Council President Chris Smith proposes 2-3% City budget cut to avert tax increase
Plus — Project update: LA 3227 realignment at LA 157 (Phase 2) in Haughton.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
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Council President Chris Smith proposes 2-3% City budget cut to avert tax increase
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, after hearing additional changes to the City budget recommended by the Mayor Tommy Chandler administration, the Bossier City Council began spitballing its own amendments.
First, councilmembers started recommending donations to their favorite pet projects, including Be Bossier (a public relations website produced by the Chamber of Commerce), the Independence Bowl, the Ronald McDonald House, and others. While the generosity was gaining momentum, City Clerk Phyllis McGraw reminded the councilors that “there’s some ordinances on the books stating a maximum that we can give to other governmental agencies.”
It was then that Council President Chris Smith brought the city leaders back to reality.
“I would like for us to look at a 2 to 3% operational budget cut,” Smith said. “By my math, that would save the city about 700 some-odd thousand dollars. That would pretty much eliminate the need of the tax rollup that we talked about. I’d leave it up to each department head as to how they best see to make those cuts. They know their departments better than I do, but I’d like to see us go ahead and try to trim out that so we don’t even have to worry about a [property tax] roll forward next summer.”
Smith said the cut would not impact a planned 2% salary raise for full-time City employees.
“If [department heads] think that there’s a department that has had an unfilled position for years and they don’t think they’re going to fund it and that’s where they want to get their cut from, — it could be it’s paper, pencils, or gas. Anywhere we can go ahead and just trim that $800,000 out,” Smith added.
The council will reconsider the budget at its next meeting on October 21.
In other business, the council:
Adopted an ordinance appropriating $600,000 from the sales tax capital fund to purchase of eight new police vehicles.
Introduced an ordinance for a final vote at the next meeting, funding $213,649.23 for expenses to repair the Big Airline Lift Station Pump and manhole.
Introduced an ordinance for a final vote at the next meeting, amending the 2025 Streets and Drainage Fund budget by $300,000 for expenditures for unplanned streets and drainage projects.
Project update: LA 3227 realignment at LA 157 (Phase 2) in Haughton
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development reports that progress is ongoing on Phase 2 of a $6.5 million project to construct a new section of LA 3227 and realign its intersection with LA 157 in the Town of Haughton, Bossier Parish.
The previous closure of Delacroix Street at LA 3227 has now been lifted, reopening the road to traffic.
Beginning on Monday, October 13, 2025, LA 3227 near its existing intersection with LA 157 will close to allow the contractor for the project to remove the old portion of LA 3227 and tie it in with the newly constructed section.
There will be access to LA 3227 from LA 157. The closure on LA 3227 will take place between Aqua Drive and Delacriox Street. Westbound motorists on LA 3227 wishing to access the businesses will need to detour by utilizing Delacroix Street to LA 157 and then back to LA 3227.
Once LA 3227 reopens in March 2026, the existing intersection at LA 157 will be modified to a right-in/right-out configuration. Motorists who wish to travel south on LA 157 will need to proceed to the new intersection located just south of the Pilot Truck Stop.
The traffic signal will be relocated from its current location to the new intersection of LA 3227/LA 157.
The entire project is anticipated to be complete in Spring 2026, weather and other factors permitting.
As a reminder, Phase 1 was completed in Summer 2024 and included the widening of LA 157 from two to five lanes, as well as other preparatory work ahead of Phase 2 construction.
Bossier City Police incidents and arrests report: October 1-3, 2025
Hour by hour. Day and night. This is BossierNow’s reporting of Bossier City Police Department incidents and arrests. This report covers the actions that occurred from October 1-3, 2025.
