Bossier City Ushers in a New Era with Inauguration Ceremony

Bossier City held a huge official inauguration ceremony Tuesday with the swearing in of several new Bossier City council members, including the history making swearing in of the first African-American woman, and the swearing in of Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler for his second term.

READ MORE: Key Milestones: Mayor Chandler's First Term in Review

Highlighting First Term Successes

During his inauguration address, Mayor Chandler looked back at accomplishment's from his first term, as well as looking forward to another successful term.  He highlighted one of his first orders of business was to stabilize city leadership, including hiring a qualified City Engineer, a position that had gone unfilled.

That move, alongside strategic investments in public safety, has helped restore structure and effectiveness across multiple departments. Bossier City’s police force, now at 97% staffing, stands as a point of pride for a city long known for its commitment to safety.

Another campaign promise before he took office in 2021, Chandler vowed to push through term limits, a move he supported during his campaign before ever winning office.

Chandler also gave overdue raises to city employees, reinforcing his belief in running government with business-minded efficiency and employee respect.was to enact term limits for Bossier City elected officials. And after a long, and often contentious battle, Mayor Chandler pointed out the success of that hard-fought battle.

A New Bossier City Council: A New Era

The swearing in ceremony also included the individual swearing in of the new Bossier City Council, including:

• Craton Cochran: Councilman at Large
• Chris Smith: Councilman at Large
• Brian Hammonds: District 1
• Debra W. Ross: District 2
• Cliff Smith: District 3
• Joel Girouard: District 4
• Vince Maggio: District 5

The new Bossier City council has already held their first meeting on Tuesday that had over 20 items on the agenda.  Returning councilman Chris Smith was elected as Council President, and incoming councilman Joel Girouard as vice-president.