KEN KREFFT
“The nine words above were spoken by Shreveport’s Ms. Tabatha Taylor, the District A City Council member, to Police Chief Ben Raymond as he stood at the podium during a council meeting almost four months ago. Ms. Taylor made reference to the chief’s request for assistance from the city council and the mayor. He cited the many vacant police officer positions.
The Shreveport Fire Department, too, has many vacancies, though not nearly as many as SPD. There’s a way to mitigate the loss of trained police officers and firefighters. I’ve written in an earlier column that an immediate 5% COLA be granted to every sworn public safety first responder; the next three paragraphs tell how it’s done.
All personal services costs like salaries, retirement expenses and health-care monthly premiums are paid by general funds appropriated in the annual general fund budget ordinance, at least the city’s portion. Officers and firefighters pay their part of both retirement and health care through payroll deduction.
The year-to-date total for Shreveport’s 2.75% citywide sales tax is $58,964,568.55. Through five months for 2020, this total was $50,757,271.35. This year’s sum is 16.2% above 2020. This is by far the greatest ever increase from any prior year.
OK, last year at this time we found ourselves in the grip of a nasty Covid-19 pandemic, cutting sales tax receipts as folks did much less shopping. Even without a dime in federal ARP funds -- not the case since Shreveport should receive millions -- there’s sufficient general funding now available to grant a 5% pay hike to every first responder. Also, there is enough for all other city employees to be awarded a 3.5% COLA. We must do whatever is feasible, and financially prudent, to reduce the high rate of attrition among our fine public safety personnel. I, and many other citizens, want to assist the city administration to stop losing personnel we paid to train to other jurisdictions. I do not want to hear any remarks like, “There is not anything we can do’ when it pertains to police officers and firefighters.”
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE June 4 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUSIITOR.