If her name rings a distant bell, then think back to the very first days of the Adrian Perkins' administration as mayor.
Actually a few days before Perkins was sworn in.
Remember the switch of the city's insurance carrier to an unknown, unqualified agent?
No culprit was publicly identified but politicos place this illegal gaff in the lap of Shanerika Flemings.
As a reward, Flemings became the trusted advisor of Perkins at an inflated salary.
Of course, she lost her job at the end of Perkin's term.
Flemings was later back on the public payroll.
This time she was hand selected, secretly, by council president James Green to be the council clerk.
Actually, she was the second person selected after Green's first pick resigned citing lack of support by the council.
Green ram-rodded Flemings appointment just as he did her immediate predecessor.
This was after Green and his lieutenant councilwoman Tabatha Taylor badgered the then council clerk, who had studied under Art Thompson, to the point that this lady found a new job.
Somewhere along the way after her appointment in Feb. of this year, Fleming received a big pay raise of $10,000. And reportedly others in the council office got salary bumps recently.
No, this action was NOT approved by the city council, much less discussed.
The Shreveport city charter, section 4.12, provides that the council employs and fixes the salaries of the council clerk employees.
No where does the charter or council rules of procedure vest the authority to set salaries to the council clerk or any members of the council unilaterally.
Fleming is an attorney with many years of experience, practicing in the private sector and serving as a law clerk for a Second Circuit Court of Appeal judge prior to joining the Perkins's administration.
Surely Fleming should be familiar with the city charter, or at least those parts dealing with the council and the council clerk.
This salary raise clearly is malfeasance by Flemings. She is an employee at will and can be terminated at any time by a majority vote of the council--without cause.
Additionally, Fleming could be subject to criminal charges.
If Fleming was instructed by one or more council members that she had a pay raise, then such action(s) by those persons is also malfeasance and possibly criminal in nature.
The council needs to have an independent investigation of these events and any salary raises handed out this year should be temporarily suspended.