Bossier Leaders Vote to Dissolve Charter Study Commission

SHREVEPORT, LA – Things have gotten quite hostile in Bossier City over possible changes to the city charter. In fact, Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler is now urging the City Council to disband the Charter Study Commission.

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READ MORE: Meeting erupts into more fights.

The Charter Review Commission has not been able to tackle many relevant issues during the many months they have been working. It's become quite clear they are seriously divided over the issue of term limits.

Mayor Tommy Chandler Told the Council What He Wants Done:

I am respectively asking the Council to repeal the ordinance which created this Charter Study Commission. We have all seen what has happened with this Commission over the past several weeks. And I believe it is in the best interest of the citizens of Bossier City to disband this Commission.

The Charter Review Commission was created last year and is compromised of members appointed by the Mayor and members of the City Council.

Mayor Chandler Adds:

This Commission is made up of Bossier City citizens who have volunteered to serve our community. I respect and appreciate the time and effort each commissioner has put into the Charter Review Commission. But it is clear to me that they will not be able to complete the work. The Charter Review Commission has become a distraction and it is in the best interest of the citizens of Bossier City to dissolve this Commission so we can move forward together.

The Mayor did say he would like to put together another Commission sometime in the future to review the City Charter.

The Council voted 4-0 to add the Mayor’s proposal to dissolve the Commission to the agenda. Jeff Free, Chris Smith, Brian Hammons and Don Williams voted to move this measure forward. The 3 other members of the Council, David Montgomery, Jeff Darby and Vince Maggio were absent from the meeting.

This vote means the Bossier City Charter Study Commission is dissolved immediately.

What Happened With Term Limits?

But when it came time to pass a measure to send term limits to the voters, the Council failed to pass the measure. It failed on a 2-2 tie vote. Chris Smith and Brian Hammons voted for the term limits measure while Don Williams and Jeff Free voted no. This measure is expected to be put back on the agenda at the next meeting. The council has 30 days to act on the petition which calls for an election on term limits. The State Bond Commission or the courts could be the next stop for this debate if the Council fails to approve the plan.