Mayor Arceneaux clarifies involvement of city council in Block by Block initiative

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) –Mayor Tom Arceneaux is setting the record straight about the city’s new Block by Block initiative, a neighborhood-focused revitalization effort aimed at improving quality of life, starting with the Ingleside community.

The mayor joined us on-air to share how the plan originated through the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Shreveport was asked to choose a bold challenge to tackle and Arceneaux chose neighborhood revitalization, knowing it would require more than just government involvement.

“I realized that it wasn’t something government alone could do,” he said. “It would take members of the community, particularly the business, faith, and philanthropic sectors — and that’s the group we put together to advise.”

The mayor addressed public concerns following comments from some city council members, who said they felt left out of the process. Arceneaux explained that while the advisory group was sector-based rather than geographically assigned, council input was still considered.

“The neighborhoods where the clean sweeps are going to happen were selected after consultation with the council,” he clarified.

He emphasized that the Ingleside project is only the beginning and that ongoing collaboration with neighborhood leaders and elected officials will be key moving forward.

“This is the beginning of the conversation not the end of it,” Arceneaux said.