“I have been deceived” were the words Councilman Jeff Darby had for the Walker administration yesterday at the City Council meeting. A number of people showed up for the meeting and sat quietly believing that they would be allowed to voice their views.
That was not to be. The meeting was adjourned to the dismay of those present. The Times has an article this morning that paints the picture, Dozens show for Bossier City Council, but are not allowed to speak.
Video from KTBS.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bossier City Fire & Police Chiefs have a difficult task ahead
If the proposed budget goes through and the layoffs take place (and that won't happen without a fight), Police Chief Mike Halphen and Fire Chief Sammy Halphen have a thankless and difficult job ahead. Eighty positions are being cut in those two departments. Of the 40 positions cut in the Police Department 23 layoffs of current officers will take place. In the Fire Department, 38 current employees would lose their job. At least one fire station will be closed. Ironically, a fire station is currently under construction.
In addition, and just importantly, 37 other city employees will lose their jobs. The challenge will be to provide the best possible fire and police protection with the decimated departments. Response times will necessarily be affected.
Police Chief Halphen has announced that he will postpone his retirement until this is all sorted out.
Hopefully, the proposed budget will be closely examined and some alternatives will be seriously considered. In the meantime, let's all show our support to all of the policemen, firemen and their department heads, as well as to all of the other people whose lives and families will be affected by this situation.
We will blog more in the next few days about what caused the crisis and what some possible solutions may be.
Councilman Darby: Not right to cut fire and police
Better watch the 5 and 6 o'clock news tonight, it will be on Channels 6 and 12 for sure.Councilman Jeff Darby said that he will not support the mayor's proposal, that the budget decieved and that he has his own proposal.
We will blog in more detail later; we also hope to hear from someone who ran for council earlier this year and warned about the budget problems.
Local coverage of budget crisis is mixed
Chris Redford comments on his blog about the heartbreak that the proposed fire & police layoffs is causing. “I’m not sure what caused the budget problems in Bossier, but I guarantee you I’ll be praying the city can some how come up with a solution other than laying people off.”
The Times and the TV media are not getting in much reporting on the groundswell of support for the fire and police departments.
Professor Jeff Sadow, while not addressing the cuts directly, has a scathing column on the Mayor & Council’s mismanagement. “Regardless, this latest development that highlights the poor fiscal judgment of Bossier City’s elected officials affirms that the city anthem for this crop of bozos ought to from Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music: “Send in the Clowns.”
The Times and the TV media are not getting in much reporting on the groundswell of support for the fire and police departments.
Professor Jeff Sadow, while not addressing the cuts directly, has a scathing column on the Mayor & Council’s mismanagement. “Regardless, this latest development that highlights the poor fiscal judgment of Bossier City’s elected officials affirms that the city anthem for this crop of bozos ought to from Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music: “Send in the Clowns.”
Monday, October 19, 2009
Hey City Hall - can you hear me now?
I have heard from a number of people today who were attempting to email their city councilman regarding the police and fire layoffs. All of the email was coming back with a message that it was undeliverable.One source said that they shut down the server because the amount of email was overloading it.
Telephone? The City Council office didn't answer today.
Hopefully, they will take care of the problem and make sure that they can get input from the people.
Make no mistake, the people will be heard.
Nothing about the layoffs is addressed on the city's website. There is a message from the mayor about how great the Cyber Innovation Center is, but nothing about the decimation of the fire and police departments.
City officials have known for some time that a problem was looming, but chose not to address it publicly - especially in the election last fall. Rather than hold meetings and get public input in anticipation of the shortfall, they stuck their collective heads in the sand and then within one week announced the budget crisis and the layoffs.
Fait Accompli? Won't work in this case - better start communicating.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Bossier City Police Chief Mike Halphen delays retirement
Bossier City Police Chief Mike Halphen has announced that he will delay his retirement, which was scheduled to be effective in February.
The chief said that due to the announcement last week of the budget crisis and the layoffs, that he will remain until an undetermined time. Further than that, he didn't indicate what his plans were.
