If you’re like most people in Shreveport, you have spent more time studying a restaurant menu, and deciding between the beef or chicken quesadillas, than you have deciding which candidate for mayor will get your vote at the polls next month. And considering Shreveport-Bossier City is reported as the fastest shrinking metropolitan economy in the country, according to a recent study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, maybe it’s time to put the chips and salsa aside and let’s lay this all out right now:

There is a tough road ahead for Shreveport. We are facing a diminishing tax base, plus over $200 million in underfunded pension plans, plus nearly $342 million in water, streets and sewer improvement projects (in part to satisfy a consent decree with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice), plus a convention center that is generating zero net revenue for the city, while costing taxpayers $5,479 per day to keep the doors open, not to mention the $400 million of road repair projects that are needed to be done right now.

And considering that campaign contributions to the mayoral candidates – around $350,000 combined thus far – works out to be only $1.78 per capita in Shreveport, most voters are clearly not interested enough in this race, and will likely not vote next month, all despite their dissatisfaction with city government, amidst a growing sense of “Why bother?” or “What difference will it make, anyway?”

Obviously, it makes a big difference, especially with the impending challenges faces our community. That’s why voters must go to the polls next month, confident they are electing a mayor that is qualified to lead the city and every city departments within it.

A mayor that is willing to face the music, even if they don’t like the tune. A mayor that will hire the most talented department managers our city can afford – managers that will not only know the way, but will show the way, as well.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This is why the next mayor must lead, not by pointing his or her finger, but moving their feet.

And it’s not the most politically connected or polished candidates that make the best mayors. Ask cities like Detroit, which is $18 billion in debt from years of mismanagement, or closer to home, in New Orleans, where Ray Nagin left the city with over $25 million in debt as he exited, having spent $90 million per year more than the city took in annually.

You see, to elect the right mayor, and the most qualified for the tasks at hand, voters have to find out about the candidates, gather materials about the candidates, evaluate their stands on the issues, learn about their leadership abilities and learn how other people view the candidate. This is a lot of work, especially when you’re a single mother, or working two jobs, running to pick-up from football practice, helping children with homework in the evenings or caring for elderly parents.

Much worse than not having time, though, is having a small number of voters in Shreveport substitute their will for yours, and manage your family’s economic future, because they went to vote, and you didn’t. They studied the issues, and you didn’t. Property taxes, water, sewer, garbage, traffic patterns, sales taxes, economic development – the next mayor will profoundly impact all of these areas – and our community’s quality of life, as well. 

You see, the more of us who vote, the less likely we are to have a poorly managed city, yet so many ignore the consequences. Abraham Lincoln perhaps said it best: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”

So, should you end up studying a restaurant menu longer than you do the candidates for mayor this year, you have to ask yourself just one question: Am I happy with the state of our city today, and if not, how different would it be today, if I had known more about the candidates, back then?

Now, if you’ll get our waiter’s attention – I think we’re ready to order.