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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.

 

WHO GETS TO APPOINT A SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR --THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY ATTORNEY?


Hopefully, the city council will appoint a special investigator to review the city's "Pay Gate"--the pay raises granted to all the employees of the council clerk’s office ranging from $2500+ to $10,000+.

The Shreveport City Charter, Sec. 4.29, authorizes the Council to "investigate the official conduct of any office...of the city government." The council is further authorized to fund the cost of the investigation.

This section does NOT specifically state who gets to name/appoint the special investigator.

Seemingly the Council should have this authority because the Council must approve funding of this position.

Four council members must vote on the special investigation and any funding.

Presumably, council members Ursula Bowman, Grayson Boucher, Gary Brooks, and Jim Taliaferro (The Honest Four) will approve the investigation as well as rescission of the pay raises.

The first agenda posted of the special meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. also included a vote on requiring repayment of the illegal pay raises.

A second notice of the meeting removed this agenda item.

The Honest Four should push for this in a future meeting.

In the meantime, these four should insist they name the special investigator.

Shreveport's new city attorney Marcus Edwards should stay of this foray and allow the Council to name the special investigator.

Funding of the city attorney office is a function of the city council and Edwards should not subject himself to pressure from council member James Green, his follower/church member Tabatha Taylor or councilman Alan Jackson who has consistently voted with Green and Taylor.

Any council member with mayoral aspirations should stay out of Pay Gate from this point forward.

How much involvement Green, Taylor and/or Jackson have had in this fraud is a topic for the special investigator to determine.

COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST COUNCILMAN JAMES GREEN AND COUNCIL CLERK’S OFFICE WITH LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR AND LOUISIANA ETHICS COMMISSION

COUNCIL CLERK CHANGES PUBLIC NOTICE OF TOMORROW'S SPECIAL MEETING TO REMOVE AGENDA ITEM REQUIRING REPAYMENT OF ILLEGAL PAYRAISES