City Council

All legislative powers accruing to the city under the City Charter and under the Constitution  and laws of the State of Louisiana are vested in and exercised by the council. Section 4.02 of the Charter states that the council is composed of seven (7) members, each of whom is elected from a separate district of the city. Council holds regular meetings twice each month at city hall. The regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chamber:

1st Floor of Government Plaza
505 Travis Street
Shreveport, LA 71101

The council also holds administrative conferences, to set the regular meeting’s agenda, on the Monday before the regular meeting, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber.

Special meetings of the council may be called by the mayor, the chairman of the council or by any four (4) members of the council, upon not less than 24 hours written notice to all members of the council and by conspicuously posting a copy of the notice 24 hours in advance of the meeting, provided that the notice shall contain a statement of the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called and that no other business shall be transacted at such special meetings.

The chairman, or in his absence the vice chairman, presides at meetings of the council. A quorum is necessary before a lawful meeting of the council can be held. A quorum consists of a majority of the members of the council. Ordinances or resolutions are adopted, and appointments and removals are made only by a majority of those present and voting at a lawful meeting of the council which is open to the public. All voting is by roll call (as shown on an electronic vote board) and the ayes and nays are recorded in the minutes of the council.

The council records and keeps minutes of each council meeting. The minutes of each council meeting are published in the official journal not later than the seventh day after such meeting. The current official journal is The Times and the minutes are usually published on the Monday after the Tuesday meeting. All ordinances, except codifications of ordinances, are printed in full in the minutes of the meeting at which they are finally adopted. Ordinances codifying all ordinances or any class of ordinances occur infrequently and are published in such manner as the council directs. The clerk of council maintains an indexed register of ordinances in which all ordinances are recorded and open to the public.

All ordinances and resolutions are introduced in typewritten or printed form and, except in the case of codifications of ordinances and the annual budget ordinances, each is confined to a single subject which is expressed in the title. Ordinances and resolutions may be introduced at any regular meeting of the council, or at a special meeting if the subject thereof has been included in the notice of such meeting. The title of each ordinance or resolution introduced is included in the minutes of the meeting. Except in the case of emergency ordinances, no final action is taken on any ordinance at the meeting at which it is introduced or prior to the next regular meeting of the council occurring at least two (2) weeks after its introduction. Every ordinance or resolution appropriating money, except the annual budget ordinance, or ordering any street or sewer improvement, or making or authorizing the making of any contract, or granting, amending or extending any franchise or right to occupy or use the streets, highways, bridges or public places in the city for any purpose, is complete in the form in which it is finally passed, shall remain on file with the clerk of council for public inspection for at least one week before the final passage or adoption thereof, and is published once, together with a notice of the time at which the council proposes to take final action thereon, in the official journal at least one week before the final passage or adoption thereof.

No ordinance or resolution, except an emergency ordinance, will become effective until it has been published in the official journal and seven (7) days have elapsed after its approval by the mayor or its readopting by the council after his disapproval.

Persons are encouraged to communicate with council members by telephoning them or writing to them directly. In addition, persons can address the council at the administrative conference or council meeting about the affairs of city government. Each speaker is allowed three minutes to address the council on a matter that is on the agenda (either near the beginning of the meeting on Monday or near the end of the meeting on Tuesday). Speakers may also address the council about affairs of the city government near the end of the meeting either day if the matter is not on the agenda.

Speakers are requested to fill out a Speaker Information Form before each meeting.

Applications for zoning and other land use changes are made to the Metropolitan Planning Commission Office. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Metropolitan Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Appeals may appeal that decision to the City Council as provided in Section 106-48 and Section 106-49 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Shreveport.

To download and print a Speaker Information Form Click Here (Requires Acrobat Reader)

Contact Numbers for City Council Staff