The chief said that due to the announcement last week of the budget crisis and the layoffs, that he will remain until an undetermined time. Further than that, he didn't indicate what his plans were.
New Facebook Group seeks alternative to Police & Fire layoffs
UPDATE: Sunday 7AM 326 members - Monday 7AM 970 members - Monday 5PM 1257 members
Since the announcement Friday of proposed layoffs in the police and fire departments and the closing of 1 or 2 fire stations, a lot of dissatisfaction is emerging from the community.
“Save our Bossier City Police and Firefighters” is a Facebook Group that was set up after the announcement. As of 7AM Sunday it already has 326 members. If you are on Facebook and would like to show support, go join the group. The link is below.
The City Council is faced with very difficult choices – the fate of the city is in their hands.
In the video below, an obviously distraught Councilman David Jones says that the challenge is to see that there is no reduction in services. The problem is that if you cut 40 positions in the police department, 40 positions in the fire department, and close 1 or 2 fire stations, there will be a reduction in services. There is no way around it.
There is a choice; go ahead and use reserve funds to pay for another year, just don’t ignore the problem and wish it away as has been done in recent years.
If the council will address the problem, hold some public forums and get input from the people of Bossier City, I believe they will discover that the people do not want to lose their protection and will step up and do what is necessary to preserve it.
Save our Bossier City Police and Firefighters Facebook Group
Since the announcement Friday of proposed layoffs in the police and fire departments and the closing of 1 or 2 fire stations, a lot of dissatisfaction is emerging from the community.
“Save our Bossier City Police and Firefighters” is a Facebook Group that was set up after the announcement. As of 7AM Sunday it already has 326 members. If you are on Facebook and would like to show support, go join the group. The link is below.
The City Council is faced with very difficult choices – the fate of the city is in their hands.
In the video below, an obviously distraught Councilman David Jones says that the challenge is to see that there is no reduction in services. The problem is that if you cut 40 positions in the police department, 40 positions in the fire department, and close 1 or 2 fire stations, there will be a reduction in services. There is no way around it.
There is a choice; go ahead and use reserve funds to pay for another year, just don’t ignore the problem and wish it away as has been done in recent years.
If the council will address the problem, hold some public forums and get input from the people of Bossier City, I believe they will discover that the people do not want to lose their protection and will step up and do what is necessary to preserve it.
Save our Bossier City Police and Firefighters Facebook Group
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Bogus 'conspiracy theories' keep popping up regarding the Sentell incident
I just want to clear the air on a couple of points. In reading the comments on My Bossier, Channels 3 and 12, and The Times, a theme seems to have appeared that goes hand in hand with Eric Johnson’s statement to the Inquisitor, twisting, as I have said previously, information that obviously came from the Bossier DA’s office. That theme is that there was a ‘conspiracy’ against Mr. Sentell, and that my family was ‘out to get him’.
I suppose that conspiracy involved recruiting a pit boss at Horseshoe to alert security and then having the security get the police officer who was working at the Horseshoe that night. This fraudulent conspiracy hit the heights in the Times on Wednesday with this comment on an article about the incident:
If the AG declines prosecution (which I predict he will quickly), it will be because there is NO EVIDENCE to support the charges. Of course, we already know that. This was a plan by Officer Wells and his father to try to force Mr. Sentell to resign. I also suspect and hope that Mr. Marvin does indeed rehire Mr. Sentell, and that prior to that, he finds the evidence he needs to fully prosecute Officer Wells for filing a false police report and conspiracy, and to prosecute his father for conspiracy as well.
To enlighten the commenter and others of his ilk, until two weeks ago I had never heard of Sherb Sentell. I was aware there was a Sentell Law Firm in Minden, but that was the extent of my knowledge.
Now, of course, I realize that he is apparently a big whoop-de-doo in Minden, and that’s fine. I don’t live in Minden and don’t generally concern myself with Minden affairs. As I said, I never heard of the man before the arrest took place and certainly bear him no ill will.
