Politics
Shreveport Community Services Tax Referendum to Shape Local Library Hours and Youth Program Funding
The November ballot measure would raise a half-cent sales tax to add $4.2 million yearly for expanded after-school care and library operations serving Shreveport households.
How we reported this
Shreveport residents will vote November 3 on a proposed half-cent sales tax increase dedicated to community services, a measure that would generate an estimated $4.2 million annually for after-school programs, senior centers and library branches in Caddo Parish.
City budget shortfalls reported in the 2025 fiscal year prompted the Caddo Parish Commission to place the referendum on the ballot, following a 12 percent drop in discretionary revenue for social programs over the past two years according to parish financial statements.
Daily effects for Shreveport households
Passage would extend operating hours at the Shreve Memorial Library main branch and four neighborhood locations by two evenings each week, allowing working parents in the Queensborough and Cedar Grove areas to use study rooms and job-search computers after 6 p.m. The same revenue stream would add 45 after-school slots at existing recreation centers on Greenwood Road and Hollywood Avenue, targeting children ages 5 to 12 whose families currently face wait lists exceeding 200 names.
Local advocates note that current funding covers only 68 percent of requested senior transportation rides to medical appointments; the additional dollars would cover the remaining requests for residents in the Allendale and Ledbetter Heights neighborhoods without raising fees.
Allocation and next steps
Parish records list the current community services line item at $8.7 million for fiscal year 2026. Under the measure, 55 percent of new revenue would go to youth and family programs, 30 percent to library operations and 15 percent to senior transportation, with annual audits required by the Caddo Parish Clerk of Court.
If approved, the tax would take effect January 1, 2027, and run for five years before returning to voters for renewal. The Caddo Parish Board of Elections will mail sample ballots to registered voters by October 15.