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Mayor opposes emergency ordinance to force purchase of Lyon Avenue substation site; requests due diligence
Summary
Mayor Arseneault urged the council to withdraw or defeat proposed emergency Ordinance No. 7 (2025), saying the council cannot direct the mayor to purchase property; he proposed three due‑diligence steps—parking assessment, environmental review and appraisal—before any recommendation.
Mayor Adrian Arseneault told the Shreveport City Council he does not support emergency Ordinance No. 7 of 2025, which would direct the mayor to acquire property at 8509 Lyon Avenue for a Southeast Shreveport police substation. The mayor said the council does not have charter authority to require the executive to make such a purchase and called for further due diligence before any final decision.
Arseneault outlined three actions he would direct: determine whether the site has adequate parking and, if not, whether adjacent property is available and at what price; perform an environmental assessment; and obtain an appraisal of the property’s fair market value and any additional property that might be needed. The mayor said the city must know whether bond funds from the 2021 public bond issue will be sufficient before any purchase.
City Attorney Edwards told the council emergency ordinances are governed by Section 4.19 of the city charter and must state a specific emergency to allow single‑reading passage. Edwards said the council has enacted resolutions (including Resolution 175 of 2024, referenced in the meeting) urging the administration to pursue property options, but that an ordinance requiring a purchase would attempt to prescribe executive discretion and therefore raise legal issues. He noted a Louisiana Attorney General opinion that supports this interpretation.
Council members were split. Supporters of the emergency ordinance said the Lyon Avenue site best serves high‑need neighborhoods and argued expedited action is necessary because officers remain housed at temporary locations. Others, including Councilman Taliferro and Councilman Jackson, asked for a firm timeline and called for the due diligence the mayor described.
The administration said it will continue with interim plans — including a Dean Road site that will temporarily house two patrol sections — and promised that, if parking or other site analysis indicates the Lyon Avenue location is feasible, it will appraise the property and report back to council with recommendations and, if appropriate, lease proposals for interim space.
Why it matters: The council’s decision affects where patrol sections will be based, response times in high‑crime neighborhoods and whether 2021 bond funds can cover a property purchase. The meeting ended with no ordinance vote; the emergency ordinance was scheduled for further consideration on the council’s next legislative day.
