Bossier City Passes Retroactive Term Limits
Bossier City, LA – The Bossier City Charter Commission, after half a year of discussions and deliberations, recently voted in favor of retroactive term limits. In a close vote that saw 4 in favor and 3 against, the commission brought in a significant change to the city’s governance.
Retroactive Term Limits Imposed
The decision dictates that elected officials, including City Council members and the Mayor, will now be limited to three four-year terms, a total of 12 years in service. The term limits are retroactive, meaning those who have already accomplished or surpassed their 12-year service terms will not be eligible for reelection.
However, the decision didn’t pass without some controversy and disagreements among the commission members.
Debate Sparks over Term Limits
“This just says is you couldn’t beat them in an election, so we’re going to change the rules,” opined charter commission member and Bossier Parish police juror, Julianna Parks. Parks expressed her disagreement with the new measure, arguing that the imposition of term limits would deprive the city of officials with valuable institutional knowledge.
She further expressed concern that those signing in support of the term limit petition aren’t being provided with the full context or consequences of the decision. Other members of the commission maintained that if citizens feel their representative is not serving their best interests, they should exercise their right to vote them out.
Citizens to Have Final Say
Despite the contention within the commission, some members remained firm in their stance that Bossier City’s residents should have the ultimate say in this matter. “I hope people get to choose whether they vote yes or no, the people have absolutely the right to vote on this,” asserted David Johnson, a member of the charter commission.
Alongside Johnson, commission members Shane Cheatham, Lee Jeter, and Preston Friedley were the other three who voted in favor of passing the term limits, while Julianna Parks, Vicky Whitman, and Sandra Morehart voted against the move.
Final Steps to Implementation
The commission is scheduled to have its final meeting next Tuesday. Once the charter revision process is completed by the commission, it will be sent to the Bossier City Council for endorsement. Should it get the council’s approval, it will appear on the upcoming December ballot where the residents of Bossier City will ultimately decide its fate.
