SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Bring transparency to the city.
That’s the aim of an investigation now that looks into how the Shreveport City Council handled approval of pay raises for council employees before they were rescinded. The vote Tuesday (Aug. 22) to seek the inquiry was 4-3.
Tensions rose at Government Plaza when City Council members once again discussed what to do about the council employee raises that District F Councilman James Green signed off on in June.
On Tuesday, Green said he didn’t think giving the raises was out of procedure when he did it. “I gave a raise because I assumed I had the authority to do it. So, with me, mine was not a charter violation, because it’s gray.”
District C Councilman Jim Taliaferro brought forward the legislation calling for the investigation.
“It’s not a matter of clearing up anything,” he said. “It’s a matter of showing the public that we’re willing to take on the policies and the procedures that we currently implement. And say if there is a policy failure, give us an opportunity to actually make that good.”
District E Councilman Alan Jackson disagreed with Taliaferro on whether the investigation is a good use of funds. “I believe personally it’s a waste of taxpayer dollars. I feel like those moneys could be used in another area. But I do welcome the investigation to bring transparency back into the city”
Taliaferro said he is not against people getting raises but has an issue on who can grant raises without council approval.
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