DID I MISS SANTA, THE TOOTH FAIRY & THE EASTER BUNNY ARRIVING ON UNICORNS

Watching Shreveport city council meetings can be boring, even if one is at home on a recliner with chips and beverage.
 
This past Tuesday (Sept. 8) the council met, and Mayor Tom Arceneaux read a statement announcing pay increases for Shreveport police and fire personnel, effective December first of this year. Surprisingly the only reaction from the council members was crickets.
 
For those politically minded this pay raise is AFTER the Nov. 3 vote for mayor and BEFORE the anticipated mayoral run-off on December 12. Convenient timing some say on the date of the announcement, the effective pay bump date and the election dates.
 
The mayor said that recent economic development news that STACK/Amazon were proceeding with the west Shreveport data center provided “an opportunity to move forward” and that the projects would generate new revenue from building permit fees, payments in lieu of taxes during construction and potentially increased sales tax collection.
 
While the  mayor acknowledged that  this additional income will be temporary, he said  the future property tax revenues from the data center and electric franchise payments once the center is “complete and operational” are sustainable over the long term without reducing other city services, drawing down reserves, or raising taxes or fees on Shreveport citizens.
 
Whoa nelly, did I hear that right or was I napping at the time? Geez, it’s been a minute since Santa, the Tooth Fairy, or even the Easter Bunny (the four-legged one) have visited me.
 
I admit I am long overdue for an eye exam, which is scheduled for next week, and thus may have missed the arrival of the troika of unicorns arriving  with gifts from afar like gold bullion, gold bullion, and more gold bullion for this year/next year and the promise to return for future years to the end of time with the same and maybe even bigger gifts?
 
During a September 1 interview with Dr. Carla Buntyn of the Arklatex Gazette, Mayor Tom was asked if revenue generated by the west Shreveport data center could help fund priorities such as police and fire pay. His response was “You better know what’s on the back end, and what you are gonna do on the back end when those revenues drop off?”
 
In her Arklatex Gazette column, Buntyn wrote that “Arceneaux’s comments highlighted the importance of understanding how data center revenue could affect the city’s finances. That distinction is important when considering permanent expenses such as employee salaries, which must be funded year after year.”
 
Amen, amen, and amen.
 
Assuming Mayor Tom is the first mayor to win successive terms since Big G, he will only need to deal with the budget costs of these pay raises for four years while the anticipated flood of money form permit and franchise fees and sales taxes should flow and then the other anticipated revenue land in the city coffers. “Should” is the operative word.
 
But, what about the need to spend big, big, big bucks on the EPA consent decree on Shreveport water and sewer? What about other unexpected expenses that always arrive, like the big repair bill for the big water main break earlier this year? And while pay raises and all the benefits including retirement that city employment brings are permanent, how long will the data center once constructed be operational and those additional tax revenues received.
 
Goodness, those unicorns with Santa, the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny need to bring big gifts now and for all years to come. Hopefully I will not miss their next (?) gift bearing trip to Shreveport.