A a new administration at city hall and a recently sworn-in city council work on ways to fix Shreveport's ailing financial situation, both - along with numerous citizens - are calling for the city to not only come up with ways to add cash to the coffers, but to trim the budget at the same time.

But what to cut? Or, as phrased by Shreveport's Chief Administrative Officer Sherricka Fields-Jones, "wring the towel of the city budget dry."

Political pundit John Settle has attacked that issue in his latest blog, "Cutting the Fat in the City Budget." Settle writes that maybe the folks making the money decisions at city hall should start with monies going to NGOs (non-governmental organizations).

"The budget has appropriations for many NGOS (non government entities.) These are direct dollar transfer of funds.

Here is the 2019 list:
Caddo Council on Aging $10,000
CoHabitat Foundation $25,000
Compassion for Lives $7500
Fit for Life $15,000
Independence Bowl Foundation $140,000
Inner City Entrepreneur Institute $10,000
McNeil Street Pumping Station $25,000
MLK Health Center & Pharmacy $15,000
MLK Community Development Center $10,000
Shreveport Green $37,500
Step Forward $25,000
THIS TOTALS $320,000"

As Settle says, "Funding of NGOs is always a very political decision. And unfortunately, the council does not have clear guidelines on funding."

To read Settle's complete blog, "Cutting the Fat in the City Budget," and to see all of his posts, JUST CLICK HERE!

 

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