Fender Bender: Council, residents clash over city buses

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, July 23, 2025

CARIE EDWARDS
CORRESPONDENT TO THE DAILY NEWS 
 
The Bogalusa City Council held its regular meeting Tuesday night at City Hall, covering a broad range of issues-from youth sports partnerships and cultural revitalization to industrial tax exemptions and school safety. But the most hotly debated topic of the evening centered on the city’s public transit system and the fate of two city-owned buses. 
A resolution that would declare two transit vehicles as surplus triggered intense discussion from both residents and city officials. Multiple community members spoke during public participation to oppose the sale of the buses, urging the council to preserve the vehicles and reinvest in public transportation. 
One speaker pointed to the Louisiana Watershed Initiative as a funding opportunity that could support flood and drainage improvements along bus routes-improvements that would also help alleviate citywide sewer issues. Others stressed the community-wide benefits of a functioning transit system, including access to jobs, healthcare, after-school programs, and summer feeding sites. A resident also highlighted how the presence of the paper mill limits pedestrian movement, making it difficult to walk through town and increasing reliance on public transportation.

Mayor Tyrin Truong strongly defended keeping the buses, calling out what he described as a double standard. He noted that the council previously voted down proposals to conduct a study on the creation of a citywide transit system and argued that federal guidance favors cities that already own buses when awarding transit grants. He emphasized that the buses can navigate any street that a school bus can and added that there are no rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft available anywhere in Washington Parish, leaving residents without transportation alternatives. Truong noted that aside from one needing a new fender, the buses are fully functional and have already been used for various city events. He questioned the urgency of saving an estimated $19,000 by selling them. “What is $19,000 in the grand scheme of our city budget?” he asked. 

Council members raised concerns about costs for bus wraps, stop shelters, ridership demand, and long-term funding. After discussion, the council voted to table the decision. A feasibility study is expected within four months to help determine the best path forward for public transit in Bogalusa. 

The council introduced an ordinance to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with Bogalusa Youth Sports to support community athletic programming in the 2025-2026 year. Another ordinance proposes the creation of an Art & Historical Cultural District aimed at promoting local heritage. A third ordinance would authorize a contract with Civic Source to manage adjudicated properties with unpaid taxes. A fourth ordinance introduced an Industrial Tax Exemption application for International Paper under Louisiana’s 2018 incentive program.

In a separate action, the council unanimously approved an ordinance authorizing an agreement between the Bogalusa Police Department and Bogalusa City School Board to continue assigning School Resource Officers (SROs) to city schools.