilman to fill the seat held for seven years by James Flurry.
With a scant 20 minutes’ notice to the media, Jackson was sworn into office at 12:15 p.m. in the council chambers. The new appointee attended his first council meeting as a council member at 3 p.m. that same day.
Jackson's selection was a major surprise to city hall observers and local officials, including many in District E.
Jackson was not one of the nine individuals who sought appointment by the council after Flurry's resignation, and, thu,s he was not vetted publicly by the council. The governor’s appointment was necessitated by a council deadlock vote on naming the new member.
Jackson currently serves as the director of financial aid and scholarship at Grambling State University. He has worked in the financial aid profession since 2008. He has previously been the financial aid director for Southern University Shreveport, Wiley College and Arkansas Baptist College.
Jackson is the founder and chief executive officer of JMax Enterprises, which includes JMAX Credit Repair, LLC and JMAX Realty, LLC. (The latter is not in good standing with the Secretary of State for failure to file an annual report). Jackson is listed as the manager of both LLCs, which are located in the old P&S Hospital complex at 1545 Line Ave.
According to Jackson, JMAX offers credit repair, tax preparation and real estate services. He and his team of experts have helped hundreds of clients improve their credit scores to become first-time homeowners. He has sold over $45 million in real estate since becoming licensed in 2015.
Jackson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a Master of Arts degree in adult education from Northwestern State University. He has a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Jackson was named this year as one of the 2021 40 under Forty honorees by the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.
Jackson recently changed his voter registration from his Line Ave office address to a residence address in District E. He is listed No Party on his resignation.
Many local politicos expected that State Senator Greg Tarver would influence the governor's appointment, although Tarver’s recommendation of Nell Shehee was not followed.
Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins advised that he spoke to the governor about several candidates for the council seat. Perkins said that the ultimate decision was made by John Bel.
By email Jackson was asked if he would be required to take vacation to accomplish his council duties including attendance at council meetings, committee meetings, press conferences and the like. He was also asked if he would seek election to the District E seat next year. As of the press deadline of noon on Thursday, Dec. 30, he had not responded to these inquiries.
Reportedly, the governor sought assurance from Shehee that she would not run for the district seat. It is unknown if Jackson made any commitment on this issue.
Jackson will be a key player in several upcoming votes that will greatly influence the future of Shreveport.
The governor's selection of Jackson changes the council from a 4-3 to a 5-2 majority-minority body.
The proposed across-the-board pay raise of 13% to all city employees is on the Jan. 11 agenda. Many citizens have expressed concern over the utilization of non-reoccurring funds -- i.e., American Rescue Plan moneys from this year and the 2022 tranche -- to support this $10 million budget increase.
Another key vote will be reapportionment of the council districts based on the 2020 Census. This vote will be made in the spring of 2022.
Many observers, including Sen. Tarver and other former elected officials, believe it’s best for the city's future that the current four African-American majority districts and three Caucasian majority districts be maintained for the next 10 years.
To say that Jackson, as the new kid on the block, has his legislative plate full is an understatement. Whether his lack of prior civic involvement is a plus or a minus in his decision-making process is a question yet to be answered.