In a contentious meeting that lasted nearly five hours, the Bogalusa City Council voted to approve a pay increase for themselves while rejecting an economic development proposal proposed by Mayor Tyrin Truong. The meeting, held on September 4, 2024, started at 6:17 p.m.—nearly an hour late—due to a lack of quorum.
Councilwoman Tamira Smith, explaining her tardiness, cited her responsibilities “working multiple jobs and being in between jobs,” while Councilman Michael O’ree noted his absence was due to a family matter, as his daughter had just joined the military, earning applause from the audience. Councilmember Shelby Temples was absent, with Council President Mark Irvine vaguely attributing her absence to medical reasons, invoking HIPAA privacy laws. District D Councilman Kenny Kellis was also absent but submitted a letter read aloud at the meeting, revealing that he is battling a stage-four illness and will not resign despite not being present since June.
Pay Raise for City Council Sparks Outrage
The most controversial item of the night was the approval of pay raises for City Council members, sponsored by Councilman Michael O’ree. Despite opposition from community members, including Minister Keith Merrill, the council voted unanimously to pass the measure. When Merrill spoke out against the raises, Councilwoman Tamira Smith responded, telling him to “act your age and not your disability,” a remark that shocked many in attendance. Smith is a social worker at Our Lady of the Angels Hospital.
The pay raise vote passed without further debate, despite the palpable tension in the room.
Parks Fee Proposal Sparks Debate
Following the pay raise decision, Parks and Recreation Director Errol Varnado and Community Development Director Christopher Dudzienski presented a proposal to establish park fees for Cassidy Park, the Avenue B Sportsplex, and the Rodeo Arena. The plan included a $25 fee to reserve park pavilions, far below prices in surrounding cities. Mayor Truong explained that while previous administrations had collected fees for park reservations, his administration had stopped doing so because there were no formal ordinances in place.
Varnado noted that similar cities in Louisiana charged higher fees for park use, and that the funds raised would be used for much-needed park improvements across Bogalusa. He noted that the proposed fees were low to account for the city's economic demographics. However, the measure faced opposition from Bogalusa Youth Sports, with Andrew Arata and others arguing that youth programs should receive discounted fees.
Mayor Truong suggested an amendment that was passed favorably as a compromise. Ultimately, Councilman O’ree, a coach/referee for Bogalusa Youth Sports, motioned to table the ordinance for further consideration, leaving the issue unresolved. According to sources, the Administration plans to submit an advisory opinion to the Louisiana Ethics Board.
Economic Development Proposal Rejected
One of the evening’s most significant votes was on an economic development proposal by national organization Retail Strategies, brought forward by Mayor Truong and Councilwoman Gloria Kates. The proposal, which would have cost the city $25,000, aimed to attract new retail businesses to Bogalusa, while supporting existing businesses.
However, the measure was voted down by Councilman O’ree and Councilwoman Penny Douglas, despite Councilwoman Kates pointing out that the city's ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) account had a balance of over $880,000. When pressed by the mayor, O’ree admitted uncertainty over whether the city could afford the proposal, while Douglas offered no explanation for her opposition. Kates reiterated to the public that she had given the city council a copy of the ARPA bank statement a month prior. Voting in favor were Irvine, Smith, and Kates, but the measure fell short of the four votes needed to pass.
Lacey Bacchus, a representative of Retail Strategies, and St. Tammany Corporation CEO Chris Masingill explained that the report generated would help existing local businesses by providing critical data that identifies potential demand for goods and services in the city. Masingill stated that Bogalusa thriving was critical to “regional economic success” and referenced how Bogalusa has many natural assets that developers are looking for. O’ree expressed that he would like to vote for the proposal in the future.
Other Council Business
Additional items on the packed agenda included the tabling of an ordinance requiring financial statements and a plethora of other financially-related documents and the passage of an ordinance sponsored by Councilwoman Kates that allows the replacement of mobile homes in the city for existing landowners. An ordinance passed by Councilwoman Smith raised the prices of permits for food trucks to $1,200, while allowing food trailers.
A lease agreement for Northshore Charter School was approved unanimously, marking a win for the Administration in a negotiation that took over a year. Many eyes are on Councilman O’ree, whose temporary term is ending later this year, as he has emerged as the main dissenter carrying Councilwoman Douglas’ vote as well. Council President Irvine and Councilwoman Kates noted to the crowd they have worked “very closely” with the mayor over the past couple months.
The meeting finally adjourned shortly after 11 p.m., leaving attendees and council members to reflect on the night’s decisions. Many in the community are left questioning the priorities of the City Council, as they approved higher wages for themselves while rejecting a plan that could have brought new business opportunities to Bogalusa while offering critical data to existing local businesses. Mayor Truong stated to the Tribune that he plans to bring the proposal back up and hopes to get a different outcome. "I think there is more than meets the eye here. I'm starting to believe that O'ree is stifling progress in hopes of a mayoral bid in 2026. He should do what he can to push the City forward in the last couple months he has in that temporary seat. When running for the top slot, you have to have a body of work and I wouldn't want to campaign on shutting down economic proposals if I were him."
Commentaires