Walter O. Bigby statue causes controversy in ongoing beautification project
By Madison Beam
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BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana (KTBS) — Bossier City is dealing with a controversial issue involving a new, expensive (almost $18,000) change order to the Walter O. Bigby Carriageway beautification project.
That project includes a statue of Walter O. Bigby.
What some council members didn’t know is that it cost $300,000. The whole project is $400,000. The statue is also already halfway built.
Councilman Chris Smith wanted to know where the idea for the statue came from since it wasn’t in the original plans for the project. The council approved the ordinance five to two.
Councilman Brian Hammons says calling it a “beautification project” is misleading and Smith says this isn’t the best use of money.
“It’s kind of misleading that this ordinance was done back then as a beautification. Beautification in my eyes are shrubbery, trees, plants, stuff like that, not a $400,000 statue,” Hammons said.
“[It’s] a pretty bad look when we have streets and sidewalks that we can’t repair. We don’t have the money in the budget to do that. We’ve got police and fire. Who are the bottom paid in their respective fields? Money’s not in the budget to give them a raise, but there’s money for a $300,000 statue,” Smith said.
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