Evidently Shreveport Mayor Tom Arcneneaux and the overwhelming majority of Shreveporters sent their Christmas list to Santa. And that Santa and his elves determined that this group had been “good” this year.
Yesterday (Tues.) the bids for demolition/rebuilding of Shreveport Police Headquarters on Texas Avenue were opened. The low bidder was approximately 10 percent less than the architect’s estimate. These funds will be paid from the bond package that the Mayor Adrian Perkins proposed to Shreveport voters that passed with large majority votes.
The other Christmas gift that arrived yesterday was the successful bond refinancing of Department of Water and Sewage (DOWUS bonds in the amount of $168 million that saves the city more than $11 million dollars.
And on good authority (after all I dressed as an Elf three times to ring the Salvation Army bell with a record bucket full of money at the last stop at Government Plaza), Santa will personally deliver a monster gift to Government Plaza late tomorrow (Thurs.) night. One rumor is that Santa will bring it on a big Air Force cargo plane.
The Shreveport City Council is expected—and I PREDICT—will approve the proposed data center for West Shreveport. I predict the votes to 6-0, maybe 7-0 if Councilman Alan Jackson bothers to attend the meeting. If Jackson skipped the meeting to approve city employee pay raises, his attendance tomorrow is a big guess.
It's possible there will be one or two NO votes, which will NOT kill the deal.
Councilman James Green, a minister, is undoubtedly being pushed by his fellow minister from Greenwood Acres Church. Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor has consistently voted with Green, and she may join him in a NO vote.
The proposed center is in Councilwoman Ursula Bowman’s district, as is the Greenwood Acres Church and subdivision’s close to the site location. She has already been challenged by potential opponents in her 2025 election bid. Ursula has become much more assertive in her representation of her entire district, and she is expected to vote YES after her very educational visit to the Virginia data center.
District B councilman Gary Brooks is also catching heat from Highland residents opposing the data center. Many of these tree huggers love three minutes of fame speaking at public meetings and most are NOT Shreveport property owners. Brooks, a white Democrat, successfully defeated a black Democrat in his first council bid in a majority black district. He will be opposed next fall in his bid for re-election and data center opponent promises his vote will be a campaign issue. Despite this he is expected to vote YES.
All council members have received some negative opposition to the data center; Unfounded non-factual complaints go with the job. But all council members are expected to vote for the greater good of the entire city, not just that district. And this is why the majority will approve the data center tomorrow.
You can book it.