Quick take
- Bossier City’s proposed 2027 General Fund: $76.35 million in revenue and $80.84 million in department spending. A $7.49 million sales-tax transfer covers the gap.
- Police and fire make up about 62% of Bossier City’s proposed department spending.
- Shreveport’s Oct. 13 agenda listed 19 budget ordinances for introduction. They must be adopted by Dec. 15.
- Shreveport’s next council meetings: Mon., Oct. 26, and Tue., Oct. 27, both at 3 p.m.
It’s budget season on both sides of the Red River. Bossier City and Shreveport are each working through their 2027 budget ordinances. Those votes decide what gets paid for next year, from police and fire to parks, streets and drainage.
Bossier City: first reading on Oct. 20
The agenda for the Bossier City Council’s Oct. 20 regular meeting (3 p.m., City Council Chambers, 620 Benton Road) lists 28 ordinances to introduce 2027 budgets on first reading. They cover the General Fund, plus funds for water, sewer, sanitation, streets and drainage, EMS, the arena, the civic center and capital projects. A first reading only introduces a budget. The council votes to adopt it at a later meeting.
The proposed 2027 General Fund in the agenda packet shows:
| Line | 2027 proposed |
|---|---|
| Total revenues | $76,353,600 |
| Total spending by department | $80,844,287 |
| Revenues minus spending | −$4,490,687 |
| Transfers in (other) | $15,182 |
| Transfers in from sales tax | $7,489,200 |
| Transfer out for debt service | −$3,000,000 |
| Projected change in fund balance | +$13,695 |
| Projected ending fund balance | $65,901,327 |
Public safety is the biggest slice. Police would get $28,987,488 (about 36% of department spending) and Fire $21,306,962 (about 26%). Parks and Recreation is next at $4,487,063. Sales tax is the largest source of money at $38,342,400, about half of General Fund revenue. Property taxes (ad valorem) are next at $17,200,000.
The same agenda also lists:
- Final reading of an ordinance to move $150,000 from the Streets and Drainage Fund to the General Fund.
- Final reading of a $5,000 grant from the Hotel/Motel Taxes Fund for Rockets Over the Red.
- A rezoning request for 5301 East Texas Street, from R-A (Residence-Agriculture) to B-3 (General Business), to sell and display portable buildings.
- Appointment of John A. Holley to the Fire and Police Civil Service Board.
Results pending: Results from this meeting hadn’t been posted as of the evening of Oct. 20. We’ll update this story when the city posts the minutes. You can also watch the city livestream.
Shreveport: 19 budget ordinances on the Oct. 13 agenda
The Shreveport City Council’s Oct. 13 agenda listed 19 ordinances (ORD 102-120) for introduction to set 2027 budgets. They include the Capital Improvements Budget, the General Fund, Water and Sewer, Solid Waste, Streets, Public Safety, Airports, Downtown Parking, the Convention Center and Convention Center Hotel, and the SporTran contract. The agenda says they are “to be adopted no later than December 15, 2026.” Here’s what’s in the proposed General Fund.
Also on the Oct. 13 agenda for introduction (not to be adopted before Oct. 27):
- New pay scales for Fire and Police Civil Service employees, effective Dec. 1, 2026 (RES 111 and RES 112).
- A change to the city’s landfill fee per ton (ORD 101).
- Changes to the 2026 General Fund and Golf Enterprise Fund budgets (ORD 98 and 99).
- A pipeline right-of-way agreement with Saber Midstream Gas Services on city property (RES 113).
This section is based on the posted agenda. Minutes for the Oct. 13 meeting hadn’t been posted as of Oct. 20.
How to follow along or speak up
- Shreveport: The next Administrative Conference is Mon., Oct. 26, and the regular meeting is Tue., Oct. 27. Both start at 3 p.m. at Government Plaza, 505 Travis St. (2026 schedule). The Oct. 13 agenda notice says ADA accommodation requests, and any public comment requests that go with them, go to the Clerk’s office at (318) 673-5262 by 2 p.m. on the meeting day.
- Bossier City: Agendas are posted in the city’s Agenda Center, and meetings stream live. Regular meetings are every other Tuesday at 3 p.m., which puts the next ones on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17. Check the portal to confirm. The City Clerk’s office number is 318-741-8509.