(The Center Square) — Newly elected Bossier City Council members will take office on July 1 as some of the current members leave office after decades of serving the city.
Long-time councilmembers Jeff Darby, Don Williams, David Montgomery Jr., and Jeff Free attended their last council meeting two weeks ago. Montgomery has served on the council for 24 years, Free for 12 years, Williams for 28 years and Darby, with the highest tenure, serving the city of Bossier for 32 years.
During the March election, two new councilmembers were elected by Bossier residents — Debra Ross and Cliff Smith.
Ross defeated Darby after she received 61% of the vote for the District 2 seat.
Smith received 62% of the vote for the District 3 seat, replacing Williams.
Ross and Smith will take their seats for Districts 2 and 3 on Tuesday during the next city council meeting. According to the agenda, the council will appoint the city council clerk for a term beginning on July 1 to June 30, 2029, and elect the city council president and vice president for the next fiscal year.
Current members Vince Maggio and Chris Smith also ran for reelection and won.
The longstanding nature of many council members has stirred up debate among many Bossier residents. Some believe the council needs the change it is receiving on Tuesday. One ongoing effort was to establish council term limits led by the Bossier Term Limit Coalition.
During the last city council meeting, Mayor Tommy Chandler honored the four members leaving for their service to Bossier City, highlighting significant steps each one has taken throughout their time.
