Municipal law in Bossier City Louisiana refers to the local laws created and enforced by the city. Municipal law may also refer to parish laws, rules, and regulations, and even state laws and international laws, if they impact a local community. Municipal law in Bossier City Louisiana not only affects its residents, but also those who work in and travel to the city. Common examples of municipal laws are zoning ordinances; permits and occupational licenses; expropriation laws and police power.
Municipal laws impact your daily life, probably more than you realize. For example, if you are a business owner, you likely had to follow certain guidelines as you selected a location for your business. Due to zoning ordinances, businesses may not operate in just any location, such as a residential neighborhood. Instead, they must be located in certain areas in the city. You also needed to obtain all the proper permits and occupational licenses.
If you own a house or business, the city may determine it needs some or all of your land to build or expand a road, to build or improve utilities, or any other public purpose. There are specific actions that must be taken in order for the city to establish that your property is needed before the city can expropriate the property. If the proper procedures are taken, the city must also pay for the property taken so it is important to understand the different methods for valuing and compensating for property.
Police power is also a major part of municipal law. The police must follow certain rules, regulations, and guidelines as they enforce the ordinances of their communities. Constitutional and state laws apply to local police departments as well. For example, police may not randomly search individuals if they are not suspected of involvement in a crime. This concept connects local ordinances, which lay out many crimes or violations of a community, with constitutional law issues, which describe guidelines police must follow during searches and seizures.
Therefore, municipal law impacts the daily activities of thousands of individuals and entities.