All persons named or shown are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
10/01/2025 00:55:00 Citation 777 Margaritaville Way Bossier City Dus – Driving Under Suspension Black Or African American, Male, Age 22
10/01/2025 00:56:00 Incident 700 block Margaritaville Way Bossier City, La Possession Schedule I (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/01/2025 00:59:00 Incident 2400 block Melrose Av Bossier City, La Simple Burglary – Residence/Business (Exceptionally Cleared)
10/01/2025 01:29:00 Arrest 700 block Margaritaville Way Bossier City, La 1) Possession Schedule I (Misdemeanor), 2) Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor), 3) Operate or Permit Operation of Sound Amplification System (Misdemeanor), and 4) DUS – Driving Under Suspension (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Male, Age 22
10/01/2025 02:36:00 Incident 1500 block Traffic St/Kelly St Bossier City, La Resisting an Officer (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/01/2025 03:45:00 Arrest 1500 block Traffic St/Kelly St Bossier City Resisting an Officer (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Male, Age 42
10/02/2025 00:11:00 Arrest 700 block Horseshoe Blvd Bossier City, La 1) Possession Schedule II (Felony) and 2) Prohibited Acts – Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor) Julie Clare Cobb, White Or Caucasian, Female, Age 51
10/02/2025 00:13:00 Arrest 700 block Horseshoe Blvd Bossier City, La Fugitive Arrest / SPD (Misdemeanor) White Or Caucasian, Female, Age 52
10/02/2025 00:59:00 Citation 1511 Walter O Bigby Carriageway Bossier City 1) No Driver’s License, 2) Safety Belt Use, 3) No Motor Vehicle Inspection, and 4) Temporary Registration Plates Issued by Dealers Black Or African American, Male, Age 36
10/02/2025 01:00:00 Incident 1500 block Walter O Bigby Carriageway Bossier City, La Resisting an Officer (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/02/2025 01:02:00 Arrest 2600 block Melrose Ave/Airline Dr Bossier City, La Fugitive Arrest – Grambling State University PD (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Male, Age 21
10/02/2025 01:15:00 Incident 400 block John Wesley Blvd Bossier City, La Theft (Active)
10/02/2025 01:34:00 Arrest 1500 block Walter O Bigby Bossier City, La 1) Resisting an Officer (Misdemeanor), 2) Fugitive Arrest – BPSO (Misdemeanor), 3) No Driver’s License (Misdemeanor), 4) Safety Belt Use (Misdemeanor), 5) No Motor Vehicle Inspection (Misdemeanor), and 6) Temporary Registration Plates Issued by Dealers (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Male, Age 36
10/02/2025 02:00:00 Incident 2000 block Wakefield Av Bossier City, La Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/02/2025 02:33:00 Arrest 2000 block Wakefield Ave Bossier City, La Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Felony) Rodney Earl Clark, Black Or African American, Male, Age 43
10/02/2025 04:38:00 Incident 1800 block Airline Dr Bossier City, La Simple Burglary – Residence/Business (Active)
10/02/2025 06:30:00 Arrest 600 block Benton Rd Bossier City, La 1) Failure to Appear / DUS (Misdemeanor) and 2) Failure to Appear / Signals Required (Misdemeanor) White Or Caucasian, Male, Age 41
10/02/2025 06:30:00 Arrest 600 block Benton Rd Bossier City, La 1) Failure to Appear / Criminal Mischief (Misdemeanor), 2) Failure to Appear / No Seat Belt (Misdemeanor), and 3) Failure to Appear / No Driver’s License (Misdemeanor) White Or Caucasian, Male, Age 45
10/02/2025 08:37:00 Incident 2000 block E Texas St Bossier City, La Theft (Active)
10/02/2025 09:02:00 Incident 200 block Benton Rd Bossier City, La Monetary Instrument Abuse (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/03/2025 00:30:00 Arrest 2600 block Bardot Ln Bossier City, La Failure to Appear – D/P Drunkenness (Misdemeanor) White Or Caucasian, Female, Age 52
10/03/2025 01:18:00 Arrest 2800 block Shed Rd/Airline Dr Bossier City, La Failure to Appear – No Driver’s License (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Female, Age 26
10/03/2025 01:23:00 Citation Shed Rd/Airline Dr Bossier City, La 1) No Driver’s License and 2) Turning Movements and Required Signals Black Or African American, Female, Age 26
10/03/2025 02:03:00 Citation I-20 W On/Hamilton Rd Bossier City 1) DUS – Driving Under Suspension, 2) Violations of Registration Provisions – Switched, 3) No License Plate Light/Improper Display of License Plate, and 4) Owner to Secure Registration Black Or African American, Male, Age 33
10/03/2025 02:03:00 Incident 100 block I-20 W On/Hamilton Rd Bossier City, La Failure to Appear (Cleared By Arrest/Adult)