So add that to your conspiracy list. I was allegedly conspiring against someone I never heard of for reasons that have been proven to be untrue.
But I doubt that the truth will stop the rumors, it seldom does.
I suppose that conspiracy involved recruiting a pit boss at Horseshoe to alert security and then having the security get the police officer who was working at the Horseshoe that night. This fraudulent conspiracy hit the heights in the Times on Wednesday with this comment on an article about the incident:
If the AG declines prosecution (which I predict he will quickly), it will be because there is NO EVIDENCE to support the charges. Of course, we already know that. This was a plan by Officer Wells and his father to try to force Mr. Sentell to resign. I also suspect and hope that Mr. Marvin does indeed rehire Mr. Sentell, and that prior to that, he finds the evidence he needs to fully prosecute Officer Wells for filing a false police report and conspiracy, and to prosecute his father for conspiracy as well.
To enlighten the commenter and others of his ilk, until two weeks ago I had never heard of Sherb Sentell. I was aware there was a Sentell Law Firm in Minden, but that was the extent of my knowledge.
Now, of course, I realize that he is apparently a big whoop-de-doo in Minden, and that’s fine. I don’t live in Minden and don’t generally concern myself with Minden affairs. As I said, I never heard of the man before the arrest took place and certainly bear him no ill will.
So add that to your conspiracy list. I was allegedly conspiring against someone I never heard of for reasons that have been proven to be untrue.
But I doubt that the truth will stop the rumors, it seldom does.
Let the Bossier City Council know what you think of layoffs
In light of the announcement this week that the City of Bossier City is in such dire financial straits that it must enforce drastic layoffs in the Police and Fire Departments, and close 1 or 2 fire stations, some questions need to be addressed.The mayor announced that as of January 1, 26 police officers will be laid off and 38 firemen. The people affected were notified yesterday. Considering that the decision was just made, that’s pretty fast work.
The Times reports that “The city has been tapping its fund balance, essentially a city savings account, for several years to make up the difference between expenditures and revenue. Of this year's budget, $4.6 million came from that balance, halving it from the $8.6 million. That's down from fund balances of about $12.2 million at the end of 2007, and of about $13.3 million at the end of 2006.”
I don’t recall this being addressed in the elections a few months ago. The mayor and council have apparently had plenty of time to discuss this with the people of Bossier and to formulate a solution long before now.
The Mayor said that he waited until late in the budgeting process to publicly announce the crisis and the layoffs.
Why?
If the city has realized for several years that a crisis was looming, why have they rolled back property taxes? The answer is that they thought sustained growth and increased sales taxes would take up the slack at some point in the future. That hasn’t worked.
I have heard from a lot of people in the last few days, and none of them are happy with the solution proposed by the mayor. There is simply no way that you can keep the same level of fire and police protection if you layoff 10% of the firemen and policemen.
Everyone who has contacted me has had the same question; ‘why are we just now hearing about this’?
Some fire and police department veterans have offered to take a pay cut if that would avoid layoffs. That, of course, is not the answer, but it does show the character and spirit of the people who serve.
This isn’t, as the mayor said of the Air Force Cyber Command coming to Barksdale, a ‘done deal’. The council will make the final decision and they need your input to do it.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Bossier City Mayor proposes drastic cuts in police, fire departments
Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker announced this morning that the city will lay off 88 employees by the end of the year, most in the police and fire departments. Layoffs will be based on ‘last hired – last fired’. Those who could lose their jobs will be notified today.Current vacancies will not be filled.
KTBS reports that Twenty-six Police Department employees will be laid off, along with 38 in the Fire Department. The city will close one or two fire stations and go from a Class 1 to a Class 2 fire department, which will cause homeowners insurance rates to rise slightly.
Although property taxes have been rolled back by a third to keep bills from increasing as the value of property rose, because officials believed that growth and increased sales taxes would make up the difference.
None of this is final until the city council approves the budget, and I have a feeling that they may be weighing some other options.
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