1. The City Charter clearly outlines the basic powers and duties of the Mayor. In your own terms, how would you define the role of the Mayor?
2. An important role of the Mayor is to establish the annual operating budget. According to the City’s website, the current City Operating Budget is $488,179,815. What is your experience with understanding and preparing budgets and what experience do you have that prepares you to operate an organization of this size?
3.Although the recent focus has been on the water and sewer infrastructure due to the Consent Decree, many of our buildings and facilities are also in dire need of maintenance and repairs. Outside of the mandated water/sewer infrastructure improvements, what do you see as priorities across the City with regards to needed improvements to public facilities and other infrastructure and how would you address them?
4.Economy and Jobs are always important topics to voters. What specific ideas do you have to encourage economic development and growth?How will you foster growt h in areas as diverse as downtown, Allendale, North, West and Southeast Shreveport?
5.Many citizens are saying the city has to get crime under control before any business will look at moving to Shreveport. What specific steps will you take to address the issue of crime, and how will you sell the city to potential businesses and industry, while countering nightly news reports of murders, shootings and other crimes?
6.The Mayor is responsible for a wide range of appointments including the City Attorney, members of all boards, commissions, and other bodies. What will your approach be to evaluating and deciding on your appointments to these important positions within the City? How will you evaluate the performance of these individuals to ensure that they are working effectively on behalf of the citizens of Shreveport?
7.The Mayor must work collaboratively with a number of individuals and organizations to be successful including the City Council and the Parish of Caddo, the local business community, the surrounding municipalities, and state representatives. In what specific areas do you think collaboration is necessary and how will you work to foster it within your administration?
8.In your view, what is the most challenging issue facing our community, and how will you address it?
9. Please summarize for us your vision for the future of our city and your top three priorities. How will you allocate city resources to accomplish your priorities and achieve that future?
10.Can you share with us an example of when your ethics or integrity were tested? How did you respond?
11.Is there anything you would like to address that we have not yet covered?(Not all candidates answered this question.)