10/03/2025 02:41:00 Arrest 100 block I-20 W On/Hamilton Rd Bossier City 1) Failure to Appear – Violations of Registration Provision (Misdemeanor), 2) Failure to Appear – Driving Under Suspension (Misdemeanor), 3) Dus – Driving Under Suspension (Misdemeanor), 4) Violations of Registration Provisions – Switched (Misdemeanor), 5) No License Plate Light/Improper Display of License Plate (Misdemeanor), and 6) Owner to Secure Registration (Misdemeanor) Failure to Appear – Violations of Registration Provision (Misdemeanor) Black Or African American, Male, Age 33
10/03/2025 04:58:00 Arrest 1100 block Forum Dr Shreveport, La Theft (Felony) Marcus Johnson, Black Or African American, Male, Age 40
10/03/2025 06:28:00 Citation E Texas St/Hamilton Rd Bossier City 1) Hit and Run, 2) No Proof of Insurance, and 3) Careless Operation 14:100 : Hit and Run White Or Caucasian, Male, Age 31
10/03/2025 07:32:00 Incident 600 block Benton Rd Bossier City, La Resisting an Officer (Exceptionally Cleared)
10/03/2025 07:50:00 Citation 1900 Walter O Bigby Carriageway Bossier City, La Speeding White Or Caucasian, Male, Age 46
10/03/2025 08:17:00 Incident 1300 block Hamilton Cir Bossier City, La Theft of a Firearm (Active)
10/03/2025 08:29:00 Arrest 2800 block Airline Dr Bossier City, La Theft (Felony) Carlton Phillip Colvin, White Or Caucasian, Male, Age 33
Election for BPPJ District 7 seat is Saturday, October 11
Just over 350 voters cast their ballot in early voting for the Bossier Parish Police Jury District 7 seat. Saturday, the rest of the district will have an opportunity to express their preference.
The race is filling the seat of Bob Brotherton, who died in January. Kim Gaspard was temporarily appointed to the seat until the election.
Lynn C. Beaty of Haughton and Brent Moreland of Elm Grove will be on the ballot.
On his Facebook campaign page, Beaty describes himself as “Christian, conservative, Republican.”
“I have lived and worked in Bossier Parish my entire life and have many friends and family here,” Beaty says in a post. “After graduating from Louisiana Tech in 1975, I started a logging and construction business. Since then, we have completed hundreds of road, utility and drainage projects. This gives me a real world, hands-on insight into all of the projects the Police Jury builds and regulates. I strongly believe in the 2nd Amendment, less taxes and eliminating wasteful spending.”
Moreland’s social media says he is an International Representative at IBEW. Moreland qualified as a Republican.
“As your candidate for Bossier Parish Police Jury, District 1, I’m committed to upholding the principles that make our parish and our nation strong — accountability, service, and a fresh start for local leadership.”
Bossier City events calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration. If you would like to add an event to the Bossier City free time calendar, send the details to email@bossiernow.com.
October 9: Lyle Lovett and his acoustic group at the Strand Theatre.
October 10: Chris Cagle with special guests Cody Cooke and the Bayou Outlaws at The Stage, 1201 Silver Star Way.
October 11: Bossier City Farmers Market, 2950 East Texas in the south parking lot of Pierre Bossier Mall
October 11: SBC Zombie Walk, 4 pm to 9 pm in the East Bank Plaza. Experience the Macabre Vendor Market, zombie costume contests, door prizes, live music, games, food trucks, and more, including children’s entertainment and activities!
October 11: Bossier City Makers Fair at the Boardwalk.
October 17: Zach Top and his Cold Beer and Country Music tour at the Brookshire Grocery Arena.
October 18: Wanda Sykes and her Please and Thank You tour at the Horseshoe Bossier City.
October 24: Styx at the Live Casino & Hotel. 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $59.99. Must be 21+
November 20: ZZ Top at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
November 23: Joe Bonamassa at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
November 29: Little River Band, Live! Event Center
December 12: Jiaoying Summers at the Live! Casino and Hotel. Get ready for a night of fearless, dark, and laugh-out-loud comedy from a global sensation with over 1 billion views online! You’ve seen her viral “Uber Karen” sketch and hilarious English name roasts — now catch her live on her “What Specie Are You?” tour!
February 20: Rascal Flatts at the BGA.
Bossier news: Independent, conflict-of-interest-free news coverage
BossierNow’s mission is to provide independent, conflict-of-interest-free news coverage of Bossier City and Bossier Parish. We welcome your input, press releases, and news tips at email@bossiernow.com.