Bossier City Moves From Term-Limit Debate To Muzzling Public Comment
Source: Facebook/@SOBOisLIVE
Reports from multiple Lousiana news outlets have indicated a major breakdown in good order during the Tuesday meeting of the Bossier City Council during a heated discussion of a proposed ballot measure on term limits. Subsequently, audio obtained by Bossier Watch revealed that the council intends to by a 4 to 2 vote absent Councilman Jeff Free confine comments from the public to a short period at the beginning of meetings, removing the ability for the public to comment on individual agenda items as they are introduced.
KTAL News explained that a resolution was introduced by Bossier City Mayor Thomas Chandler to remove discussion regarding term limits from the agenda tuesday. It read,
“A resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in the City of Bossier City, State of Louisiana, to vote upon the adoption of amendments to the current City Charter of the City of Bossier City; making application to the State Bond Commission and providing for other matters in connection therewith.”
Councilman Brian Hammons objected saying, “Um why are we removing this I feel if we are going to remove this one we may as well remove number five also.” This led Wes Merrott, a citizen speaking in support of the term limits petition to say, “Keep the mayor’s resolutions on the and for heaven’s sake do your job and vote on it.”
The council voted, and the motion to remove Mayor Chandler’s petition passed. The council also voted to ask the city attorney to decertify the petition because dates of birth were not included from the signatories.
Term Limit Coalition supporter David Cricket reacted by saying, “The most amazing thing that happened there was it took them about 7 days to actually check every signature that we got credit for – 2,977 signatures were checked so for the city to say that is not a valid petition is something that they are going to have to prove,” according to the outlet.
Mayor Chandler told KTAL, “Everyone has been saying that they want term limits I say let the people vote they voted us in here let them speak.”
Merrot lauded the Mayor for his efforts telling the outlet, “The mayor is a friend of the term limits coalition he has supported it from day one and he is continuing to challenge the city council in action by putting a resolution on the agenda again and again.”
According to KSLA, a shouting match broke out between Councilman Brian Hammons and Councilman David Montgomery. The exchange reportedly unfolded as follows:
Hammons: “You can talk to me ...”
Montgomery: “I have the floor!”
Hammons: “... but you’re not going to yell at me.”
Montgomery: “I have the floor!”
Hammons: “Talk all you want.”
Montgomery: “Good.”
A video of the interaction was shared via Facebook.
Lous R. Avallone of AGR summarized the situation in Bossier:
“Some of the council members have been there almost 30 years. Now they want to limit public comments at council meetings to only at the beginning of the meeting, which isn't crazy, but on the heels of trying to go against the will of the people for term limits, makes them look like this is a kingdom and not a representative government.”
In audio obtained by Bossier Watch from a closed-door meeting, the conversation around limiting public comment allegedly went as follows:
Councilman Jeff Darby began: Phyllis I want you to go ahead and do that, change the format, change the format of our rules for council. We will give comments at the beginning um of our agenda versus every time there’s a comment. That's what they what they love that they see there.
Montgomery responded: That's fine with me.
Darby: So we want to change that.
Montgomery: Do we vote on that?
Phyllis” Yeah, we’re going to change that.
Montgomery: So Free won't be here so it's four to two enough?
Phyllis: Yes sir.
Darby: I want a change, I want a change.
Montgomery: That's fine because this is becoming it's it's so disruptive that we’ve
become dysfunctional
Darby: Yeah and it looks bad every time because it's out of control behavior and it's acceptable behavior and these people that come in here they feed on this stuff.
Phyllis: Well, I mean, and just David Crockett, he constantly goes over his time each time
Darby: True.
Montgomery: Well he says the same thing.
Listen:
In a second clip, Montgomery can be heard saying, “Well all I can say is to all the people of Bossier City: Welcome to Shreveport that's what's going on thank you guys thanks for taking care of that.”
Listen:
It’s unknown precisely what Montgomery’s insinuation was regarding Shreveport, but it clearly didn’t seem to be intended kindly.