By Stacey Tinsley | Bossier Press-Tribune
After an emotional and at times tense meeting Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Bossier City Council voted 4-3 to give the Bossier Arts Council two weeks to demonstrate compliance with state financial reporting requirements or risk losing city funding and access to its city-owned headquarters.
The vote temporarily delays a decision on whether to terminate the city’s cooperative endeavor agreement with the nonprofit, which operates out of a city-owned building in the East Bank District. Under the agreement, the city provided $130,000 in 2025 funding along with free use of the facility — a subsidy council members estimated to total roughly $300,000 annually.
The issue stems from findings by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor that the arts council failed to submit required financial reports for three consecutive years. The auditor recommended withholding funding until the organization returns to good standing. The reports are designed to ensure transparency and accountability for public dollars.
City leaders made clear the seriousness of the situation.
“We’re not a private organization that gets a lot of leeway,” Councilman Joel Girouard said. “We’re a public government that has to protect those tax dollars.”
Councilman Brian Hammons echoed that concern, emphasizing that arts funding is discretionary.
“It’s not the city’s responsibility to fund the Bossier Arts Council. It’s our responsibility to be frugal with taxpayer money,” Hammons said. “We do that because we have chosen to do that.”
Despite those concerns, supporters of the arts council filled the chamber, urging council members to allow the nonprofit time to correct its deficiencies. The organization hosts art exhibits, concerts, dance performances, theater productions and educational programming throughout the year.
Bossier Arts Council Board Chairman Nathan Hicks told council members the current board was unaware of the missing filings until recently and attributed the lapse to management issues under a former executive director who stepped down in July. Hicks said no missing funds have been identified and outlined new internal controls and financial safeguards implemented by the board.
“We understand it’s your job to be good stewards of the money,” Hicks said. “We are asking for a little bit of time.”
Hicks said he plans to personally seek meetings with the Louisiana Department of Revenue, the Legislative Auditor’s Office and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office in an effort to secure documentation showing the organization is working toward compliance.
“They did not have to do that at all,” Hicks said of the council’s vote to delay action. “We have already triggered the noncompliance. We already had 36 months. What I’m hoping we can do is get some form of communication from the legislative auditor and show that we are attempting to get back in compliance.”
The bossier arts council is scheduled to appear before the city council at the March 3 meeting.
In addition to the arts council discussion, the council considered an ordinance approving a conditional use permit for The Bloom House, a proposed supervised family visitation center at 2519 Waverly Drive in Bossier City.
The Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) had previously voted against allowing the facility in the Greenacres neighborhood. The council ultimately voted not to overturn the MPC’s recommendation in a split decision.
Councilman Hammons expressed respect for the organization’s mission but said he could not support the location.
“I respect and idolize y’all for what you do,” Hammons said. “But it is just not something that I can vote for in a residential setting.”
Carlotta Askew-Brown, executive director of the Bossier MPC, stated that the council was receiving the same information previously reviewed by the MPC board.
Tuesday’s meeting highlighted the delicate balance city officials face between supporting community initiatives and safeguarding public resources. With the March 3 deadline approaching, the future of the Bossier Arts Council — and its longstanding presence in the East Bank District — remains uncertain.