Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
On Tuesday, July 29, the Bossier City Council approved an amendment to its existing sanitation ordinance to address concerns raised by property owners impacted by recent changes to how fees are calculated.
The amendment modifies Ordinance 2 of 2025, which had updated Section 94-76 of the City Code to implement a flat $12 monthly sanitation fee per address, regardless of the number of water meters on a property. The shift from a meter-based fee structure to a per-address charge resulted in significant increases for owners of multi-unit properties, such as apartment complexes that typically use master meters.
To address the impact on these properties, the newly adopted amendment caps the sanitation rate increase at 80% for multi-unit residential facilities and delays the implementation of the higher fees until February 1, 2026.
The sanitation fees contribute to the city’s Public Works and Sanitation Fund, an enterprise fund responsible for covering the cost of services such as solid waste collection, animal control, herbicide spraying, and mosquito control. Unlike general fund departments, enterprise funds rely on service fees rather than sales tax revenues.
The Public Works and Sanitation Fund has operated with a deficit in four of the past five years, including losses exceeding $1 million in both 2023 and 2024. Despite the fee increase implemented earlier this year, the city is still projecting a deficit for 2025. As fund reserves continue to decline, officials have noted that the city may need to borrow from the general fund to cover expenses.
The ordinance amendment aims to provide financial relief for property owners while maintaining progress toward stabilizing the fund’s long-term sustainability. The adjustment to the timeline allows additional time for property owners to prepare and make necessary changes to leases and billing.